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

T. ROM that day the doctors boy
considered that I belonged to
him, but not until I was sent
to school, with my cousin and her
stepsister, did he feel called upon TO
claim his property.
1t was a mixed day-school in the
village, and it was controlled by a
board which had the village butcher
as its chairman. The only teacher
was tall woman of 80. who plated
her hair, which was of the color of
flax, into a ridiculous looking crown
on the top of her head. But her ex-
preston, 1 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
9AAN NAACu5AAS At liNi outg " uISpldy HbT
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 eye,
she placed me in the last seat in the
lowest class, although my mothers
daily teaching would have entitled me
to go higher.
l dare say l was, as Father Dan
used to say, as full of mischief as
goat, and | know ! was a chatter
box, but l do not think l deserved the
fate that followed,
One day, not more than week aft
er we had been sent to school, | held
my slate in front of my face while l
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 |
went on whispering and the girls be-
gan to choke with laughter.
l think the schoolmistress must
nave 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'Neir, please repeat what
you have just been saying
| held my slate yet closer to my
face and made no answer.
Don't you hear, miss? Speak!
You've tongue in your head, havel't
you?"
But still | did not answer. and then
the schoolmistress said:
Mary 0'Neill, come forward"
She had commanded me like dog
| and like dog l was about to obey
when caught sight of Betsy Beauty's
face. which, beaming with satisfac-
| ton, seemed to be saying: Now, we
shall see"
| would not stir after that, and
| the schoolmistress, leaving her desk.
came toward me, and, looking darkly
into my face. said:
You willful little vixen, do YOU
| think you can trifle 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 pampered
and spoiled by a foolish person at
| 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 cut of my seat, but
with my little nervous fingers | chung
to the desk in front of me. and as
| often as she tore one of my hands
open the other fixed itself afresh
! You mink! Wen see who's mis-