f laughter. Belton bowed and left the platform, murmuring
that he would find and kill the rascal who had played that trick on
him. The people saw the terrible frown on his face, and the president
heard the revengeful words, and all feared that the incident was not
closed.

Belton hurried out of the speakers' room and hastily ran to the city
to purchase a pistol. Having secured it, he came walking back at a
furious pace. By this time the exercises were over and friends were
returning to town. They desired to approach Belton and compliment him,
and urge him to look lightly on his humorous finale; but he looked so
desperate that none dared to approach him.

The president was on the lookout for Belton and met him at the door of
the boys' dormitory. He accosted Belton tenderly and placed his hand
on his shoulder. Belton roughly pushed him aside and strode into the
building and roamed through it, in search of his room-mate, whom he
now felt assured did him the trick.

But his room-mate, foreseeing the consequences of detection, had made
beforehand every preparation for leaving and was now gone. No one
could quiet Belton during that whole day, and he spent the night
meditating plans for wreaking vengeance.

The next morning the president came over early, and entering Belton's
room, was more kindly received. He took Belton's hand in his and sat
down near his side. He talked to Belton long and earnestly, showing
him what an unholy passion revenge was. He showed that such a passion
would mar any life that yielded to it.

Belton, he urged, was about to allow a pair of dirty socks to wreck
his whole life. He drew a picture of the suffering Savior, crying out
between darting pains the words of the sentence, the most sublime ever
uttered: "Lord forgive them for they know not what they do." Belton
was melted to tears of repentance for his unholy passion.

Before the president left Belton's side he felt sure that henceforth a
cardinal principle of his life would be to allow God to avenge all his
wrongs. It was a narrow escape for Belton; but he thanked God for the
lesson, severe as it was, to the day of his death. The world will
also see how much it owes to God for planting that lesson in Belton's
heart.

Let us relate just one more incident that happened at the winding
up of Belton's school life. As we have intimated, one young lady, a
student of the school, was very near to Belton. Though he did not love
her, his regard for