The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-05


whose kindly guidance still continued
such young and tender teachers as
Miss Lucy. And it was often found
that after visit from this critic
teacher these same young and tender
teachers must perforce HE themselves
back to the school, there to study
year longer
He sits in your room," teacher
friend had shudderingly told Miss
Lucy, land you don't know what you
are saying and everything you take
hold of drops, and all the time he Just
sits there and writes down all your
mistakes and you stay at home for
week after because you are sick"
How silly!" exclaimed the superior
| Miss Lucy. 81 never get nervous. II
he comes in my room l shall merely
greet him with my ordinary manner
and go on with my usual work"
| From this calm announcement we
can easily imagine Miss Lucy advanc-
ing to meet the critic teacher with an
inefable condescension Instead of
, which she stood still and opened her
mouth several times vainly Then she
gurgled. The critic teacher. who in
reality was only painfully shy, wom-
an-fearlng young man, also gurgled
| He then extended cold and clammy
hand, which was met by one equally
cold and clammy. At this point a loud
whisper was heard from Sophie Bauer
schmidt who suspected Miss Lucy of
matrimonial designs upon every man
! from the janitor down. Its Miss
| Luzy's beau" she explained loudly
| Miss Lucy glared wildly at her and
the critic teacher. sinking weakly into
chair, opened his notebook Miss
Lucy turned to her class and for
moment smiled vaguely and appeal
| ingly at them with a dreadful shadow
OF her entertainment" smile Then
suppressing tendency to swallow all
the time, she began to direct the read
ing lesson in voice that reminded
her of Frederick William reciting
memory gem. AS for the critic teach
+, err still appalled, by the announcement
that he was Miss Lucy's beau, he sat
wretchedly on the ridge of Miss Lli-
cy's chair and wrote swiftly and con-
stantly in his book
| At last Frederick Williams turn
came to read. See kitty chump," said
| he. It was the first sentence in the
| primer and the only one he had ever
mastered. He rendered it upon all
occasions and it was always accepted
by Miss Lucy with an indulgent smile
| However, this time she shook her
head mo, dear" she said sweetly;
"try again"
See kitty chulnp," said Frederick
complacently.
| Then Miss Lucy came toward him
and bending over him pointed to the
first word.
| 1t was at this moment that the still
ness of the room was suddenly dis
| PEELED by a loud smack. This smack
sudden, loud and sharp--was followed
by breathless gasp from the class.
| Then sound of lamentation fell upon
the air.
Anna" said Miss Lucy, nstinc-
lively, come here. And YOU Sophie.
| also"
Anna came sullenly. Sophie tear
fully nursing very red cheek Miss
Lucy, standing between them. glanced
at the critic teacher. He had stopped
writing and. pen held in hand, was
evidently critically waiting the out
come of this breach of discipline.
Anna" began Miss Lucy. why
| did YOU strike SOphiep"
Il never done i'd" declared Anna.
| Sophie" said Miss Lucy. why did
| Anna strike you?"
Sophie, who was rather enjoying
herself, shifted violently "She took
my cent" she said "and | got 1t back
and then she hit me in the jaw and,
Miss Lucy. ! got the toothache." fin
ished this victim of Annals rapacity.
You're a liar" said Anna angrily,
land you waid dill ged you oudside
und I'll knock your block of" Then.
with sullen sob. lid was my cend
anyhow. Id wasnd even spid."
At this point Sophie. who loved an
audience, broke in. And she said
you put your hair up in cur-papers
at night and she said your petticoat
wasn't even silk and she said YOU
didn't have no holes in your stock
ings"
At these revelations Miss Lucy
gasped and. sitting down Historically
| upon desk. looked at the critic
teacher. Outraged and Mortified by
the idea that he, q young man of ex-
emplary habits, should be thus drawn
into discussion concerning feminine
hosiery the critic teacher had risen.
pale and with a wild look in his eyes.
For moment he and Miss Lucy. both
| stricken gurgleless. looked at each
other. Then Selling his hat he turned
and fastened without the portals of
the depraved and immoral Glass A
rs the door shut upon his scandalized
back Miss Lucy, CHANGING toward her
desk, caught sight of red copybook
| lying there open. All the beautiful
moral precepts that were the delight
of Glass \ quite forgot. she clutched
The copybook and feverishly turned
its pages. They were all blank.
What an awful old fake" she ex.
| claimed; worse than am" and
! then. to Bum OReilly. James, run
and take this to the gentleman that
was here Just now
Later. when the dismissal bell rang
and the children were departing. Miss
Lucy fastened Annals ragged pink
i faScinator over her head Then aS