The Dickinson press., 1892-07-23
can't feel satisfied about my ar;

i,N !ou WISH u llSner Sr0ue.
asked Miss Stone, with her quizzical
smile.
mo, ma'am," said literal Phil.
"But l don't think ninety.eight can
belong to me, becauscI 'vc n~everstood
as high us lots OF the others. Couldn't
| you look 1T up again."
81 don't think it is necessary" said
Miss Stone, kindly. "The standings
were all made out twice, and so many
OF us could hardly have made a ser.
ious mistake. am gladto see you so
conscientious, but | think the place is
yours.
Here is Mr.. CASTLE" she went on,
as the principal came into the room;
"Phillp is afraid there is somemistakc
about his having the valedictory; but
! have been telling him how carefully
the appointments were made out, and
that he need not fear"
She looked inquiringly ut the princi-
pal.
"Not at all," said Mr.. Castle, heart
lily, "and we are all glad to SIC you
come to the front, my lad. Thegrades
were all down in black and white, and
your ninety-eight is honestly earned.
Don't trouble yourself any more
about it. Miss Stone, n you give
me the number of students in your
classes for the quarterly report?"
Phil felt himself dismissed. lie went
through the day with Il heart that
WIS heavy and light by turns. But
Plni's moral processes We're SUI if
they were SLOW. In the afternoon,
having gone over the ground again
and come back to his doubts, he was
ready to return to the charge.
1t VAS teachers meeting day again.
In the midst OF their miscellaneous
businessh he knocked ut the office door,
and entered the room in obedience to
MIR. Castles "Come I'M"
The teachers looked amazed. 1t
was n most unusual thing for u pupil
to do. Poor Phil, Will. cheeks red
and eyes bright, blurted out his care.
~fnllyronned statement without know
ing exactly what he said.
81 don't think my average ought to
be ninety-eisht," he said, "and if you
please, anlcsS it's dead certain, I'd
ra ther not he on at Commencement"
MIR. Castle looked inpatient for an
instant, and then smiled.
"Eery we'll, The said, cas- it is n mat
ter OF conscience we will verify the
st standing ut once, and make it dead
certain You may come into the
office to morrow morning before
school to hear the result"
Phil turned q shade redder and left
the room. lie had not meant to use
slang, but lie did not feel much cast
down at MIR. Castles gibe.
"It feels so good not to have that
bad taste in my mouth" he said to
himself.
In the morning Mr.. Castle announ-
ccd that n mistake had been made in
calculating the averages; that Guy
Fenton, instead OF Philip Winters,
should have been declared vuledictor-
ian, and that Philip Winters did not
belong in the first ten at all. Mary
Lincoln's standing entitled her to the
tenth place.
Phil was too much relieved to re-
greet greatly the loss OF his trouble
some honor. III he had been sore
over it, his mothers words would
have healed the hurt. For she led
him before his fathers picture, and
said, not very steadily:
"Father would be proud OF you to-
day, my boy, | felt sure you would
come up to the best there was in you.
But | was anxious, too, for | knew it
was very hard. think you will feel
more and'morc than it was worth
while, and that you have won some
thing better than u school honor"
Phil said it was worth while, and
that he was glad he had done it. He
didn't think much about it the rest
OF the year. Yet he was Il human
boy after all, and when Commence
mcnt came, it was a little bitter to
see the boys and girls on the stage
with their essays and their flowers.
When the valedictorian'satd ownin a
tumult OF applause, he had to strug-
gle to make himself contented Just to
march upon the stage, and receive his
diploma with the other boysand girls.
But why wasn't the signal given?
Mr.. Castle was beginning to speak.
Had he forgotten the diplomas? Phil
started as he heard his W name.
and then listened as ii he were in q
dream.
think it isiust tostate," Mr.. Castle
was saying, chat had it not been fol
the integrity OF IL OF Jul boys, the
programme presented to-day would
have been slightly different"
The silence was breathless. Phil
heard his heart beat violently. The
principal went on.
"Philip Winters was first declared
valcdict orian; but believingthat there
had been a mistake in the figures, and
that the honor was not fuirIy Ills, he
insisted upon q reconsideration of the
matter, which proved that his
supposition "a right. He was
therefore dropped from the list OF
a%ppointees. Bat | desire to make
honorable mention OF his name. and
to thank him publicly for Iii
conduct"
How the people checred! Then som.
small boy that thought he knewhowto
dothinss called "Speech! Speech" ano
the house took up the cry.
Vainly DR.. Ca~stletried to stopthem
vainly Hiss Hague played the marcl
by which the class were to pass upor
the stage Tor the diplomas. They
could not eve hear that she WI.
playing. At last Mr.. Castle, indespair
signalled Phil to rise and bow to tin,
audience.
Phil did so; but the cheering an6
the cries OF Speech" were redoublet
when he sat down again. Some will
fellows in the gallery were keeping il
up, and affairs began to look serious
Mr.. Castle stepped to Pills seat.
Rise i'll your place, my boy, ant
tell the people you thank them TO,
their Kindness" he said hurriealy
Eve shall have almost Il disturbance
if the people do not get what the,
want"
Phil stood up, and the house grey
still.
II thank you for your Kindness" h
said, bravely. 81 didn't want to d,
it at all for a whole week, but after
ward was awiully glad | did,
Then he sat down and the peopl
cheered again, and some ono sent lin