“He’s an awful bad boy. Sometimes he pulls away my books, and runs away with them. He likes to plague us.”
“What would you do?” asked Fanny, in surprise.
“You’ll see. I won’t cross the street. I’m goin’ right ahead.”
Fanny caught her companion’s arm, and advanced, trembling, hoping that George Griffiths might not see them. But he had already espied them, and, feeling in a bullying mood, winked to a companion and said, “You’ll see how I’ll frighten these girls.”
He advanced to meet them, and took off his hat with mock politeness.
“How do you do this morning, young ladies?” he said.
“Go away, you bad boy!” said little Fanny, in a flutter.
“I’ll pay you for that,” he said, and tried to snatch one of her books, but was considerably startled at receiving a blow on the side of the head from her companion.
“What have you got to say about it?” he demanded insolently.
Hereupon he turned his attention to Tom, and tried to snatch her books, but was rather astounded when his intended victim struck him a sounding blow in the face with her fist.
“Take my books, Fanny,” she said, and, dropping them on the sidewalk, squared off scientifically.
“Come on, if you want to!” said Tom, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the prospect of a fight.
“I don’t want to fight with a girl,” he said, considerably astonished at vigorous resistance where he had expected timid submission.
“No, I’m not,” said George, backing out all the while; “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You can’t do it,” said Tom; “I can lick you any day.”
“How could you do it?” asked Fanny, as the dreaded bully slunk away. “How brave you are, Jenny! I’m awful afraid of him.”
“You needn’t be,” said Tom, taking her books. “I’ve licked boys bigger’n him. I can lick him, and he knows it.”
She was right. The story got about, and George Griffiths was so laughed at, for being vanquished by a girl, that he was very careful in future whom he attempted to bully.
CHAPTER XIII GRANNY IS COMPELLED TO EARN HER OWN LIVING.
Leaving Tom in her new home, we return to Mrs. Walsh, which was the proper designation of the old woman whom she called granny. Though Tom had escaped from her clutches, granny had no idea that she intended to stay away permanently. She did not consider that all the advantages of the connection between them had been on her side, and that Tom had only had the privilege of supporting them both. If she had not carried matters so far our heroine would have been satisfied to remain; but now she had fairly broken away, and would never come back unless brought by force.