Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-09-02
Dan Roby's Tige |
BY ]. L Harbour.
sI1rIHosE doc is thnt2.,

eral of the boys and girls who had
reached the schoolhouse before him
that frosty October Monday morning
when he took up school, in the little
brick schoolhouSe GU the crest OF hill
nnder a cluster OF silver naples.
There were about IS boys and girls
OF from five to eighteen years of Gge in
the schoolhouse yard when, ct nine
o'clock, Jabez Jordon came 10 the door
and rang a hand-bel with great vigOr-
1t seemed to some of the larger boys
md girls that the notes of the bell
sounded like slogan of defiance.
They had filed into the house rather
Eoberly, and were taking their seats,
when a yellow-and-white uncollared
dog of mongrel origin came sneaking
an, as If well aware of the fact that he
was an interloper. He was skuldng
forward, casting furtive chances around
him, when Jabez Jordon called out, in
n harsh. high-pitched voice:
Whose dog is that?"
Dan Roby, boy OF Is, replieds HE
hs my dog, sir"
"Well, put him outi Don't you know
better than to bring dog to SCHOOL,"
ct didn't intend to bring him. BE.
followed me of his own accord, and I
eouldn't drive him back. Come, Tigel"
Tige refused to go, and Dan had TO
grasp him by the hind legs and drag
him toward the door amid dolorous
whining and yelping. Some of the boys
and girls laughed, whereupon Jabez
Jordon struck his desk with his fist and
said, sternly:
"Silencel"
p A IL
could have been heard to drop. Tige,
In the meantime, was scratching on the
closed door and whining for admit
tance. Five minutes later Dora Harvey,
q tardy conner, opened the door to enter
the room, and Tige darted in ahead Of
her, wagging his tail joyfully.
Jabez Jordon scowled hecely.
what did you go and let that dog IN
for?" he demanded of Dora Harvey,
who was one of the gentlest and best
girls in the district. The smile on her
face gave place to look of combined
fright and amazement.
IL didn't mean to let him in, sir.
lie pushed in ahead of me when I
opened The door," said Dora
IF you'd been here on time. 1t
wouldn't have happened" said Jabez.
Then he turned to Dan.
"Drag him out again and take him
homei" he shouted. This isn't q
school for dogsl"
Tige was even more unwilling than
before to go out, and when Dan ap-
preached, ran up and down the aisles
trying to evade capture. In his fight
Tige overturned the small wooden boz
on which the WATERFALL stood, thereby
'drenching himself from head to foot
with icy water. More slaughable still
he caught the descending pail on his
head, and could not get IL of, the bal
having dropped down around his neck
In his frantic writhiAgs, he overturned
"a small wooden bench on which Tommy
Dodge and "Henny" Pope sat, and the.
suddenly lay wailing on their backs il
pool OF water.
'.Get that beast out of herel" iairl.
hoared Jabez, striding down from tn
platform toward Tige, who suddenl.
extricated himself from the pail az
took refuge under the stove IN tn
center. of the room. D~a dragged hir
out by the tail, and they went HON
together, neither boy nor dogreturnShl
That day.
This incident aid not leave YER
favorable impression of Mr.. Jordon 1
the minds of his pupils. bis predeces
sor, Mr.. Haslxins, had been gentle
spirited and kindly man, and some c
the pupils remembered that once, whe
Tige had followed Dan into the schoo
room when Mr.. Haslxins was teacher {
the school, he had said gently: linus
ask you to take your dog out, Dal
he attracts so much attention." an
Mr.. Haslins had allowed the childre
to laugh unrebulSed, and had himse
laughed over Dams almost unavaihn
efforts to remove Iige.
The pupils Of the Silver Maple scho
speedily discovered that sense OF h
NOR did not form any part of Mr. 10
don's mental makeup, and that he WI
an unnecessarily and unreasonab
harsh man, with nc sympathy for chill
hood and no dispositiOnto concede an
thing to its natural tendencies. r.
pupils we're too obedient for even
harsh aid tyrannical man like Jab
Jordcn 10 find many excuses for usil
the lc"g birch rod he kept on his des
but when the rod was used, it was wi
brutal force and cruel effect.
Mr.. Jabez Jordonswas extremely va
of his personal appearance He dress
well and with great care. He even Ike
a small hand-mirror in his desk, a
although he assumed that its purpc
was to make pupils who came to sch'
with dirty faces look at themselves,
was certain that at recess he would
with the mirror ia one hand and
pocket-eomb in the other, and as
boys expressed it, ''fuss with his hal
This hair of his was noticeable for
great abundance and glossiness. H'W
black, and but lightly touched W
gray, although Jabez Jordon was c
tainly nearly 60 years old. He wore
hair in bushy curls and waves all o.
his head. and he was almost continu
ly tossing his hair about lightly W