The Dickinson press., 1892-07-23

M@ bowen VINO h'a gone
w. back to the building
after school for her
questions in.eometry, had pceped i'll.
to the principals office and seer the
teachers 'naking out averages for
dear life" as she told Fannie Day"
".And | Just know they were making
senior appointments: and they're go
ing TO he announced today" said
Mabel.
SO the word had beenpassed around
in the morning. Scant attention was
paid to the psalm and the hymn,
| though each senior tried his best to
look as ii he had not Il thought OF be-
ing appointed.
Then an exnsperatins thing happen
ell. MIR. Castle had Just said, 81 will
now read the list OF those who have
been appointed to take part in our
Commencement exercises" when Mr..
Wilson, the superintendent, came i'll
and talked with Mr.. Castle ten minu-
ties.
Didn't | tell you the names would
be,cad out?' whispered Mabel. ooh,
ii Pm appointcd,:l do hope they'll let
Inc recite! | never can, could, might
would or should write I'm essay"
"Sh!' said Fannie. 'lIe's going to
read. Just look how compliment
Guy Fenton is. lie knows he's sure
to get first place. Don't YOU"
''rhe students appointed" said Mr..
Castle, care as follows, in order to
their standings"
Then he hunted for the paper, and
adjusted his glasses as deliberately us
ii lie did not know that every senior
heart in the room was beating like Il
trip-hnmmer.
"Philip Winters, Guy Fenton, Der
thu Finley, Celia Peters, Mable Bow
en-. Richard Hardy, Clifford Tracy,
Fannie Day, Victor Ice and Archibald
Hunter. These students are request
ed to meet Miss Stone i'll her room to,
day at the close OF the session."
Ten seniors tried not to look glad,
and the other twenty tried not to
look sorry; but every body looked
surprised too. Guy Fenton not first!
And OF all boys in the class to prccede
him, Phil Winters!
Every one knew that Guy was the
best student in the senior class, and
Phil was Just an ordinary, faithful,
humdrum fellow.
No one expected him to get an up.
pointmcnt ut all. He to be first! How
had it happened?
Guy Fenton's looks were unpleas
antly suggestive OF n thunder-cloud
when he fully realized that his name
was not first, and Phil himself looked
hardly less troubled. Then the sigma
was given, and they went out. The
busy boys and girls had to put offthe
discussion OF this great event till re.
cess.
At recess Guy Fenton had cleared
away his thunder-cloud. He walked
straight up to Phil Winters.
Congratulations, old boy" he
said, holding out his hand. ~ an
thoroughly glad you've got it,"
That gave everybody the u about
the valedictorian, for Guy was a lead
er if he was conceited. And after every
one had congratulated every one
else, and all had met Miss Stone anG
been set at work, the Commencement
appointments began to be among the
accepted facts OF the universe, anC
gave place to other subjects OF dis
cpssion.
But there was the least bit of {
thorn in Phil Winters side that pre-
vented him from taking the full de
gree OF pleasure in his success. Phi
was not conceited, but he enjoyed be
ing at the head as much as Guy Fen
ton would have enjoyed the distinc
ton.
81 can't see myself how it happen
3D." Phil said to his mother thai
night. Guy always got higher marks
as anything besides scholarship
taken into account?" asked Mrs
Winters.
"Yes," answered Phil, thoughtiully
"Iou know at the Friday mornin
exercises the teachers all mark, an,
Miss Stone makes an average O
those marks, and that is counted
too. But even there Guy is ahead Q
me, though he broke down once. 70,
see he was always working for til
valedictory, and | never thought G
anything beyond getting througI
GiStiNtDlN.
"There might have been an error i
the making out OF the averages" su.
gested the mother. Then she purpose
ly said no more She had been
teacher herself and u good one, an
she knew that her Phil was in brain
an ordinary boy. and no more; bu
: she had tried to train in him IL visio
clear to see the right, and will stron
5 to do it. Ii thcrehad been II mistak.
: it vas Pills battle, and Phil mus
, fight it.
5 Phil took the thought she had Sill,
e gested to bed with him. The surmis
r that there had been IL mistake wa
{ { not entirely new TO him, but he ha
:, refused to recognize it until his mott
er gave it shape.
81 do think it would be too awful
e mean he told himself Just before !
dropped Off to sleep. 81 shouldn
have cared ii l hadn't had it at all
but TO give it up".'
of it isn't honesty yours, VIC
haven't had it at ALL said sometIi:
inside. But Phil would not liste,
and went to sleep.
e Next day he chose as IL
: - ar in Politics." and began /
read a life OF Gladstone. II
worked on it for n week, and ever,
d thing went wrong. He could not Q;
u interested in his lessons Nora,,ar !