The San Francisco call., 1910-10-16

by ARTHUR MORGAN LANGwoRTHy

NV tfCH icttu VAb It's liHhS thtiy III ine
summer youthful Prairieville was
quick to take to the sport. as the new
course offered much profitable employ
ment. Frank and his friends earned
many a half dollar as caddles. and IL
was only natural that a boy Of Franks
enterprisng turn of mind should
promptly form the Junior golf club.
Both clubs were destined to greatly
disturb the peaceful relations between
the boys and Old Hack when school
opened. Old HACK, or rather Mr. Hack
ett was the principal and head instruc-
tor of the Prairieville academy
He grew quite rabd when the word
golf was mentioned Either some Of his
pupils were always caddying during
school hours or else playing matches
on the Junior golf links, laid out on the
Williams farm. Anyhow, Frank and
the other members of the club were in
bad repute with the stern old disci-
plinarian
Besides that, the club was not run
ming very smoothly An empty treasury
confronted it's members almost on the
eve of the great match about to be
played with Joe Fishers city club. the
Metropolitan Juniors Frank wanted
to have things especially fine on the
occasion of his cousin Joe's visit. But
with golf balls at such high prices and
7s cents in the treasury Frank couldn't
exactly see how they were going to
replenish the stock
Frank ruefully surveyed the course
from his window before going to school
that morning. He gazed wistfully at
John Turner'S large truck garden inst
across from the most difficult approach
on the junior links. That particular hole
had caused more trouble all around
than anything else, for it lay so near
John Turner's fence boundary that the
young golfers were always making bad
drives and losing the ball over the
fence.
Now, John Turner, besides having a
reputation as the .meanest man in
Prairie county, was member Of the
school board. Turner instituted a strict
watch to prevent the boys trespassing
on his property, and he was continually
wrangling with Mr.. Hackett over his
pupils alleged transgressions. Anyway,
very few of the many lost balls were
ever recovered, owing to the vigilance
OF Ebenezer, John Turner'S hired man.
When Frank arrived at school he
saw trouble was brewing. Old Hacks
granite countenance was harder than
ever and his eyes sparkIed angrily as
he called the class to order
The boy who played golf on the
Williams links yesterday afternoon will
stand up!' he growled
Not boy arose Mr. Hackett grew
more angry as he swept the aisles with
a whitening glance aimed particularly
at the boys of Franks group.
$50 you are going to make matters
worse by becoming young sneaks? Mr..
Turner called on me last night and de-
manded that / punish the boy who
damaged his. truck garden yesterday
afternoon. The boy got away before
his hired man could catch him, and as
ii was getting twilight he couldn't see
his race clearly enough to identify him.
But he is positive il was one of the
academy pupils-and / don't doubt i'll
more disgraceful lot of young ras-
calls never saw! will give you one
more chance to confess who it was-if
the offender still refuses 40 own up I'll
punish the whole class. Now who was
that boy?
The class looked uneasily at one an
other. This wholesale punishment was
no new thing. Mr.. Hackett could devise
more original ways of retribution than
any teacher they'd ever had, and one
OF his favorite methods was what he
called his selectiye punishment sys-
tenn" When he couldn't discover who
the guilty party was he let the class
choose It's own punishment Possess
ing good deal Of eccentricity as well
as considerable kindness OF heart which
he hid under his stern disciplinarian
methods, Old Hack argued that ii took
part OF the sting away If the class was
allowed TO have some say in the mat
ter-a sort or tribute due to the great
majority OF the innocent who must suf-
fer with the guilty. OF course Old
Hack reserved the priyfleee NJ '.turnin1