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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: a hearty contempt for Johnny Grippen. He was not afraid of him,
and though he never went an inch out of his way to avoid a fight
with him, it so happened they had never fought. He was entirely
indifferent to his threats, and had no great opinion of his
courage. Johnny had "stumped" him to fight, and even taken off
his coat and dared him to come; but Tommy would laugh at him,
tell him to put on his coat or he would catch cold; and, contrary
to the general opinion among boys, no one ever thought the less
of him for the true courage he exhibited on these occasions.
Johnny did not like to be told that Tommy was coming, for it
reminded him that, as the king bully of the neighborhood, one of
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