The Grammar School Boys of Gridley Part 2

Not toward the retreating girls, however, did the book fly. It spun nearly at right angles, and----

Smack! it went, full into the face of Princ.i.p.al E. Dutton Jones.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, sir!" cried d.i.c.k in a voice ringing with remorse. "That must hurt you very much, sir."

"It is nothing," replied Old Dut gamely, though the unexpected shock had nearly taken his breath. Then he put one hand up to his injured face.

"Why, I believe my nose is bleeding," he added, making a quick dive for his handkerchief.

In truth the nose was bleeding. Old Dut made a specialty of low-cut vests and white, immaculate s.h.i.+rt-fronts. Before the handkerchief was in place, three bright, crimson drops had fallen, rendering the s.h.i.+rt-front a gruesome sight to look at.

"Oh, sir, I hope you will excuse me," followed up d.i.c.k.

"Oh, yes; certainly," dryly returned the princ.i.p.al, as he rose and made for his private room. There was a handbowl in there, with hot and cold water, and the princ.i.p.al of the Central Grammar School of Gridley was soon busy repairing his personal appearance.

No sooner had he vanished behind the open door than Dave Darrin, Tom Reade, Dan Dalzell, Greg Holmes, Harry Hazelton and several other boys grinned broadly in their huge delight. d.i.c.k Prescott, however, admirable actor that he was, still wore a look of concern on his rather fine young face.

"One thing I've learned to-day, which I ought to have known before,"

grimly mused Old Dut, as he sopped a wet towel to his injured nose.

"d.i.c.k Prescott doesn't need any guardian. He can look out for himself!"

"Wasn't it awful?" repeated a girl's voice out in the schoolroom.

"No," replied her companion. "I don't think it was. After what he did it served him just right!"

"I'm getting the usual sympathy that is awarded to the vanquished,"

smiled Old Dut to himself. "That's Laura Bentley's voice. She didn't laugh when I was having my innings with d.i.c.k. She flushed up and looked indignant."

Before Old Dut felt that he was in shape to present himself, all of the eight grades had received seven minutes' additional recess.

At last studies were resumed. Old Dut, however, noted that whenever one of the boys or girls looked up and caught sight of his expansive, crimsoned s.h.i.+rt-front, a smile always followed.

CHAPTER II

A BRUSH ON THE STREET

By the time that the noon dismissal bell rang the rain had ceased, and the sun was struggling out.

Out in the coatroom d.i.c.k s.n.a.t.c.hed his hat from the nail as though he were in haste to get away.

"I'll race you home, as far as we go together," proposed Dave Darrin.

"Go you!" hovered on the tip of Prescott's tongue, but just then another thought popped into d.i.c.k's mind. It was a manly idea, and he had learned to act promptly on such impulses.

"Wait a moment," he answered Darrin. "I've got something to do."

With that d.i.c.k marched back into the schoolroom. Old Dut, looking up from the books that he was placing in a tidy pile on the platform desk, smiled.

"I came back to ask, sir, if your nose pains?"

Old Dut shot a keen glance at young Prescott, for long experience had taught the school-teacher that malice sometimes lurks behind the most innocent question from a boy. Then he answered:

"I'm glad to be able to report, Master Prescott, that my nose is causing me no trouble whatever."

"I'm very glad of that, sir. I've been a bit uncomfortable, since recess, thinking that perhaps my--that my act had broken your nose, and that you were just too game to let any one know. I'm glad no real harm was done, sir."

Then d.i.c.k turned, anxious to get out into the open as quickly as possible.

"One moment, Master Prescott!"

d.i.c.k wheeled about again.

"Are you sure that the book-throwing was an accident?"

"I--I am afraid it wasn't, sir," d.i.c.k confessed, reddening.

"Then, if you threw the book into my face on purpose, why did you do it!"

"I was a good deal provoked, Mr. Jones."

"Oh! Provoked over the funny story that I told you this forenoon?"

"Not over the story, sir; but your manner of telling it."

Old Dut had hard work to keep back the smile that struggled for an appearance on his face.

"Revenge, was it, Master Prescott?"

"Well, I felt that it was due me, Mr. Jones, to get even for the show that you made of me before the cla.s.s."

"Master Prescott, we won't go into the details of whether I was justified in ill.u.s.trating my story this morning in the manner that I did, or whether you were right in coming back at me after the fas.h.i.+on that you did. But I am going to offer one thought for your consideration. It is this--that the man who devotes too much thought to 'getting even' with other folks is likely to let slip a lot of good, solid chances for getting ahead in the world. I don't blame any fellow for protecting his own rights and dignity, but just think over what I said, won't you, about the chap who spends too much of his time thinking up ways to get even with others?"

"There's a good idea in that, sir," d.i.c.k a.s.sented.

"Of course you've heard, Master Prescott, that 'revenge is sweet?'"

"Yes; I have."

"And I believe, Master Prescott, that the saying is often true. But did it ever strike you, in this connection, that sweet things often make one sick at his stomach? I believe this is just as true of revenge as it is of other sweets. And now run along, or you won't have time to do justice to the pudding that your mother has undoubtedly been baking for you this morning."

As d.i.c.k hastened from the room he found Dave Darrin waiting for him. Out in the corridor beyond these two encountered Holmes, Dalzell, Hazelton and Reade, for these six boys of the "top grade" generally stuck together in all things concerning school life.

"Was Old Dut blowing you up for showing him how to pitch a book?"

inquired Greg.

"No; Old Dut doesn't seem to hold that in for me very hard," smiled Prescott. "But he was giving me something to think over."