The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-16
Patsy Morgan's
Waterloo.

uQQ LOT DISMISSAL, lOiiOWeu W
the usual outpouring of children with
their CHATTER and noise.
We got a new teacher! We got &
new teacher!" chorused the excited
pupils of Room 5 as they made g
Lodore-like exit among the others.
Immediately they were surrounded
by a group of interested boys and
girls from other rooms, who clamor-
ously delighted them with questions,
! Out of the confusion which followed
from trying to answer several ques'
tons at the same time, Miss Ethlyn,
of the eighth grade, who wore an &C
cordion-pleated skirt to school every
day, made her-elf heard above the
! rest.
What does she look like" she
asked, pointedly.
Several little girls tried to answer,
but Elizabeth, the immensely OF
whose butterfly bow made her author
ity on matters of Importance, waved
them haughtily aside:
IVY, she looks somethin' like the
lady what used to- keep the lunch
counter at the junction, only teacher
she's kind o. thin, an she's got blue
eyes, stead O. blown, an her hair
amt black like that lady's, but it's
kind O. sl~ate-colored, an she don't
wear no rat, an"
An she amt got no di'munt ring,
neither" added Gladys, pityingly.
But she's got a green silk waist,
just like my ma got down town at the
bargain SALE" said Helen, whose
mother was the acknowledged leader
of the styles in that neighborhood.
"An' she hath a buckle on the
| fronth of her belth and one on the
back!" lisped Annie. The failure of
Armies eyes to track" probably &C
counted for the complete inventory
she had taken of her teachers ap-
pearance.
Meanwhile, an excited group Of
boys had gathered around Patsy Nor
gan. Patsy enjoyed the honor of be-
ing the incorrigible of the school.
Patsy's former teacher, with the COM
bined help Of Patsy's mother and of
his father (sometimes), the principal,
the truant officers and the janitor,
had succeeded in reducing Patrick to
a state of docility, which, at least,
made life with him bearable. Now a
grin which o~ut-Cheshired all known
Cheshires, illumined his freckled face
clear up to his stubby hair, as he
strobe proudly among his admiring
friends and delivered himself thus:
Gee, but she's easy! She amt
gcggle-eyed like old Bifkins was, al
ways watehin' a Teller to see what he
Is doin'!. This teachers a peach! She
don't hear nothin', an she don't see
nothin'. Here's where Patsy Moran
studies hard, nit! From this time on
I has a good time, and don't you fell
lows forget it! It's me fer the gay
life, ha! hal and Patsy. tapped his
chest significantly as he staggered up
the alley toward his home.
And Patsy kept his word. He not
only refrained from study, but he
made it impossible for those around
him to study. Miss Morris, who had
met Patsy's type many times before
in her varied career, went blissfully
! about her work as if Patsy's disgrace
full behavior was not worth mention
ing. The other children were simply
amazed at her behavior, and Patsy
himself was somewhat puzzled by it
It was too good to believe! Boldly
he ran the whole gamut of misde-
meanors incident to school-shufiing
his feet under his desk when any one
walked across the room, rafting his
inkwell top with eXasperating regu-
larity, banging up each seat as he
passed down the aisle, pulling down
the curtains as he passed the win
dows, filling his floor with ink and
scattering it on the floor in a semi
circle of mountaineering blotches.
Thus the week passed. BY Friday
afternoon Patsy had very nearly ex-
hausted his resources in the way OF
amusements. Somehow he couldn't
understand Miss Morris-she was Sc
unlike any other teacher he had ever
seen. To tell the truth, he was really
beginning to think she was no good,
else why didn't she make him behave ?
When the gong rang for dismissal
Patsy began to throw mis- books into
his desk preparatory to making a
hasty exit.
Patrick Morgan and Douglas
Smith may remain after school," an
nounced Miss Morris quietly. 1.-The
others may pass"
Patsy could scarcely believe his
ears. He was so taken aback that he
could only stare in open-mcuthec
wonder, too astonished to notice the
significant winks and mods of his de-
parting classmates.
Outside the schoolhouse door
group of his intimate friends excited
ly speculated on what might harper
to Patsy, and they decided to wal
until he came out and get the story
from the hero himself. Twenty min
utes went by, thirty. then forty, ant
then slowly the door opened and Dous
Smith came out on tiptoe.
Doug rose to the occasion:
Say, fellers," he began. in an i'm
~pressive half-whisper, Il couldn't tel
in a week all she's done to old Pat
l wouldn' a missed it fer So" snick
cred Doug, provokingly.
The boys pressed closer arount