The Riverpark Rebellion

was spe

presence of mind, he took up the papers and examined them. Surely enough, there was the erasure, and ther

any one else should have made them,-especially why they should have been made in his favor. Glancing around again on the occupants of

ad handled the reports that day; he knew that Brede would go any length to injure him. Th

hatred as impels the hand of the assassin. Hot words came to his lips; an indignant denial

ould Brede care for his anger or his arraignment? He would have anticipated that. He would only

mpletely to checkmate his enemy,-a scheme so bold and novel and unprincipled that it swep

s finger on the altered list, and said: "These

correct. That is

g upon the speaker incredulously. The lie was so unexpec

e betrayed him hopelessly. He saw his mistake in time, check

waved his hand

aid. "The figures will stand

of the scornful smile of self-satisfaction, his face bore marks of humiliation and of bitter disappointment. He shot one angry glance at the enemy who had outwitted

d the days went by; but this feeling rema

the offender punishment and permanent disgrace, and yet to be powerless, to see this unblushing liar go scot-free from the

of rules; he sought the society of boisterous fellows; he fraternized with the ruder and disor

wo met in those days, whether in the drill-hall, the classroom, or the c

ling by his own, had no conception o

lad's lips before he regretted having spoken it. Within ten minutes from the time he uttered it he would have given muc

terous fun, in hot discussion with his fellows; but all expedients were vain. It was a veritable Banquo's ghost. He lost strength, hope, courage, ambition. Before the utter

asional flashing up of that old hatred and disgust in his

s called by his companions "Apache," or, more briefly, "Patchy." He had come there from an army post in the far West, where his father, a g

sterous, but who felt that he was being handled a little too roughly now, and who cal

this appeal to his enemy angered him, and he gave the child's arm a tw

o respond; but when the cry came, he advanced a step t

ade his escape, and thrusting his hands in his pockets,

rs from disgraced

erson who has been guilty of forging recor

or do I take advice from common and cont

had chanced to notice the two boys in conversation, had hurried across the hall in time to hear the last words, and, a

r responsible for his own conduct, and that some one should be on hand to keep him from bringing further disgrace upon himself. In this case,

feel that he was powerless to save him. He had exhausted his powers of logic, of entreaty, even of abuse. He could do nothing now except to stand by and extend

and co-operating influences at work on these two long-time rivals and enemies that were dragging t

n respect to the society they chose than in any other way. Boys with whom Brightly had had nothing in

ss and discontent among his boys was not realized. There was neglect of lessons; there were bre

mptly disciplined. There had been an incipient riot in the upper dormitory at night after taps, the participants in whic

thing only seemed feasible, and that was to draw the lines with still great

ant days on which every lover of Nature longs to be in the woods and fields, breathing with

ear the eastern porch of the building, and were shouting and singing boisterously. Some one had composed a few doggerel verses containing little of either rhyme or metre, and had entitled them "

liday. It's a shame for Old Sil to put us on delinq

ime. The old man's trying to spite us because we happen to belong to the noble a

speaker. "The woods are splendid now; Beach and Valen

n him!" exclaimed t

s cap and cried out,

arately and in groups, came hurrying toward the little party, attracted by the unus

They usually went in a body to the groves across the river, taking luncheon with th

were not allowed to leave the grounds, save as they were marched discreetly to church o

it spread like a swift contagion.

aying, "Here, Bright, you draw

aw it; he's literary; he can put it in bet

was his vanity more easily flattered than by favorable com

done requiring peculiar mental skill and art, he was unanimously selected by the boys of the school to do it. So, followed by a score or more of them,

nsidered a good form for a pe

ong enough,

t," said another. "We've got a right to a hol

"There's no use mincing matters; he's bearing down hea

arently with better success; for when he read what he had

h jealousy stinging him, with conscience torturing him, with disgrace hanging over him, he had only his self-respect to fa

n was copied, it

Jonas

of Riverpa

ed cadets and students of Riv

a whole holiday for the entire school, with games, lunches, etc., in the groves acro

e for said holiday; and we herewith make known our proposition for celebrating the same, to the end tha

ed) _

per was ready for signatu

ys at once. "Brede, capt

asked Bred

ing to have a holida

ook the paper

t it pretty str

" was the reply, "or we

the group, crying out in his falsetto voic

d Patchy, hilariously. "What

d picnic in the groves of doodle dell

continued: "Why, then, without a mule, I'l

unded a chorus of voices.

m over and over like a bulging barrel, and smothered his squeals by placing their combined weight on his elastic body. But they did n

ill scanning

elbow, "sign the petition. If you don't

nued another, "we'll h

anity was

rouble, all he's got to do is to lie out of it, and Silsbee'll coddle him back

tition. Then Harple was sought; but he could not be found, and there was no time to be

awn it. Not that he cared about the holiday; but he had become too weak a

on; but before tattoo was sounded there was another opportunity to sign

l. These two, Robinson and Miller, had been selected on account of their pop

h the petition. He was in his office, and they went there. They were gone but a fe

going?" "Did he read it?" T

e said he'd take the matter into consideration, and whatever he conceived to be for the best interests of the school, that he'd do. H

n get to it, anyway. I tell you what

get it, honest?" ask

lied Mille

an enthusiastic delinquent. "We're

holiday was spoken of as an assured fact. Indeed, many of th

ning session, the flow of good feeling was manifested by so much good-natur

blue sky or on the bright hopes of the students. Everybody was jubilant. Even Brightly had awakened to

, seating himself again in his chair, he looked down for a moment on the bright and expectant faces before