Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-08-02
PREPARATION

ed with perspiration, born, not of la
Dor, but Of obstinacy.
Nov, Frederick" began Miss
Burke, with conscientious enthusiasm,
sitting down at the desk across the
aisle. Tets draw a picture Of a beau
ti-ful big dog"
A few more beads Of perspiration
appeared upon Frederick's flushed
forehead and the hand that held the
pencil became a shade more nerveless.
1t was at three o'clock that Miss
Burke had suggested gayly that every
body should draw the picture of an
animal and let everybody else guess
what 1t was. 1t was now quarter
past four. Each of the other children
had executed the likeness of some
chosen animal and then their short
legs had trudged, trotted or skipped
home with these treasures of art, but
Frederick still sat before his small
desk, mulishness enthroned upon his
brow and no slightest hint of the ooun-
terfeit presentnent Of any beast ap-
pearing upon the virgin surface of his
paper
Miss Burke spoke again, persuasive
ly. I'm going up to the platforms now,
Frederick, to arrange my desk all
neatly for tomorrow, and when come
back I just know l shall find a lovely
picture Of a dog. Now, shan't II"
Frederick spoke not, nor did he
move during the ten minutes Miss
Burke passed in inventing small du-
ties in connection with the tidying
up Of her desk.
When she came down from the plat
form and stood before Frederick again,
there was that in her voice which
made him take his reluctant gaze from
his paper and raise it to her face.
Frederick Merriam" said the nth.
erto persuasive tones, I'm going to
wash my hands and put on my wraps,
and when I come back expect to find
picture of dog on that piece of
paper"
She pointed a firm finger at the
sheet before him and then turned
away.
When his teacher returned ten min
utes later Frederick sat with his toe
dug into the floor and his pencil limp,
ly grasped in his hand, but on the
paper had appeared an outline in
which an indulgent critic might have
found faint suggestion of dog.
We'll try to do better next time,
Frederick" said Miss Burke. "You
may get your hat and go now"
Miss Burke, passing down the hall
few minutes later, overlook her small
pupils. Good night, Freddie" she
said with the magnanimous courtesy
of the one who has had the best Of it.
Frederick stared f1xedly at the wall
until she had passed. Then he looked
vindictively at her retreating back.
I'll go and muss up her OF desk"
he thought. MAXIM me draw pitch
er Of OF ANIMAL"
He turned back into the schoolrOom
and tiptoed up to Miss Burke's desk.
Everything was put away inside the
drawers except a few pencils and
ruler Friedrich threw the pencils on
the floor, and then, taking the ruler
between two chubby hands, he broke
it across his fat knee Then he tip,
toed to the door and sped down the
hall.
There was no rest for Frederick that
night. His uneasy dreams were
haunted by visions of angry Miss
Burke threatening him with broken
Tulers and great paper dogs opening
horrible mouths at him. Early in the
morning he crept from his bed and
went to the drawer where he kept his
bank He took the bank to the bed
and shook it violently until he could
hear nothing more rafting inside it.
Three bright Lincoln pennies re
warded his efforts.
Eight o'clock found Frederick, a hur.
ried breakfast lying heavy upon his
youthful stomach, standing before the
showcase of the school store" ma,
king a careful survey Of its contents.
After due consideration he selected
one stick of chewing gum, done up in
piece of sky-blue paper fringed at
the ends, one taffy-on-a-broomstick
and enc all-day sucker. With these
deposited in a paper bag striped with
purple he fastened to school
Here he tore a sheet from his tab
let and inscribed these words upon it:
Dear Miss Burke. Yours truly, Fred.
erick." Attaching this with a decrepit
pin to the paper bag, he laid it on
Miss Burke's desk and, returning to
his seat, buried his nose in his Ian
guage book and awaited developments.
WELL" exclaimed Miss Burke.
Somebody has been giving me a pres.
ent. Frederick" reading the name on
the sheet of paper why, how nice
of you Frederick"
Did she, as she took up the bag,
give fleeting glance at the broken
pieces of rules lying in conspicuous
spot on the desk, where the janttor
had placed them?
Chewing gum! Dear me, what
oav Daperi TafPv-On-the-b broom stick