Master Sunshine | Page 9

turned to wave his hand to his mother, who threw a kiss at him
from an upper window as he disappeared down the road.
Tommy and he strolled along, swinging their school satchels as they
went. Presently a sound came to them on the still, morning air,
something like a frightened yet angry sob, then a noise as of distant
laughter.
"I wonder what the boys are up to to-day," said Tommy, with a lively
look of interest.

Master Sunshine said nothing, but broke from a walk into a smart run.
He was just a bit afraid that his friend, the half-witted boy, was in
trouble.
Sure enough! when they had turned the sharp bend in the road, they
came to the scene of the mischief. And then, somehow, all Master
Sunshine's smiles vanished, and a sad, troubled expression fell on his
face.
A group of schoolboys were teasing Billy Butler, by calling him
mocking names, and even by throwing balls of soft mud at him; while
poor Billy was growing white with rage and was gesticulating wildly.
It was not the first time that the schoolboys had made a butt of poor
Billy; and Master Sunshine wished, oh, so much! that he were not quite
so young and small. He was sure that these big boys would not stop
their rude play for him.
Tommy was by his side now, and the boys were calling to them to join
the crowd. Tommy looked rather undecided. He knew well enough that
the boys were doing wrong, but he feared they would laugh at him
unless he took part too; but Master Sunshine could not stand the sight.
"Come, Dick, make the boys stop teasing Billy," cried he, going up to
the big boy who was leading in the rude sport. "He has never done you
any harm."
Dick looked angrily around. "Listen to bow-legged Norton," he
answered rudely.
"Run along," jeered another; "you better go and play with the a-b-c
boys at the schoolhouse."
Master Sunshine could not bear to be teased; but neither had he the
heart to turn away when Billy's eyes were following him so piteously.
His mind was quite made up now, and his temper was rising fast.
"If you can do without me, you can do without Billy too," he said

firmly, making his way through the group. "You can call me any names
you like, and throw mud if you want to; but I'm not going to leave Billy
till he can go safely home."
The boys looked at one another in amazement. Here was Fred Norton
dictating to them what they should and should not do,--a little chap
who had scarcely been a year at school.
For a moment they were too surprised to make any objection; and
Master Sunshine had actually elbowed his way through the crowd, and,
with Billy by the hand, was making his way back towards home before
they realized what was happening.
Then a rude lad threw a great handful of mud that spattered on Master
Sunshine's back, and another cried, "Look at his bow-legs."
Master Sunshine looked back at his tormentors, for the taunt was harder
to bear than the mud itself. The boys were quick to see this, and a half
dozen of them at once joined in the teasing chorus: "Did you ever see
such legs? Before I'd have crooked legs like that?"
And then his first tormentor would set in with the taunt of "Bow-
legged Norton! bow-legged Norton!"
But somehow the fun was quite gone out of it now. A number of the
better-minded boys had left the group, and were walking quietly along.
Tommy was talking vigorously to them.
"Fred Norton is all right," he exclaimed; "he's as manly and honest as
he can be. He can't bear to see anything ill-treated, not even a dog; and
it is just like him to take Billy's part."
"He made me feel small somehow," said Ralph, the largest boy of all.
"I suppose I could have stopped the row if I'd thought, but I was afraid
the fellows would be angry at me for spoiling their sport. I'll not let
them tease him any more, though;" and at a sharp word from him the
boys ceased their rude fun.

Master Sunshine was quite late for school that morning, and when he
did arrive he was so flushed in the face, and so muddy in his dress, that
Mr. Sinclair the teacher guessed that something was amiss; and a few
quiet questions at recess brought out part of the story from Tommy,
who was but too delighted to sing his friend's praises.
That afternoon when lessons were over, Mr. Sinclair gathered his
pupils about him. "Boys," he said, "something that happened to-day
makes me afraid that some of