The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-02-24
WEBSTER'S VALENTINE.

rule he was one Of the most trust
worthy boys in the school. Why such
a terrible Temptation should have over
taken him that day and been yielded 10,
perhaps his own conscience can tell,
I'm sure / cannot. OF course I can
guess" that he may have been grow
ing careless; may have thought .ha, of
course he would be good boy, and
may have been asked for special help
that morning, and in that way have let
Satan get the advantages Of lin; or it
may have been in some other Way--T
don't know. But I know This. Into
the quiet Of that February morning.
when all the scholars were bending
over their books, there came sudden
buzzing sound from Webster's corner
The teacher had been much tried with
whispers, and had made, short time
before, a pretty severe threat having
to do with the next one who wills
pered. 1t looked as though Webster
was that one.
The teacher was surprised and
grieved. He was one of her favorites.
webster, did you whisper just now? p
she asked. and Webster said PROMPTLY
and distinctly, ''No, maam.'
Up to that moment he had had the
sympathy of every girl and boy in the
room; nut along with that distinct
mo, ma'am," came, almost in that
same breath, subdued murmur Of
OH from the class mates. You
know how they make that long-drawn-
out mder-tone which expresses astcn-
ishment and dissent, and strong dis
approval?
Mamie Howell. who was Websters
very special friend, looked down on
her slate and said not a word, but her
cheeks grew scarlet, and mist very
like tears came into her eyes. At re-
cess, instead of going out to play, she
sat down by herself on the teachers
platform in front of the large window.
and by turns watched the snow birds
outside, or. with her finger in her his
tory to keep the place. looked at moth
ing in particular, and thought her sOr-
rowful thoughts. She was SO disap-
pointed in Webster. Who would have
supposed that he could tell a lie? She
knew he had whispered; she had even
heard what he had said.
Poor Webster! he knew it too, and
his heart was even heavier at this
minute than NAMES, He, too, was
alone out in the great hall, leaning
against one of the high window seats.
his finger also keeping the place in
history, but his mind too busy over
his down fall to have room for more
ancient history
What an extraordinary thing that
he, Webster Briggs, should have said
what was not true! Nothing dreadful
had happened in consequence. The
teacher had looked relieved rather
than otherwise at his answer. and had
asked no more questions. But, then,
Webster knew, and he knew that
Mamie Howell knew, and for the mat
ter of that, all the girls and boys on
the west side knew that it was he
who had whispered. What was to be
done?
What was done was certainly very
disagreeable. Not a boy or Il girl
spoke to Webster during that long re-
cess. The girls gathered in groups and
talked about him, and the boys voted
with one consent that he was "nutt,"
and let him alone. Mamie neither
talked about him nDr to him. but she
rried once or twice, and her eyes were
red.
1t may he surprising, but none of
these things helped Webster. When
he asked Clay Peterson for his Jack
knife, and Clay answered only by a
low whistle, Webstcr's face grew scar
Inf md ho IL
he didn't think it was any worse to
whisper than it was to whistle, and
that if Miss Parkh,lrst hadn't been
out OF the room a minute Clay
wouldn't have dared to whistle.
Then Clay answered that that might
all be true. but if Miss Parkhurst
asked him when she came back wheth-
er he whistled he should certainly say
yes.
At that moment Miss Parkhurst re-
turned, but as it was an hour when
the scholars hal Il right to ask each
other questions in low tones about
whatever they need to know, she did
not inquire as to what had been go
ing on while she was gone
The disagreeable day was over at
last, and Webster went home feeling
cross and fierce. What business had
the scholars to treat him so? He had
not meant to tell lie He had meant
to say in the next second that it was
a mistake, that he did not think what
he was saying when he said that NO.
maam." He would have done it, too.
before recess, if they hadn't acted so
mean.
What business was it of theirs
Webster was not on the road to hap
piness.
1t was busy evening to several of
his schoOlmates. Clay Peterson and
his small friend, Hugh Borland, spent
the evening together Hugh was the
school artist. Small as he was, he
could make very comical pictures. and
had dangerous talent for sketching
ikenesses. It lad dawned upon both
of these boys that the next day would
be Valentines day, and they had de-
cided to send Webster Briggs valen-
tine. So Hugh made a very ridiculous
picture of him, with very large
mouth out of which was issuing a very
large mo, ma'amv' and Clay added a
dOggerel in rhyme beginning:
s'rhis is the boy all snaven and shorn
Who sat in the school room one winter
morn.
And created a sigh
And made Mamie cry.
And made all the scholars say. oh! why
Will a COOL little boy tell lie?' -
There were four verses all equally
poetic and helpful What a blessed
thing If was that other valentines worn