"Well, I promised you," he said, "and I'll show you that, at least, I'm
strong enough to keep my word until you release me from it. I think,
though, you don't quite know how hard it is."

Mrs. Morgan knew that it was very hard for a true, brave-hearted boy to
be called a coward; but she knew, also, that the truest bravery on earth
is the bravery of endurance.

"Look out for the coals of fire!" she said smilingly, as her boy started
for school the next morning. "Keep a good watch, and I'm pretty sure
you'll find them before the summer is over."

But he came home at night depressed and a little gloomy. There had
always been a sort of rivalry between him and Dick Osgood, and now the
boys seemed to have gone over to the stronger side, and he had that
bitter feeling of humiliation and disgrace, which is as bitter to a boy
as the sense of defeat ever is to a man.

The weeks went on, and the feeling wore away a little. Still the memory
of that blow rankled in Guy's mind, and made him unsocial and ill at
ease. His mother watched him with some anxiety, but did not interfere.
She had the true wisdom to leave him to learn some of the lessons of
life alone.

At length came the last day of school, followed next day by a picnic, in
which all the scholars, superintended by their teachers, were to join.

Guy Morgan hesitated a little and then concluded to go. The place
selected was a lovely spot, known in all the neighborhood as "the old
mill." It was on the banks of the Quassit River, where the stream ran