The Obstacle Race

in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him. There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the

close. There was a brooding sense of storm in the atmosphere. Suddenly, as if in some invisible fashion a set limit had been

n!" h

a shuffling, reluctant movement as if

ome here!" hi

d abruptly, as if arrested by something in the pere

ted, with grim insist

But there he hung irresolute. His heavy brows were drawn, but the eyes beneath had a fright

oved forward, dragging his feet along the bare boards. At the other end of the row of desks he halted. His eyes travelled s

!" Green s

ty dog. His humped shoulders looked

le Green faced him. He

that stone at Mrs

oot. He drew a quivering breath be

hy!" Green

orking hands toget

Mrs. Fielding," he b

but his tone was as uncompromising as before as he said, "Tha

ce wilted visibly. "I-didn't mean to break the window, Dicky,"

u mean to do

ood sile

answer me?" Green

hem upon the table behind which Green sat. Standing so, he glowered d

e said, with stupendous effort. "I'

, looking straight up into the heavy face above

ever I decide to give you. Sit down there!" He indicated the e

ed and desperate. But the man before him showed neither surprise nor anger. His clean-cut lips were

f thing-as you know. It isn't especially inspiring for

. His eyes fell before the steady regard that was fixed upon him. With an incoherent murmur he turned aside, and dropped u

ing with a frown between his b

ped shoulders were heaving. Slow tears were falling upon the clasped hands. There was no sound of any sort. Green sat and watched, a kind of stern pity replacing the unyielding mastery of h

e? There's going to be the devil of a

sound in his throat like t

a sharp movement. "Jack!

out

, gripping him quickly by the shoulder an

der than his elder brother, but he lacked that subtle somethin

want?" he said. "I'm pr

thrash him well. Becaus

r. "No, you won't. You'll not touch h

't you shut him up in a wild-beast ho

ration. "I'll manage this affair my own way. But I've got to know the truth

houlders; a sneer cross

did it!"

ant your help?" Richard spoke with insist

t if you want to know. He chucked that stone at me out of sheer damned vindictiveness. He meant to break my head, but he broke the window instead, and frightened Madam Fielding into fits. In her own park too! It's a bit thick, you know, that. I don'

ght his face looked drawn and almost haggard. "

dogs her footsteps whenever he gets a chance. I caught him this afternoon, right up by the house, and I ordered him off. You know the squire and madam both loathe the very sight

was a pity you were so damned offensive, but I suppose it's the way you're made. You were the so

out excitement. Jack jumped, and threw back his head as if he had

l do you mean?

" returned Dick briefly. "

you expect me to go to the squire a

act, nothing would surprise me more. Thank you for telling me th

For there was no gainsaying Dick. He was always unassailable in his justice, since in a fashion inexplicable but tacitly acknowledged by both he occupied a higher plane altogether. Ignore it as he might, deep in his inner soul Jack knew t

man's estate, but the issue did not rest with Jack. No power on earth could move Dick in that dire

, but implacable determination in his every movement, a determination that was directed

together with a nervous contraction of the mu

im. "So you're not going t

s swiftly from his brother's face, saying no word. In the silence that fo

Going on strike, are you?" he as

ok his he

that mean?"

early dislocating his fing

eting hand upon him. "Robin, do you

t. He did not look at his brother, but turned aside in his blu

ed it out with a clumsy eagerness, tossing papers and books on the floor in

d, and stood breathing

ddly softened. He stood for a moment looking at the boy, then ve

he said. "You're get

s from him, and went t

cattered on

, helping him. "You aren't angry, ar

e sat down and began to straight

t be, Dicky!" he said very earnestly. "I

devilry even worse." He put his arm round the humped shoulders with

ll dog-like in his contrition.

ou mean? Well, not so m

ad-as you

k's voice. Robin made an ingratiating movement,

he unspoken appeal. "You

be trouble-worse trou

t to leave me

in horror. "Leave you?" he repeated inc

. "Somethin

im aghast. "But-you-you'd

shouldn't be able to prevent it." Dick said rather

sionately; "But I-I-I couldn't live-

the darkness. "People aren't allowed to kill themselves in prison. If they try to do anything of that sort, they're tied down till they come to

off impatiently, and turned to the quivering f

these fiendish tempers of yours might end in," he said.

sely, desperately. "Yo

he whi

rd said. "I'd rat

a curious groping movement, took the hand that p