Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-05-13
Ions TRIUMPH.
BY MARY B. Downs.

- 4AA<AAe4 A1s 0O w 1NS
Seems to me Lon carries all his small
brains in that button on his coat in
stead of in his head, like folks that God
made" Thad was sitting on the bench
beside Ordelia when he said this, sharp
ening her pencils with his new knife.
Lions right nervous. I reckon he'll
never get used to reciting before folks, !"
said Ordelia. Lions smart. though" /"
she added, demurely.
"Smartl He couldn't answer boo to
a question without that button to twist
his fingers on"
anyhow, wherever his brains are, he
makes good recitations." persited Or
della.
"Cuts a right foolish figure at it, just
the same"
"Who's that you're calling foolish p {"
asked an awkward boy, who had
planted himself before Ordelia's desk.
She looked up, laughed, and said:
''Thad says you can't recite word
without that button to twist"
Ions freckled face flushed sensitive
ly. ''What'll you bet2" he asked, turn
ing on Thad.
''Tll bet half dollar that you can't
explain one example in mental arith-
metic straight without yanking it all
out of that button of yours"
alright, I'll bet, )" said Lon, reckless
ly. Then he looked down with rueful
smile at the button in question, which
dangled by frail thread or two from
his coat.
81 reckon I'm bound to do without
It," he remarked, ''if don't get it sewed
on soon."
"Oh, I'll sew it on for you, If you'll
stop at the house this evening-after
you've won the bel" said Ordelia. light
".
The news of the challenge went
round, and for once interest was reused
in the mental arithmetic recitation.
'"Therefore"-Orde thus concluded
her problem-''the man had 6oH geese
to begin with" Ending with GLIB con-
fidence, she folded her hands behind
her, poised lightly on her shapely feet
and looked with smiling complaceney
at the "next.''
The "next" was Lon. The whole
school belonged to the mental arithme
tic class, but of the craning line that
had toed the crack from the water
bucket to the blackboard at the begin
ming of the recitation only three schol-
ars now remained on the foor-Or-
della, Lon and Thad.
''Nextl"
Ions slender figure shot up in rigid
attention. He folded his arms reso-
lutely across his breast and waited.
Ordelia, on one side, graceful and
serene, waited, too, and on his other
side stood Thad, his feet widely planted
and his face darkly flushed.
The teacher, Miss Molly, read the
problem slowly and distinctly. Lon re-
peated it in clear, defiant voice and
then took up the explanation with con-
fidence. Ordelia settled back into her
place and glanced about in triumph.
Thad's brow began to straighten in a
dark scowl. The school held it's breath
md stared.
Letting ~ represent the number of
sheep that the man had in the first
place, then 1-2 will represent the num-
Der of sheep-of sheep that-yes, the
number of sheep that he bought. Then
then the-the whole number of sheep
that he owned-the whole number of
sheep that he owned-the whole num-
ber of sheep would be represented BY
3-2, which, according to the problem
which, according to the problem, and
2h sheep-I mean which. according
to''-Lon's arms relaxed. His nervous
fingers went searching for the inspiring
button.
Ordelia's smile changed to chagrin
.ThaRs face broadened with derisiye
grin. A laugh went round the school.
Ions stammering tongue stopped al
together. There was moment of
silence; then the mortified boy turned
upon Thad in fury. "You sneakl''
81 ain't a sneakI What's the matter
with you2" Thad's fist doubled and he
fell back defiant.
'sNo one but sneak would play fel-
low such low-down trick as that. I'd
like to know what business you have to
cut of my button"