The house, by this time, was in an uproar of laughter; and the astonished Belton gazed blankly at the socks lying before him.  His mind was a mass of confusion.  He hardly knew where he was or what he was doing.  Self-possession, in a measure, returned to him, and he said:  “Ladies and gentlemen, these socks are from Mississippi.  I am from Virginia.”

This reference to the Mississippian was greeted by an even louder outburst of 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 her was very deep and his respect very great.