Page:The spirit of the leader (IA spiritofleader00heyl).pdf/32

 Perry's rancor found expression in words "The room's all right," he said, "but the crowd in it gives me a pain."

A moment later, out in the hall on his way to a period of French, he was sorry that he had let his tongue run unchecked. It had been, at best, an ungracious reply to a friendly question. But gall and wormwood were thick on his lips. Mr. Banning had spoken of the way the room would stand together; and yet, with a majority of the football squad on its roll, the room was shying away from his candidacy. And he wanted so much to feel that he was part of the athletic life of Northfield!

If you're right, Mr. Banning had said, the whole room will be behind you. If you're wrongPerry didn't finish that thought.

"It's just talk," he told himself angrily. "They won't make a fool of me."

And so, between classes and also during the period in the school lunch room at noon, he ridiculed and hooted the home room plan. In every school there are those who are more or less at outs with the rules and who hinder rather than help; around him Perry drew all these unworthy malcontents. All at once, conscious of the exclusive character of his audience, he dropped his tirade. He had not bargained to become a leader