Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-10-31
@@p IN THE 900
!; SUPREME COURT
EVERYTHING consplred. 1t would


ITNERYTHING consplred. 1t would
| T. not have happened if poor little
Bobbie's first discipline had not taken
place early on that morning, and it
Frances Wylie had not been ION the
rampage again when school opened.
Bobbie was the principals only and
idolized son, and still in kits. Fran
ces Wylie was the mischief brewer OF
Miss Virginia Traps room, No. 2.
1T was awful" groaned the princi-
pal, under his breath. He spread his
hands out on the green baize of his
table and regarded them with horror,
as if there were blood on them. Could
it be they had punished Bobbie-Bob-
bic? He had looked so bewitchingly
and inky and naughty! His little crisp,
sun-yellow curls had stood up round
his reproachful face SO becomingly!
awful! awful" the principal
groaned. He was in no mood to begin
the days work in his supreme court"
on the ground floor of the Maltbic
high school,. There would be punish
ing to do, of course, and to think he
had punished Bobbie - little sunny
haired Bobbie!
cts going to be bad day. I see it
in France Wylie's eyes!" grcaned little
Miss Trap, inwardly. Frances from
her back seat gazed about with
studied, innocent wonder. She was
almost as big as little Miss Trapp.
Frances was ION probation" She
had been warned that one more mis-
demeanor would send her to the SUI
preme court.
I'm not afraid" she thought, Sc
renely. "She's so little! I could put
her in my pocket and run away with
her,
But tiny, gentle-faced Virginia
Trap came of Puritan stock, and was
endowed with courage. She might
twist her small fingers nervously, but
she would not draw back. Let Frances
Wylie beware!
So the day began in the Maltbie high
school, with sore-hearted, self-re-
proachful father in the supreme court,
and in room No. a mischief-loving
girl and tiny, troubled teacher. So
the day went forward until the Vergil
class was called. Then
"Miss Wylie!"
The voice was ringing and firm, and
the little teacher took an impetuous
step forward. She had seen the
placard, "Rooms to Let" pinned on
the collar of the lilly Slowboy of the
class, and Frances solemn face, set
among so many laughing ones, was
enough to fix the culprit.
"Miss Wylie, you will accompany me
to the principals room," the little
teacher said, quietly. "The class may
go to the board and write out the scan
sion of the first six lines of the lesson
while I am absent. I am sure 1 need
not ask the young ladies to remember
that it is study hour. I am ready, Miss
Wylie."
There was gentle emphasis on the
word ladies. Miss Trap and the tall
girl crossed the open space to the door,
side by side. Frances Wylie held her
fair head high. There might have been
two pages in her wake, holding up
trailing robes. At the door she cast a
naughty backward glance into the
room and suddenly dimpled with
laughter at the legend she read upon
the blackboard:
"Our friend-has gone-un to the Supreme
court.
Alas..who enters there-leaves hope
Frances laugh sounded softly in her
throat. The little teacher was already
in the hall, waiting, and failed to see
the words provoking her mirth.
The two walked down the long hall
silently, both remembering that this
was the first public disgrace of Frances
| Wyle's school life. For one moment,
midway down the hall, the girl caught
her breath in a sob of pity for the in
| valid mother at home-not for herself.
"We're in for it, as sure as there's
avenging justice at the end of the
hall" breathed Frances to herself.
She showed no signs of sorrow. Little
Virginia Trapp glanced up sidewise
into the cold, impassive face and sighed
gently.
In the supreme court sat the princi-
pal, still thinking Of Bobbie. He was
measuring time until the noon hour,
when he could go home again. He had
not been able to decide to his entire
comfort that Bobbie would be at the
halfway place to-day, as usual, and
the doubt was making him nervous and
distressed.
There was low knock at the door.
"Come in!" the principal called. He
had left his spectacles at home in the
inuuisitorial chamber with Bobbie, and
the two figures that entered-one tall,
the other short-were unfamiliar and
hazy to him. He was very dependent
upon his spectacles.
"Good morning." he said, absently.
The two figures edged little way
into the room. For an instant there
was embarrassing silence, while the
principal from behind his desk OBJ
served vaguely the tall dignity of Fran
ces and the curly brown head of the
tiny teacher. There was no question
as to identity. Even to unspectacled
eyes twas plain enough which was
which.
Under the stress Of excitement vir-
einia Traps tongue sometimes played
her false. Now, as she ope ned her lips |
to speak, she found herself incapable |
of uttering syllable. Her tongue
huttered soundlessly.
"Well?''
The principal gazed dimly at Fran