The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-09-14

quite up 10 Wnab you Vo poeh uSou W.
scholars" with significant recognition
of the more cultivated style of the law
student from Briggsville, "but I'll due
the best kin, an II you don't under
stand any word all you haf to due is
not to tackle 1t ontil you due, an don't
be any ways bashful beout havin' 1t
give out agin."
In half an hour more the curious
words which the Deacon had managed
to find secreted in old McGuffey had
thinned the ranks until but single
speller remained on each side. Soon
one of these, in the excitement of the
contest, interiected u superfluous "h''
into "exorbitant" and sank into shame
faced obscurity with the instant dis
covery of her mistake.
The second spell down after recess
was held more important than the first
in that the capacity of the contestants
had been somewhat tested and they
could be more evenly matched. Mr..
Joel Douglass, himself an ex-teacher,
gave out" for awhile, leaving the
teacher in charge the honor of the
closing. There was an evident tensity
of feeling as the contest deepened that
was not observable before recess. Each
speller endeavored to be careful and
self possessed and to bring no avoid
able disaster upon his or her side.
Nearly half the spoilers were down
when Mr.. Douglass pleaded WEAKNESS
and turned the book over to Mr.. Frost.
| "Breakfast" was the word he gave
out next and it was big Bill'' Bru
BAKERS turn.
"B-r-e-c-k, brek, fast, fast, break
fast" he sang out with the prompt con-
fidence OF easy mastery. But before
the word was all out of his mouth
pretty Ruth Turner, on the other side,
snapped it up with a "b-r-e-a-k, break,
f-e-a-s-t, fast, for breakfast" and as
instantly Lucinda Sweet, standing next
to Bill, took. it back from Ruth by
spelling it correctly, amid an enthusi-
asm at the rapid and brilliant work
that could not be wholly repressed.
Ruth sat down in a confusion of morti-
fication which mantled her cheeks and
suffused her eyes at thought of her
foolish mistake, and the teacher pal
liatipgly suggested:
.You see, Miss Ruth, it isn't break
ing ones feast, but breaking ones
FAST
1t was noticed, however, that Bill
Brubaker had not sat down, as the
perception of his failure should have
led him to do, but remained stolidly
standing in spite of the efforts of those
around him to pull him down.
II didn't understand the word, no.
how" he said, sullenly.
Didn't understand it!'' the teacher
exclaimed. "How could you help un-
derstanding it? You knew what the
word meant, | hope"
At this sally of Briggsville wit, there
was general litter of derision from
the other side, which added to Bill S
discontinue.
"You said breck not brake" he de-
clared, recklesslv, "an' speltit as you
give it out. / reckon L know how to
spell brake as well as any on EN-"
you fairly missed the word" the
teacher said, decisively, and you must
take your seat like the rest, Mr.. Bru-
baker" Even the exceptional honor
implied in this deferential address did
not wholly appease Bills wounded van
ity.
"Tll take it if waunt tew. an not
otherwise" he muttered, Sinking down
with an ugly scowl on his face.
Big Bill was hardly third-rate
speller at best, and usually was among
the first to go down, but his unprece-
dented good fortune at keeping on his
feet so long had imlsued him with a
staggering confidence in his powers
and induced the vain hope of a possible
emergence as one OF the champions of
the contest.
When the spelling was finished and
the preliminary preparations of bund-
ling up, blowing out the candles, and
lighting the hickory bark torches pro-
vided for lighting the homeward way
were going forward amid much con-
fusion and merriment, two of the
smaller boys drew the teacher aside to
say with bated breath:
Say, master, Big Bills threatnin'
of you an u sayin''t he kin lick the
boots often you an not haf try, nuther. :"
They wished-such at least was the
pretense-to put the master on his
guard against Il possible surprise.
"You tell Big Bill" the master said
quietly as he went on completing his
preparations for departure, "that l
say he's bully and a coward, and
that if he wants any thing of me he
can be accommodated in mighty short
order"
The boys carried such message
with proud alacrity, as what boys
would not? The version that reached
Bills ears outside moment later was
something like this:
9TH master says t you're cowerd
an'-an" (he other term was not in
familiar use at the Corners)
was it. JimP"
"A bully" Jim declared from care
fully-stored memory.
"Ya-as. An''tef you want any thing
of him you kin git it mighty quick"
"Huhw grunted Bill. "He's peart
enough with his tongue, but he'll fine
It smart tongue haint no match for
| a. A.