The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-27
/.
THE RIGHT PROMETHEAN FIRE
nv Mrs. GEORGE MADDEN MARTIN.
Copyright by Mcclure. Phillips & Coz

Copyright by Mcclure. Phillips & Coz
r--r-eMMY LOU. laboriously copying
rs dgits, looked up. The boy sit
AZ ting in line in the next row OF
fEsgsssrsyyr+Y desks was making signs to her
Essa3Ysl She had noticed the little boy
before He was a square little boy, with
a sprnlkling of freckles over the bridge.
OF the nose and a cheerful breadth of
nostril. His teeth were wide apart. and
his smile was broad and constant. Not
that Emmy Lou could have told all this
She only knew that to her the knowi-
edge of the little boy concerning the
things peculiar to the primer world
seemed limitless
And now the little boy was Reckoning
Emmy Lou. She did not know him, but
neither did she know any of the seventy
other little boys and girls making the
primer class.
Because of the popular prejudice against
whooping cough, Emmy Lou had not en-
tered the primer class until late. When
she arrived the seventy little boys and
girls were we'll along in alphabetical lore,
having long since passed the n, b, of
initiation, and become slibly eloquent TO
a point where the !. IN, n, o. p slipped OF
their tongues with the liquid ease of re-
petition and familiarity.
But Emmy Lou can catch up said
Emmy Louis Aunt Cordelia, plump and
CHEEKY lady, beaming with optimistic
placidity upon the infant populace seated
III parallel rows at desks before her.
Miss Clara. the teacher. lacked Aunt
Cordelia's optimism. also her plumpncss
mo doubt she cam" agreed Miss Clara,
politely, but without enthusiasm Miss
Clara had stepped from the graduating
rostrum to the school room platform, and
she had been there some years. And when
enc has been there some years, and Is
already battling with seventy little boys
and girls, one cannot greet the advent
Of seventy-first, with acclaim. Even
the fact that ones hair is red Is not an
always sure indication that ones temper
nment Is sanguine also.
So in answer to Aunt Cordeia, Miss
Clara replied politely but without enth,l-
elasm, mo doubt she can
Then Aunt Cordela went, and Miss
Clara gave Emmy Lou desk. And Mss
Clara then rappins sharply, and Calling
some small delinquent to order, Emmy
LOUIS heart sank within her.
Now Miss Clara's tones were tart, be-
cause she did not know what to do with
this late conner. In a class OF seventy
spare time Is not Offering for the bring
ing up Of the backward. The way of the
primer teacher was not made easy in
public school Of twenty-five years ago
So Mis- Clara told the new pupil to copy
dlgits.
Now what digits were Emmy Lou had
no idea, but being shown them on the
blackboard. she copied them diligently.
And Us the time went on, Emmy Lou
went on copying digits. And her one
endeavor being TO avoid the notice of
Miss Clara, 1t happened the needs of
Emmy Lou were frequently lost sight of
in the more assertive claims of the sew
enty
Emmy Lou was not catching UP, ana 1t
was January.
But to-day was to be different Tho
little by nodding and Reckoning. So
far the seventy had left Emmy Lou
alone. AS general thing the herd crowds
toward the leaders, and the laggard
brings up the rear alone.
But to-day the little boy was reckoning.
Emmy Lou looked UP. Emmy Lou was
pink-checked and chubby and In her heart
there was no guile. There was an ease
and swagger about the little boy. And
he always knew when to stand up. and
what for. Emmy Lou more than once
had failed to stand up. and Miss Clara's
reminder had been sharp, 1t was when
bell rang one must stand up. But what
for, Emmy Lou never knew, until afte:,
the others began TO do it.
But the little boy always knew, Emmy
Lou had heard him, too, out on the
beach, glibly tell Miss Clara about the
mat, and a bat and a black rat. To-day
he stood forth with confidence and told
about q fat hen. Emmy Lou was glad
to have the little boy neckon her
And in her heart there was no guile.
That the little boy should be holding out
an end of n severed 1ndia-rubber band
and inviting her to take it. was no
stranger than other things happening
in the primer world every day.
Tba oP no }nf, ~,
f!cation bieathed mystery. the sheep
from the. goats so to speak, the little
girls all Nbne side the central aisle, the
little boys all the other-and to overstep
the line of demarcation thing too
dreadful to contemplate.
Many things were strange That one
must get up suddenly when bell rang
was strange.
And to copy dsits until ones chubby
fingers. tightly gripping the pencil, ached,
and then to be expected to take n sponge
and wash those dlgits off was strange.
And to be told GROSSLY to sit down was
bewdering, when in answer to C, a, t.
che said Pussy And yet there was
Pussy washing her face on the chart
md Miss Claras pointer pointing to her
So when the little boy held out the
rubber band across the aisle. Emmy Lou
took the proffered end.
~ Al this the little boy slid back into
fis desk holding 10 his end. At the crti-
cal moment OF eongation the little boy
let go. And the property of elasticity
is to rebound
Emmy Louis heart stood still, Then it
swelled. But in her filling eyes there
was no suspicion, only hurt. And even
while tear splNshe3 down. and, falling
upon the laboriouslY copied digts,
wrought havoc, she smiled hravely across
ar the little boy. II you'd have made
the little boy feel bad to know how 1t
hurt. So Emmy Lou winked bravely and
smiled,
Whereupon the little boy wheeled about
suddenly and fell to copying dIgts flu
riousy Nor did he look Emmy Louis
way, only drove his pencil into his slate
with feryor that made Miss Clara
rap sharply on her desk.
Emmy Loii wondered If the little boy
WAS mad. One would think it had stung
tho little boy aud not her But since he
was not looking, che felt free TO let her
little fist seek her mouth for comfort
,iF1 IrYr my on Il that across