Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-07-01
THE RED-HEADED BOY.

recess. She hurried to the struggling
BOYS, and with the assistance OF another
teacher, managed to pull them apart.
"Young man," she addressed the own
er OF the red hair, "thiS is not the first
fight you've had on these grounds, but
certainly hope it will be the last" She
marched the painting boy to the principal S
office.
In the meantime, a red head had ap-
peared at the upstairs window; one glance
from pair OF intelligent brown eyes took
in the situation, and the head disappeared.
ayes, | saw him, with my own eyes,
rush at the other boy, grab him by the
collar, and fling him down." The sharp
voice was pitched so as to enter the
principals ear, and penetrate to his rather
kind heart, arousing il TO execute right
eous judgment on the red-headed culprit.
"Be seated, boys. What grade are
YOU in ?" The red-headed boy looked
up.
"Indeed, Pm sorry to say he is still in
mine 7" The sharp voice had empha-
sized "still."
"Did you attack this boy first?"
"With my hands, yes sir.
"Why do you say with my hands ?"
because he attacked me first with his
tongue"
The principal looked at the other boy,
who grinned and flushed.
There was tap on the door. Come
inl" called the principal; and atall young
woman with red hair and brown eyes
entered. She looked sympatheticaly into
the eyes of both boys, causing them to
blush with shame.
The red-headed boy bluShed, because
he remembered the fight he had the pre-
vious year; and how this red-headed
teacher from another grade had walked
all the way home with him. How she
had told him that God had made both
their heads red; how He had numbered
each OF those red hairs how it did not
just happen to be red, but that God had
permitted it to be that color; and that it
was wrong TO fight about it, because it
was like reproaching his Heavenly Father
for making it red.
"Have seat, Miss McClain; Pm glad
you have come" Now, to the black,
dropping head, chow did you attack him
first with your tongue ?"
Both boys faces got redder. After an
embarrassing silence, the red head was
thrown back, and pair OF honest blue
eyes looked at the principal.
"FIe don't want TO tell you because
Miss McClain is here. Please, Miss Nc
Claim, 90 out Then you come back
when we holler, Come "
The blue eyes looked beSeechingly into
the brown ones. The principal raised his
eyebrows; the thin lips of the sharp
faced teacher curled contcmptuously;
Mss McClain laughed merrily.
"Excuse me, Professor; but perhaps
you don't understand. Why, it's some
thing about red heads. You see, Pat is
so sensitive on the subject that he can't
realize that Pm not at all so. Don't mind
me, Ernest, just speak the truth" but the
boy only looked more ashamed OF him.
self.
Miss McClain smiled knowingly at the
principal. ale called him red-headed,
freckled-faced Irishman, | expect. Was
that it, Pat ?"
"Ask him." Pat Dillon nodded his red
head toward Ernest's black one.
Ernest raised his black eyes, full Of
tears OF shame, TO his teachers intellec-
tlal face; and the look in her reyes brought
him to his feet.
professor" he stammered, "l-thafs
exactly what said, only-that wasn't all.
said his mother nearly whipped him last
night because she saw light through
the transom and thou ght he was still read
ing after she had told him to put out his
light and 90 to bed, but she found it was
only the light from his head. II didn't
know how low down it was, until-until
Miss McClain came in"
Pat was on his feet before Ernest had
finished.
at was my fault | promised Miss
McClain last year that would stop and
spell God made it red,' before would
fiught about it; and forgot today; but
it is the first red-headed fight I've had
since promised her." and they all be-
lieved it.
The principal rose and shook hands
with the boys.
"Now shake hands with each other =
that's right.
"Pat, my boy, believe this is to be
your last fight on account of your hair.
Now, want you to study your hardest,
so can promote you to Miss McClain's
room. think there you would soon
learn to appreciate red hair"
ernest, your teacher is justly proud OF
you. You can both CO."
"Oh, do hope you can promote him,
Professor Ever since first noticed him
in school, we've had queer sort OF un-
derstanding. I'm sure we could make
the most of each other"
81 sincerely hope he will be promoted
snapped his teacher.
Pat Dillon was promoted at Christmas,
and from the day he entered Miss Nc