Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-02-24
PAYING THE
FIDDLER

At the door of her schoolroom Miss
Heath, the teacher, was met by a
breathless little girl.
George did it," she cried. "He just
grabbed it and chased around the
room with it and
IT did mott" shouted George. cit
wasn't me any more'n anybody else.
Anyhow, it was broke. And if jim
mie hadn't chased me"
BE quiet, George" said the be-
wildered teacher. Whats broken,
Margaret?"
Why the-the-you 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.
whats 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 a vigorous af-
firmative.
"Well, they needn't blame it all on
1 foI Erni q
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withdrawn from sight he shook a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
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 had anything
whatever to do with breaking this one
must be honorable enough to pay his
share toward getting another"
Would you call laughing at then
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
M, roy ttgT,-y .
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 a 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 tn
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
"bu+ we wouldn't have run around s
: long if they hadn't jollied us and the
/ wouldn't have bumped against tn
I desk and fallen down; and don't yo
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.
i II have nothing to say" reptile
Miss Heath. II told you to decid
like gentlemen. Were you thre
boys most to blame?"
III "They say we were," said George.
III What do you think?" insisted Mis-
Heath.
II "Well, guess we were," said jim
II didn't care so much anyway. Nv
got ten cents and it won't co.
more'n 25."
ut cost three dollars" said Mis-
Heath, impressively.
Three dollars!" shrieked Georg
For an old statoo with no clothes q
him and one leg broke off? WI
didn't you make the kid that broke