Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-28
EIGHTH CHAPTER.
II ROM that day the doctors DO,
considered that I belonged t,

considered that I belonged tc
him, but not until I was sent
to school, with my cousin and her
stepsister, did he feel called upon tc
claim his property.
1t was a mixed day. school In the
village, and It was controlled by q
board which had the village butcher
as its chairman. The only teache,
was tall woman of 80, who plated
her hair, which was of the color OF
flax, into ridiculous looking crown
on the top of her head But her ex-
preston, I remember, was one OF
perpetual severity, and when she
| spoke through her thin lips she
clipped her words with great rapidity
as if they had been rolls of bread
which were being chopped in a char
| ity school
Afterward l heard that she owed
her position to Aunt Bridget, who
had exercised her influence through
| the chairman, by means of his lc-
count with the Big House. PERHAPS
she thought 1t her duty to display her
gratitude. Certainly she lost no time
in showing me that my character had
| gone to school before me, for in order
that might be directly under her eve
| she placed me in the last seat in the
| lowest class. although my mother
daily teaching would have entitled me
to go higher.
/ dare say 1 was, as Father Dan
| used to say, as full of mischief as a
goat, and l know l was a chatter
| box. but do not think l deserved the
fate that followed.
One day, not more than a week aft =
er we had been sent to school, / held
my slate in front of my face while /
whispered something to the girl be-
side and the girl behind me. Both
began to litter.
"Silence!" cried the schoolmistress
who was sitting at her desk, but l
went on whispering and the girls be-
gan to choke with laughter.
| think the schoolmistress must
have thought / was saying something
about herself-making game, perhaps,
of her personal appearance-for after
moment she said, in her rapid ac-
cents:
Mary o'Neill. please repeat what
you have just been saying"
| held my slate yet closer to nv
Don't you hear, miss? Speak!
You've tongue in your head, havea'I
your"
But still l did not answer, and then
the schoolmistress said:
Mary O'Neill, come forward"
She had commanded me like a dog
| and like a dog l was about to obey
when caught sight of Betsy Beauty :,
| face, which, beaming with satisfac.
| ton, seemed to be saying: Now, We
shall see"
I would not stir after that, anc
the schoolmistress. leaving her desk
came toward me, and, looking dark,
into my face. said:
You willful little vixen, do W,
| think you can trif1e with me? Come
out, miss, this very moment"
| | knew where that language came
from, so ! made no movement.
| Don't you hear? Or do you SUP.
pose that because you are pamperet
and spoiled by a foolish person al
home you can defy me?"
That reflection on my mother set.
tied everything. l sat as rigid as a
rock
| Then pale as a whitewashed wall
and with her thin lips tightly com
| pressed, the schoolmistress took hold
OF me TO drag me out of my seat, but
| with my little nervous fingers / cluna
to the desk in front of me, and AZ
| often as she tore one of my hand.
open the other fixed itself afresh.
You mink! Well see who's mis-.