The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-19
THE NOSTALGIA
OF LITTLE BILL.
BY ANNE DUPONT.


good. 1t meant being in public
school with nothing doing worth while
"a lot OF girls, who giggled every
time a fellow said anything and
goody-goody boys who parted their
hair In the middle. At the truant
school there weren't any girls, and
there was a looking-glass in the front
OF the room with three dandy combs
hanging on chains, and the fellows
lined up and raced to see which could
comb his hair the quickest He could
comb and part his hair with one twist
of his hand, so il looked just like
teachers.
The truant school was ali right ana
Custer was the sluffi But what had
made him ever come 10 the puAllc
school, aud promise to be good! He
was sick OF ii aIl--counting with lit
tie sticks, and punching holes in card
board, and marching round; and he
scoffed at the little baby tent in the
corner, where a make believe lndian
kid came out with little bow and
shot wooden pegs at bear-kid in
the corner, who pretended 10 fall
dead, and then got up and walked
away, while other kids stood round
and Topped their arms and pretended
to be birds and things! He'd like To
shoot real Indians and real bears
When the fellows at The truant got
their work done they could make
things at the bench in the corner, and
at noon, too, you could work and look
at pictures and do anything, except do
nothing. You had TO work all the
time. He had made treasure box
all alone, and had hid 1t in the rob5er
cave, in the top of Tony Somalskis
barn When he was Old enough, he
was going to make chairs and hose
carts and houses and automobiles.
they didn't have any shower baths,
either, here, nor big place to wash
your face in, with real yellow soap
Gee! he'd just like to taste that soap,
or smell it. and he wouldn't care ii
Ii did get into his eyes!
It was great fun marching out at
the truant. The lea0er had TO meas
ure the step and keep good time, and
all the others had to go just so,
and when you got to the first door,
you stopped till Custer said go"
ana you dassent look sideways, nor
around, nor kick the fellow behind
you, cause Custer had his eye glued
on you Then you went downstairs
to tae outside door, and halted TIL
you heard go" again, and then to
the gate, and then go again, ami
they you broke ranks. 1t was great.
Just like soldiers!
Biz had been reader before he has
been promoted, and he had the mos
stars after his name in reading, spell
ing, 'rithmetic and "wash-your- face"
He could make dandy maps without
a rule:, Custer let you have colored
lead pencils to put in the countries
with, and you hal to put all the pen
ellis back in the box before you could
go home. He'd got to got back to the
truant school! But how? Break into
a store? Two of the fellows did, and
they were in reform school. Truant
was good enough for him Custer
couldnt take MIN back While he was
good- well, he'd have to cut, and lei
Kelly, the truanr officer, find him, But
he had promised
They dissent tick you, either, in tn
public school: at the trudnt, some one
rot a licking every day. The cato
nine-talls was best, because you al
ways got that on the nand, but the
strap kept a fellow guessing. You
were sure TO hop on the wrong foot,
anyway,
This ,eacher here called him "Boles
laus. deJr"-that las his real name
and the kid in front of him always
snickered. He'd punch that fellows
face yet 1t was white, clear round
even On he back of his neck. and he
wore a White starched colla- every
Say. II be only could thrash that kid
Bur VIVA was the use? Meme Of these
BIDS knew how to fight They dassen
h-hu BIZ, growle1
w NY 'DNf HiEEI uitFl HEibbl ne Ud3
licked fear OF the truant fellows 10 /;
finish in Is minutes. while all the
others stood guard and called time
Bah, Tc be in a school where fellow
dassent tight! The shame of it,
There was the last bell ringing. The
soowl grew deeper the steps slower
Bill glanced up 81; the WINDOWS OF the
school. with thei~ fine frillrd curtains
and bright green plants. What husi-
ness had hose fellows up there to BE-
watching him? he clinched is fist
II he could only wa Top them all,
And thee was that wh'te-iiecked
starch-coliared guy who sat in from
OF him. How he'd like 10 roll Aim in
the mud ald sie1 on himi
The bell suddenly ceased with
quick gasp and wild look around
the little nnkemp' figure shot down the
SIDE stree. running like mad; painting.
choking. Olungins on and on. always
IN a sure course. straight to the old
familiar Aaunts. where Kelly would
not fail &c look for him.
Thcn-ttcn to Custcr-and The strap
TO shower baths and yellow soap
to cat-o'-rine-tails and lock-step-to
life and l.icrtyi Detroit Free Press.
Doubly Unfortunate.
Ardent Youth-SO your father