The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-17
By GELETT BURGESS and
WILL IRWIN.

lsusceptblliitles, for I am foolshly sen.
sitiVe.
3"Rowena likes the paper. f,no' the
young SCAMP declared. 1" 4 desire to thank
you Mr.. Ardley for the great assistance
you have given the. through RUwei,a."
1lefthen went on With instifferabio mock.
|poltcness, Eve have both enjoyed your
tips on the examination papers very
mucl,. It hns boon a great help. IN fact,
without your Invaluable add doubt II
4 would boSabe to graduate. AZ It Is, I
stand No. a." XII b l4 h i i5iil n.
i'You Will nevcr graduate from this
school, young man" said. '1'll attend
to2tliat ut teuchors' meeting to-day"
Eyes, aid give yourself away!" he
cried "a do you want me to tell Mr..
Briggs how you've been helping Rowenat
DO you mind II show him this paper r
The brutality Of his plot now struck
mo with ~ pang OF anguish. How could
| lever. explain that In helping Rowena,
had been prompted only by affection
ana Il desire for her best welfarc2 Tech.
nlcally,1 had violated tho etiquette OF
my profession, although It had boon done
only with tho Hottest motives. meas.
,lred the distance to tho floor. It was
altogether too fnra to risk jumping. was
as much at tho boys mercy as II were
tied ito an Apache stake. But the worst
was yet to come.
Now, you get busy, Ardie, and do what
I tell you, or I'll call Mr.. Briggs and
give the whole thing away There's a
pot 81 red paint up there. SEQ ~ Vow
just take II and paint 'Mud-faced Moli'3
on that biggest map OF the United States.
Hurry UP. no "! ''ss is "a.
1Jhesltnted; yet after all. what could I
do? II 5s5f
"Hcrc comes Mr.. Brlggsl shall I call
him IMP he asked. 81 III z.
There was no other way. I picked up
a brush, rocking with carmine, and, AZ
slowly as could, l. began to letter the
abominable words upon the vanished sur.
face Of tho map.
Faster, please said Burne. ] obeyed.
At that moment. the principal. who had
been looking for me to attend tho teach
ers' meeting. came upstatrs.G did NOT
hear him.. but the boy Burne did. ana
rapidly climbed out the window and hid
on the fro escape. went on painting
In a trance Of sickcning despair. when
Mr.. Briggs entered the hallway and dis
covered me. just as was putting tho
final letters on the disgusting oplthet.
"Mud-fnced Moll" It was one OF the
most painful moments OF my life.
Pardon mo II do not describe my
Interview with him. which was witnessed
by Burne, through the window; a. fact
which greatly added to my discomfort.
I could not, OF course. explain, and. for
the good name of tho school, was per-
mitted to resign, and the matter was
kept confidential. have heard that
subsequently the Petaluma Gazette pub
lIshcd a garblcd account OF the affair
at the time Rowena and Burne wcro
married.
oliver Burnc graduated. OF course. but
even that fact was not so narrowing to
my feelings as to have to sit with the
faculty Of the school, upon the platform
OF the assembly hall. and hear that pref
ty. innocent looking girl scarcely more
than a child read her paper. She con-
5cluied with the following words. my own
words, looking unblushinglyIin my direo-
ton:
i.Abo-r all, let us remember that the
faith we place In our friends is the key
stone OF all that Is noblest and best in
life. and that what we do for others Will
be a sustaining influence through the
worst OF life's vicssltudes and trials.