The Parker post., 1914-03-28
BOUT DAS NOON
!Sidore Wanted to Know What
Makes the Moon Come
Up.
BY r. n. LANCASTER.

Isidore sat on the front steps smok-
Ing twilight cigarettes in thoughtful
sequence. The moon was rising and
he looked at her as he smoked, but he
was not thinking of the moon. He was
thinking of Isabelle, the beauty of the
school and the head of his class. Be-
fore school opened he and Isabelle had
been good friends, but since they had
come to sit together in the same class
marked Indifference. Why? Because
she had found out that she was smart
er than he was?
Monsieur's hearty voice broke into
the uncomfortable conclusion, saying
jovially:
"Ha, Isidore! What das you t'ink
bout so hard?"
Il was ting bout das moon," Isl
dore told him promptly. What 'tis
make her come up, hap
Madame spoke up gently: VOLTA
Dare. Why you don't ask teacher
das?" -
IsidOre paused. Teacher was
young woman with a long nose and
glasses that glittered. Truly not a
person to be questioned lightly. And
to do it with Isabelle looking on dis
daining his ignorance-mais arretez
Maybe 'tis Isabelle don't know why
'tis moon come up!'
And if Isabelle did not know, and if
he could find out, and then spring the
knowledge on her-But yes! 1t would
be worth working for. VOLTA. AS the
possibilities of the situation became
clear to him, Isidore realized that it
would be worth waylaying teacher for
So it chanced that as the teacher
was walking home from school next
day she saw one of her tall boys com
ing toward her with a determination
in his stride.
Il can ask you something, if you
please. and you won't tell anybody
what 'tis | ask your
What is it you wish to ask?"
teacher almost stammered
What tits made .das moon come
up?'
Moon! Oh, yes, moon. What is it
that makes the moon come up? Oh,
yes! I understand. II think that
can explain that. Let's see She
cast about for substitute for solar
system" and Isidore watched her
anxiously. Suppose teacher didn't
know!"
Wait" she said, Il have it,"
She took her watch from her belt
and her ring from her finger
Now you know, Isidore,. the earth
Is bigger than the. moon"
"Mais oui, l know dias" Isidore
fastened to assure her
We'll! Then we will call this
watch the earth and this ring the
moon-and here Is the way the moon
goes around the earth Comes up this
way-goes over this way-goes down
this Way-goes round under this other
side-comes up again. When you are
on the watch here you would see the
moon coming up"
! "C'est bon. Just like steer come up
hill. First you see his horns, den you
see his legs-Mais, why tbs she don't
fall down when she's straight up yon-
der?"
But the teacher knew this also.
She goes too fast to fall she ex-
planned. smoothly Like when you
throw your ball over the school
house."
Just like das! Mais oui Now tbs
know. And, me, I'm glad know
das. Je vous remercie'
He was glad and grateful-and tri-
umphant. did not seem at all prob
bable that Isabelle possessed such
knowledge 1sidore watched the teach
er readjust her belongings with re-
spect, and when the ring slipped and
fell he stopped with eager gallantry
and returned it to her with something
warmer than respect. Teachers nose,
he thought did not look so long, nor
her glasses so shiny. And he was
ready for Mademoiselle Isabelle. Let
her snub him some more tomorrow
Eth bien, Isabelle did not snub him
on the morrow. She did not see him
With her head up and her lashes
down she could not see Isidore, even
when he stood right in front of her
But everybody else in the school could
see him. See him, yes, and smile at
his discontinue.
'Mais what tits l been do?" Isidore
pondered mo, amt been do noting
unless it is" and the thought made
him jump-"unless it's das teacher
tell"
Had teacher told? She boarded
with Isabelle's mamma. Had she told
Isabelle about the moon? Isidore
looked sharply at the suspected young
woman and he saw that her nose was
long-too long to be trusted-and that
there was cold glitter about her
glasses that held no promise to high
sense of honor. Teacher had told,
Mais VOLTA! How was he to know
Ask Isabelle! The answer jumped at
him from the pages of the sDelling