The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-04
The Twentieth Hundred.

Elsie Darwin came skipping home
from school. Mother always said that,
when Elsie came skipping down the
street, she knew that something nice
had happened to her. Something nice
had happened today, and 1t made Elsie
feel very happy So she skipped, and
as she skipped she sang little song.
/ 1t was an old, old tune which she
sang, but no one else had ever heard
the words, for she had made them up
+ herself. She hummed very softly I'M
der the breath:
t II got hundred IN spelling today"
+ 1t was not the first time Elsie had
stood one hundred in spelling. Not at
all. Indeed, she had one hundred Just
seventeen times that month. and now
there We're only three days more to
spell. If she could have one hundred
three days more, her name would go
on the honor roll. Then think of the
i joy of showing father her report card.
So Elsie skipped and sang her little
song, Il got a hundred. ! got hun
bred" till she reached home and could
1 tell mother. OF course. 1t would have
i been nice to surprise mother, too. but
little girl must have some one to
talk things over with.
The next day was Wednesday. and
Elsie skipped home from school that
afternoon. The next day was Thurs
day, and again Elsie skipped.
Now there Is only one more day,
mother" she said, land ! can surely
just get one more. And won't father
be surprised, And won't he be proud
of me ?"
Every one in school was excited that
Friday afternoon. The girls talked it
over at recess. There were three girls
in the class who had nineteen hun
dreds-Sadie Clark, Mabel Deland and
Elsie.
You girls needn't be so sure" Lucy
Case said. You may make mistakes
today. / was sure. too, when l had
get five more, but / made mistake
that very day"
"Oh. but we won't make mistakes"
said Sadie. "Will we, Elsie?'
we will study just as hard till we
know every word Won't we. Sadie ?"
Spelling elias scame Just before
school closed. Elsie could hardly sit
still in her seat. Her little song kept
running through her head She was
almost afraid she would sing it aloud,
TN get hundred, I'll get a hum
dred III get my twentieth hundred
today"
This is what she sang to herself now.
only three more words to write".
she thought. Her feet were tapping
up and down under her seat, keeping
time to the sound.
Miss Morris pronounced the eigh-
teenth word, Deceive"
"oh. deara' thought Elsie. "One Of
those horrid lie words that I could
never spell. But ! know this one to-
DAY. She wrote 1t down.
Ihen there were two words more
ana II was time to change papers
Elsie smiled at Sadie as they ex
changed. and Sadie smiled back at
Elsie. The SMILES meant that each
little girl was sure
Mabel Deland was asked IN sna1,
Just as she began. Elsie gave a quick
glance down Sadie's column of words
Yes, they were Just like hers. No,
Were they, after all? Elsie was look
ing at the eighteenth word. 1t did not
look right o'
'Decei--decef'-she said quickly tn
herself. Sadie had Ell Can she be
right she thought
ana tnen the awful truth came to
ner; Sadie was right She was wrong,
Mabei was spelling and Elsie must
Try 10 follow her And, oh, whatever
she u1d she must not cry!
Elsie marked 100 at the top of Sa-
ales paper and gave It back to her.
she tried to be brave and smile AT
sadie, but 1t was hard to make the
smile come. Sadie smiled back at her
however. as If everything were ali
right.
Elsie took her paper She looked
1rst at the eighteenth word. what |
had happened to it? 1t looked right |
1owl CIV
Then she understood. Sadie had
made the little mark with her pencil I
50 that the was turned into an
The dot was just halfway between the (
wo letters. And no one need ever 4
know And there at the TOP Of her \
paper was the big one hundred mari
1t is what / have worked for q
whole month" Elsie thought AND 1
can't bear TO fail at the very end !"
so, when Sadie and the others stood
Elsie stood with them. But when MI.
Norris praised them for their good Il
Work, Elsie did not feel as glad about
I as she had expected to.
She didn't feel like singing her little n
'ong, either Instead, she kent think II
ng the word she had rnisspelled- Il
deceive, deceive"---she could think of
nothing else.
is there commandment that says, II
Ihou shalt not deceive" she won
Tered. She didn't believe there was. Il
ut L sounded like onA-