all up.
I know, for I've been that way myself."

This was getting on such dangerous ground, that Joel opened his mouth to
remonstrate, but Polly put her hand over it. "I'd let Tom tell his
story just as he wants to," which had the effect of smothering Joel's
speech for the time being.

"I thought, Jasper, you were going to quench Joe," observed Tom, who
seemed to have the power to see out of the back of his head, and now was
conscious of the disturbance. "You don't seem to be much good."

"Oh, Polly's doing it this time," said Jasper; "I'll take him in tow on
the next offence."

"Yes, I have," declared Tom, "been that way myself. I'm going to tell
you how, and then I'll feel better about it." His ruddy face turned
quite pale now, and his eyes shone.

"Stop him," howled Joel, all restraint thrown to the winds, and shaking
off Polly's fingers.

Jasper leaned forward. "I'm bound to make you keep the peace, Joe," he
said, shaking his arm.

"But he's going to tell about things he ought not to," cried Joel, in an
agony. "Do stop him, Jasper."

Mother Fisher leaned forward, and fastened her black eyes on Joel's
face. "I think Tom better go on, Joel," she said. "I want to hear it."

That settled the matter; and Joel threw himself down, his face buried
in Polly's lap, while he stuck his fingers in his ears.

"I'm going to tell you all this story," Tom was saying, "because I ought
to. You won't like me very well after it, but it's got to come out.
Well, I might as well mention names now, since Joe has got to keep
still. You can't guess how he's been tormented by some of those cads,
simply because he's our best tennis player, and on the football team.
They've made things hum for him!" Tom threw back his head, and clenched
his fist where it lay in his lap. "And the rest of us boys got mad,
especially at one of them. He was the ringleader, and the biggest cad
and bully of them all."

No one said a word.

"I hate to mention names; it seems awfully mean." Tom's face got fiery
red again. "And yet, as you all know, why, it can't be helped.
Jenkins--well there, a fellow would want to be excused from speaking to
him. And yet"--down fell Tom's head shamefacedly--"I let him show me how
he was going to play a dastardly trick on Joe, the very day of the
tennis tournament. I did, that's a fact."

No one spoke; but Tom could feel what might have been said had the
thoughts all been expressed, and he burst out desperately, "I let