Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-23

- a Dig dWkWArQ boy was heZekldu
Griggs. a pupi! in the school of Eben
Watson. The history class was up
for recitation, but Hezekiah, though
he had plenty of brains, had not ap
piled them to studying the lesson.
He was growing decidedly uncom.
Portable. He knew well what an un-
prepared lesson meant, for in those
days no weak Ieniency was shown to
deIinquents. To be sire, this was the
first recitation Hezekiah had miBsed
during the term. but was not that an
aggravation of the onfense? Since he
had managed so long without falling.
why fail at all?
Hezekiah was aware that as soon as
the class was dismissed he would re-
ceive a not altogether unmerited fog
ging. He was perspiring at every pore.
The icicles with which he had meant
to refresh the thirsty occupants of
the back seats melted in the intense
heat. and a tiny stream of fee water
trickled slowly from the extremity of
either pocket and formed a miniature
pool in the bottom of each cowhide
boot.
The young offender was growing
desperate. and when the master. hav
ing dismissed the other members of
the history class, turned to him with
the command, Take off your coat,
sir."' the boy stepped forward and
obeyed with feeling of actual relief.
Your conduct has-been most repre-
hensible, sir" said the master. push
ing up his coat sleeve and testing the
strength of his ruler. while thirty
pairs of eyes gazed spellbound and
awful silence reigned.
Most reprehensibIe, sir" be repeat
ed, and the ruler fell with a thwack
which sent the blood tingling through
every vein in the culprit's body.
Hezekiah never knew exactly what
happened after that He remembered
that an insane desire for vengeance
overcame him. He wanted to thrash
the master, to thrash the whole school.
Before the weapon could descend n
second time he sprang at his assail-
ant with clinched fists and blazing
eyes.
There was a moment of breathless
silence while the angry master col
Jared his refractory pupil and shook
him as a terrier shakes a rat. Then
the fat sided ruler twas once more
brought into active play upon the back
of Hezekiah Griggs.
Now, SIR" said the master when at
length, becoming weary of such severe
exertion, he released his hold on Hez-
ekiah's coal collar, take your seat and
learn your history"
Needless of the command, the boy
seized his jacket and, snatching his
cap from its peg on the wall, made a
rush for the door. He gained it with
out opposition, and before the aston
ished master had time to recover from
his surprise he was racing along the
highway toward home.
Into the big, roomy kitchen, where
Griggs himself sat in
great armchair coming the Weekly
News, with Grandmother Griggs close
by pairing apples, he dashed like a
runaway engine.
"Why. Hezekiah," exclaimed the
good old woman, looking somewhat
startled, "a body d think you'd been
fred from a cannon by the way you
come flying in! What's happenedT
Hezekiah sat down and began to ex- /
plain.
"You don't mean to say you've run |
away from SCHOOL," said the old man,
when the boy had reached the most |
part OF his narrative. "Oh,
The exclamation was full OF SORROW
'ul surprise, and Hezekiah's eyes fell
I'm not going back to school any
nore," he said doggedly.
He did not dare look up, for he knew
he old man had set his heart on his
an educated man, and he
him to be very angry. But
took OF his glasses. wiped
hem and said:
"Well. Hezekiah, we won't talk about
t tonight. You'd best go to the barn
md thrash peas till supper time, and
veil settle this matter about school
Hezekiah obeyed. He went about till
lark looking triumphant.
Staying away from school was next '