Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-10-11
THE MASTER.
BY FULLERTON L. WALDO.

Carruthers sat in his study with his chin |
On his fists, gazing into the CRATE and shap-
sng images to salit his fancy in the glowing |
Goals. Somebody raped on the door and |
entered before he had fairly risen and I'M |
limbered.
please, SIR said a small boy, impudent-
ty, tine head wants to see you in his study, |
sir, and sent me to fetch you, sir.
You may have four marks for your inn
pertinent manner" said Carruthers, short
ly, feeling his face grow warm as he spoke.
s'What for, SIR" asked the boy.
For your impertinent manner, repeated
carruthers.
Thank you, SIR
Your marks are doubled said the mas
ter.
The door slammed to-a manifestation of
III temper which it Carruthers obvious
duty as master to follow up and punish,
but which on this occasion he thought it
wiser to ignore. Not too far from the other
side of the door to be heard indigna-
ton meeting sprapg into being. This usual
ly happened when the master marked boy.
The more Carruthers pretended to himself
that he did not care, the more clearly he
heard the conversation.
'Let'sogo dowA to Daddy Longlegs with
it," came in vibrant stage whisper. The
NICK name was the n0dQ master
"CarruthersIl be going into the ministry
soon" said second voice He can't stay
here, that's dead certain"
Most of them do, sooner or later" The
tone of the third voice was calm and judicial,
and came from far down in the chest of a
| very fat boy. The speaker made no effort
| to whisper, and Carruthers heard all he
said. II think that's what Carruthers is
| at present contemplating a drawl always
commands attention sooner than more
nervous utterance, and all the rest were
listening to what the fat boy was saying
| they snickered when he said 'tcontemplat
| ing 1t was a favorite word with Car
| ruthers. Il heard him tell my mother when
| she came up here with that big birthday
cake"Ethe adroit allusion to the birthday
cake was family cheered; the fat boy had
political ambitions-E'an he was trying to
make himself interesting, SOS he'd be in
vited to our house next vacation'-Car-
| ruthers put 'The Gospel for an Age OF
Doubt" back on the shelf unopened and
| began to pace up and down the room-63 that
| he was engaged in teaching merely as
| temporary avocation, and that he didn't
intend to demean himself by teaching small
| boys much logger.
| There was a peculiar irony in this last.
| How the boy had managed to remember so
many words, almost as big as himself Car
L
the very Language of Carruthers in his
monologue with Mrs. Munyon. But the
special irony lay in the ascriptioR to Car
ruthers of Che use of the word ''demean" in
the improper sense. Although it was
word which the normal boy has no occa
sion to use, Carruthers had once in class
spent an earnest quarter of an hour in call
| ing on Mr.. Hills Rhetoric to witness that
it is properly used only in an entisely i'm
partial sense; that to demean ones self
| implies simply to conduct ones seN, and
| that there is 81 the word no evil connota-
ton.
This was qNite the last straw. Carruthers
| purposely knocked over the fire irons to
prove that he had not been near the door,
and came out into the corridor. There was
a sudden hush, and the group divided to let
| him run the gantlet of its dubious respectful
| ness.
| CarrutAers walked rapidly through the
group and out into the little bare quad
| rangle that lay between the 6ormitory and
the head masters study. Though he always
pretended Indifference to it, nothing else
| in his pedagogical experience hurt him like
being sent to Coventry by his youthful
| charges. He had come from the university
| the year before swelling with high ideals
| of standing toward the boys in something
of the relation of an elder brother. He had
| thought it would be easy enough to win at
| once popularity and respect, if man showed
himself sufficiently large-hearted, was can
| did and aboveboard, scorning to descend to
| petty artifce. When he first came among
| them the boys had told him of former
| master who had crept into their rooms after
lights 9th felt slippers and a dark Ian
| tern; and he had thanked God he was not
| as that man. On the very first night he had
| stood under the gas jet in the corridor and
made little speech to the heads protrud-
| ing from between the alcove curtains. He
would not peach or sneak; he proposed
| to 4rust implicitly to their standards Of
| honor, and would believe what they told
him against the evidence of his own senses.
| He wanted them to feel at all times free to
come to him, knowing that with him secrets
were safe. They must be sure that he was
| terest, and that he would do all he could
| to help them uphold the fair name of the
/ school, whose reputation was dear to him
| as to them He had called them fellows"
| and they had cheered him when he ended.
| "In response to busy man Come in!'
| Carruthers turned the wabbly handle of the
| head masters study door and entered. The
head master, tall, pale man, frayed thin
| by petty worriment, looked up quizzically
| from behind white drift of papers.
| ''Mr. Thatcher" said Carruthers, ''you
| asked for my answer to-day with regard to
coming back next year. l had determined
| to resign, but-something 1 have recently
/ heard has led me to change my mind. >
/ The Outlook.
1 1r-or ri