River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-05-16

| ing twilight cigarettes in thoughtful
sequence The moon was rising and
he looked at her as he smoked, but he
vas not thinking of the moon. He was
thinking of Isabelle, the beauty of the
school and the head of his class. Be-
fore school opened he and Isabelle had
been good friends, but since they had
come to sit together in the same class
every day she had treated him with
marked Indifference. Why? Because
she had found out that she was smart
er than he was?
Monsieur's hearty voice broke into
the uncomfortable conclusion, saying
jovially:
cha, Isidore! What das you t'ink
bout SO hard?"
Il was think bout das MOON" Isl
dore told him promptly. What It's
make her come up, ha?"
God knows" chuckled monsieur
Madame spoke up gently: VOLTA,
'Dore. Why you don't ask teacher
das?"
Isidore paused. Teacher was
young woman with a long nose and
glasses that glittered Truly, not
person to be questioned lightly. And
to do it with Isabelle looking on dis
daining his ignOrance-mais arretez.
Maybe it's Isabelle don't know why
It's moon come up!"
And if Isabelle did not know, and if
he could find out, and then spring the
knowledge on her-But, yes! It would
be worth working for VOLTA AS the
possibilities of the situation became
clear to him, IsfGore realized that it
would be worth waylaying teacher
for
So it CHANGED that as the teacher
was walking home from school next
day she saw one of her tall boys com
ing toward her with a determination
in his stride.
Il can ask you something, if you
please, and you won't tell anybody
what it's / ask your"
What is it wou wish to ask?"
teacher almost stammered.
What it's made das moon come
up?"
Moon! Oh, yes, moon! What is it
that makes the moon come up? oh,
yes! l understand. II think that I
can explain that. Let's see." She cast
about for substitute for a "solar
system and Isidore watched her
anxiously Suppose teacher didn't
know"
Wait" she said, 81 have it."
She took her watch from her belt
and her ring from her finger.
"NoW you know, Isidore, the earth
is bigger than the moon"
"Mais oui, know das," Isidore
fastened to assure her.
We'll! Then we will call this
watch the earth and this ring the
moon-and here is the way the moon
goes round the earth. Comes up this
way-goes over this way-goes down
this way-goes round under this other
side-comes up again. When you are
sitting on the earth like my thumb is
on the watch here you would see the
moon coming up"
"C'eSt bon. Just like steer come up
hill. First you see his horns, den you
see his legs-Mais, why it's she don't
fall down when she's straight up yon-
der?'
But the teacher knew this also.
fShe goes too fast to fall, she ex-
planned smoothly. Like when you
throw your ball over the school
house."
Just like das! Mails oui Now tbs
know. And, me, I'm glad I know
das. Je vous remercie."
He was glad and grateful-and tri-
umphant 1t did not seem at all Prob
able that Isabelle possessed such
knowledge. Isidore watched the
teacher readjust her belongings with
respect and when the ring slipped and
fell he stopped with eager gallantry
and returned it to her with something
warmer than respect. Teachers nose,
he thought, did not look so long, nor
her glasses so shiny. And he was
ready for Mademoiselle Isabelle. Let
her snub him some more tomorrow.
Eth bien, Isabelle did not snub him
on the morrow. She did not see him.
With her head up and her lashes
down she could not see Isidore, even
when he stood right in front of her.
But everybod else in the school could
see him. See him, yes, and smile at
his discontinue.
"Mais what it's I been do" Isidore
pondered. mo, 1 amt been do noting
unless it is" and the thought made
him jump-"unless it's das teacher
tell"
Had teacher told? She boarded
with Isabelle's mamma. Had she told
Isabelle about the moon? Isidore
looked sharply at the suspected young
woman and he saw that her nose was
long-too long to be trusted-and that
there was a cold glitter about her
glasses that held no promise of high
sense of honor. Teacher had toldi
Mais VOLTA! How was he to know?