Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-03-26
THE SCHOOLMASTER
UP A TREE.
ISSSySxSS SSSSSSySSSxSSS
By G. A. STEPHENS.

the SHOW nau uleu away descended
from my cold perch. l first went in.
side to the stove and warmed myself,
then proceeded to investigate with
lighted splinters.
In the schOOlr0Om nothing wrong
could be seen; but OH going down un.
der the house l finally discovered what
they had done. but not till had
looked carefully.
From time to time, as the house grew
old, the schOolroom floor had been
strengthened and stiffened by props
set up irregularly beneath 1t. What
these rogues had done was to saw of
three of the wide floor hoards. "'-est
accustomed to stand when working at
the blackboard. They had also sawed
off the ends Of three sleepers OH which
the boards rested. The two end ones,
however, remained supported by two
stout props; and at first ! did not see
how the floor could fall-not till had
looked more carefully.
Then l discovered that they had set
the foot Of each prop OH a round stone,
about as large as mans two fists.
Some old. dry boughs had been thrown
against the props, not only concealing
the round stones but also loop of
bed cord" rope, attached to each prop.
This rope extended back into the
dark space behind the wood and up
among the cObwebs, to Il point beneath
the back seat where LOsen, Shamus
and Little Web sat. Here :, hole had
been bored. and the end Of the rope
passed mp through the floor and Sc
cured by knot.
The nature of the trap was now fully
apparent. Those scamps meant to
wait for me to go to tho board, then
| jerk away the props beneath. leaving
the Schoolmaster to take a sudden drop
or seven feet aud disappear, heels over
head in the gulf below. 1t would then
be comparative easy matter to hold
the dOOr-and l should be out Of the
schOOlhOnse and out of job.
When | first perceived the full. fell
intent of the contrivance. Indignation
fired my soul. Then l began smile
inwardly, for fOrewarn-d Is fore
armed.
Youth is never charitable. At pres
ent l certainly should Think twice, and
many times. before precipitating a hui
man being down such hole as that.
At eighteen no such conjunction trou,
they thought was good enough for me
was good enough for them.
l went home chuckling: and over
night | concluded | could improve on
their effort. The next morning | pro-
cured some screws, a gimlet and q
screwdriver and a tOolbOX a nv board.
ing place. and set of q little earlier
than usual for the schOolhouse. Or
dinarily I went at 8, Cor had the fire
to build and the room to put in order
After building a fire | brought up
wnat wood l thought we might require
for the day. and then screwed up the
old door that led to the basement hole
under the house so sOlidly that any one
shut in there would have found it |
next to impossible to break cut.
The pupils came by 8, and calling the !
school to order, had them read from
the Testament, according TO custom. |
| noticed that I.osen and Shamus were
watching me cOvertly. but l proceeded |
exactly as usual, sending the first class |
in arithmetic to the board in turn,
quite as if supposed that everything |
there was all right. then called out the |
second class. to which Losen, Shamus
and Little Web belonged. Ii was not
an advanced class. They had reached
simple interest that week.
Now, this is an important rule" ]
said, zone that you ought to master
thoroughly. You will need to under
stand interest all through life. Let us
try to make it practical. Suppose you
held my note for $17j, dated back |
twelve years, to 1877. What would it |
amount to at the present time:"
They We're all three sitting on the !
front seat, and could not reach the |
rope, so I stepped to the board and
wrote such note, in the usual form,
with names. dates and rate of interest.
While writing | saw I.osen stealing
back to his own seat, and looked round,
as If in surprise.
Il only wanted to get my arithme.
tic said he, and returned 20 the reel.
ia ton seat.
knew better, for he had his hook in
his hand when he came out to recite.
took no notice of the falsehOod, how
ever, and finished writing the note.
"Now, Losen, find what that note
will amount to at six per cent, simple
interest. in seven years. six months
and twenty -four days." | said. "And
you, Shamus, tell us what l would
have to pay You in ten years. And,
Webster, you find what it will amount
to in twelve years. There Is room for
all three of You at the board. l will
look Oh and help you II you need help
They hesitated little, but could not
well refuse. 1t was our usual mode Of
work. They felt sure that suspected
nothing. and they know that the floor
was safe unless some one pulled the
rope. So all three went to the board
and began to work on their sums.
walked up and down the aisle, pointing
out their Mistakes, for they were great
For a time could see that Little
Web was watching me out of the cor
ner of his eye; but went on explain
ing interest TO them and the others
from where | stood In the aisle. till
they had become puzzled with their
computations. Then. turning sudden
ly. reached for that rope Knot and
pulled with all my strength.
The props came away, and about ten
feet Of the floor. there by the black
board. fell Nth Grassland the boys
with it. They went out Of sight as II
by magic, and left the whole school
staring. terrified at the chasm.
rushed fOrwarA and could see the
upturned faces of all three of them
down in that dark hole. Shamus