uth and slid down the banister, making the time of an arrow in
his descent.

Then he ran out of the hall, in still further pursuit.

But he was too late. He ran around the house, but at the corner he
lost the trail, and though he circled the building three times, and
listened, and dodged back and forth, to surprise "Dodd" if possible, he
could get no clue to his whereabouts. He went into the cellar and
looked all about, peering into the furnace-room and coal-bin, but
nowhere could he find the crafty object of his search. Finally he gave
up and returned to the school room. He came in out of breath and
perspiring, and met the inquiring eyes of his pupils as he went back to
his desk.

"I could not find him," he said to the school, wiping his dripping face
with his handkerchief. Then he turned to the class on duty and resumed
the exercise he had broken off so abruptly.

I do not know what would have happened if Mr. Bright and "Dodd" had met
in the heat of this encounter. It is useless to speculate on what
would have occurred. Some of the boys, waiting in the room they had
just left, offered to bet two to one on the master if it came to
business. And, indeed, there were no takers at that, for Mr. Bright
had a prowess which would have stood him well in stead if he had had
occasion to use it. But he did not. I am glad that he did not.

Because, it is at such times as this that men get beside themselves,
and are apt to do desperate things. I have known men who had to go
behind bars and stay there for many years because they did meet the man
they were after, under much such circumstances as I have just detailed.
I remarked a few paragraphs above something about virtue being
"occasional," and we have all need to pray, "Lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil."

But Fate, or Foreordination, or Good Fortune, or Destiny, or
Providence, or Luck, whichever one of these presided on this
occasion,--suit yourselves as to this, O infidel or orthodox!
capitalize them all, since some of you will have it so--elected that
these two people should not meet till they had both cooled off a
little. I hope these same powers may be as kind to you if you ever
have a like need of their good offices. Many a man has been made or
broken by the smile or frown of one of these deities which are so
entirely beyond our control, and which still make so important a part
of our lives. I state facts again, without further morali