Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-02-17
PAYING THE
FIDDLER

At the door of her schoolroom Miss
Heath, the teacher, was met by
breathless little girl.
George did it," she cried. Gle just
grabbed it and chased around the
room with it and"
II did not!" shouted George "It
wasn't me any more'n anybody else.
Anyhow, it was broke. And if jim
ME hadn't chased me-"
BE quiet, George" said the be-
wildered teacher. Whats broken,
Margaret?" Y
Why the-the know, the"
''It was broke all the time" inter.
rupted George.
George, leave the room. Now, Mar
garet, what is it?'
Margaret pointed, unable to speak,
to the bracket which contained the
statue Of the Flying Mercury
What's the matter with it?" asked
the teacher, whose rapid glance failed
to discover anything amiss.
Robert jumped nimbly on the steam
pipes and with swift movement de-
capitated the statue, holding the head
dramatically toward the teacher.
That's what's the matter said he.
Then kids needn't say they didn't do
it because everybody in the room saw
| them"
Many heads nodded vigorous af-
firmative.
well, they needn't blame it all on
| me, if / did take it down. for Ernie
and Jim did just as much" yelled
George from the door,
The teacher waved him majestical-
ly back. AS his tear-stained face was
withdrawn from sight he shook a
threatening fist at Robert, who still
held the head in his hand.
1--WE won't take up any more time
now" said the teacher, but of course
the fiddler must be paid. / suppose
in this case that the fiddler will have
to be paid by your fathers. l think
a boy is pretty mean that has all the
fun and leaves the bill for the fiddler
to be paid by somebody else. The
Mercury must be replaced by Mon
day. Any boy who mad anything
whatever to do with breaking this one
must be honorable enough to pay his
share toward getting another
would you call laughing at them
when they were chasing around hav
ing anything to do with it?" asked
Robert, intense anxiety in his coun
|, | tenance
Decide among yourselves at re
cess" replied the teacher Talk il
over as gentlemen should"
During recess another teacher sait
to Miss Heath: you'd better go ant
look after your boys or first thing 70,
know you'll have perfectly good DO.
charged up to your account couldn'
decide whether it was a riot or
carnival, but George, as usual, wa
it,"
Miss Heath, however, found that TIN
trouble had blown over for the tim,
being. An noon an indignant tri
stopped to talk to her
"They say me and Ernie and jim
are the most to blame because we raj
around the ROOM" complained George
"but we wouldn't have run around s.
long if they hadn't jollied us and the
l wouldn't have bumped against tn
desk and fallen down; and don't 20
think they ought to help pay the fit
dler?"
/ "And, Miss Heath, don't you thin
that when it was George that too
Merkery down he ought to pay tn
most?" asked Ernie.
| II have nothing to say" reptile
Miss Heath. 81 told you to decid
like gentlemen. Were you tire
boys most to blame?"
III "They say we were," said George.
III what do you think?" insisted Mis-
Heath.
III "Well, guess we were," said jim
i II didn't care so much anyway. Nv
got ten cents and it won't CO.
more'n 25."
II at cost three dollars" said Mis-
Heath, impressively. as
"Three dopars!" shrieked Georg
"For an old statoo with no clothes Q
him and one leg broke off? VIII
u I liza ~ IA A..