The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-17
z# Ii, which the Grand Commander relates to
:Queen Isyl, while wooing her, the story of the
Teachers PET, or Love Juvenile.

/ prlncipal's desk, on tho tagging OF tho
school yard, and finally upon every one
OF a dozen new maps stored III the attic.
All efforts To ascertain the ihdeilitlty OF
| he cupit were ,inavaillng, although the
principal kept tie entire school after
| hours and questioned each Pupil In turn,
| individually ana alone. Miss Byles' $ NOR
| tlncntlon was 80 iystcrichl that she act
,ualy had tho llnrdf,ood TO accuse me Of
l'pcrpetratlng tic o,itragcs HAD " not
been for this, could have beot, n lt1iost
amused 1T the righteousness OF tho farce.
n nut d nov interest now came to$drlye
| Tho subject from my mind. Tic scholdr-
shlp averages were computed. and 1t was
discovered to my delight TINT 50 TtoWern
led md was thereby entitled to the vule-,
dictory at the graduating exercises i
sa " inthls tho opportunity otsdoing her
/, service. AZ, she had no pa rttcularliter-
airy bent while my. own talents have al
ways been In that direction. | spent
several nights In composing n valedc-
tory paper for her that should mark an
! epoch Inst history OF the Petnuma
High SCHOOL, Rowenn was ovcrjoyed To,
find herself relieved Of n necessity which
| had boon somewhat dreaded
rho day before graduation d teachers
meeting was called o give tho final np-
prevail 10 the candidates for diplomas.
| | had made a strong effort to prevent
| Oliver Burne from graduating, feeling
| that 1t would BIO n blot on the high stand.
ard OF the school to havo such n young
rcproba,e dismissed honorably J. was in
my room formulating my argument on
Tits point and summarizing the details
or his misconduct when Rowcna came to
| me-
|
| lately, she said, you may catch the
boy who has been painting tho signs
about the bulldIng!"
was surprised, but went at once up
stairs and mounted the ladderfto the UNI
| finshed attic where the maps were kept.
/ was looking about, seeing no one, when
my attention was called to a noise below.
| The Burne boy was removing tho lad
der! q B. @ S5@
"Burno,"1 called to him, fireplace that
ladder instantly. slr" He Knocked me III
the most impldent4 manner. a5
"Whatll you givo me Il Ill let you
90? he said. making a3rrde. gesture
| The supreme impertlncnce Of HIS de-
mand fairly stif1cd me- wa surprised;
more than thnt--shockcd
"Burnc. I'shall attend to your case as
soon as ! gett4down."a4I warned him
sternly ! confess my attitude at the
time was llndignihed. almost ridiculous,
for there were no floor boards and had
trouble balancing on the rafters.
Instead Of answering me the little hend
drew out a manuscript and began to
read, beginning with melodramatic style
that grieved and wounded mo more than
| can say.
"standng as we do to-day upon the
threshold ofSa new career, the sweet old
days OF childhood notgyet. quite gone, the
mysterious duties Of manhood and wo-
manhood not yet quite come, let US face
once again the memories OF dear school
life. and then make up our minds to go
out into the world and do our part in nd
yanclng the noblest standards OF right
and truth that we learned here In this
well-loved place" The boys infection
and ecstlculation were outrageous, and
] suffered to hear my own literary Of
forts 80 horribly and wiifully distorted.
For, need ! say that he had in his pos
session the valedctory that had Just
written for Rowena Philbrck? It was
painful beyond words to my shrinking