The circle banner., 1915-01-29

ringing in his ears as he sang, as h
sang, and an overflow Of tears as h'
sang. And then he ran away from
school that afternoon, and sang Cap
tain Kidd, from A to lizard, in thu
full hearing OF the Industrial Hive
to the very evident amusen-en ent oi
''the workers." and the discontinue o.
the ruler of "the swarm"
The teacher called on the good min
lister that evening, and after long
talk on the back porch, left late in
the dusk, wiping his eyes with one
hand, and shaking the other very
warmly with the preacher. And Tod
slipped noiselessly along the roof
above them, and slipped uown the
other side and watched the teacher q
departure with puzzled face.
Tod was at school next morning
long before the call of Books" in
fact, SO early, that he availed himself
Of his isolated situation to chalk the
handle Of the teachers pointer, to
bore a gimlet hole in the water buck
ct, to slip chip under one corner
Of the clock In order to tilt it out Of
balance and time, and in many more
ingenious ways to contribute to the
coming troubles of the day. The most
audacious act, however, was to climb
above the teachers desk and paste
a paper scrap over letter 80" in the
motto, "Be Good" that had offered
him its vain advice for years. AS one
by one these depredations met the
teachers notice through the day, the
culprit braced himself for some dis
astrous issue, but his only punishment
was the assured glance the teacher
always gave him, and the settled yet
forbearing look of pain upon his face.
In sheer daring Tod laughed aloud
a hollow, hungry laugh that had no
mirth in it-but as suddenly subsided
in a close investigation OF problem
in mental arithmetic, when the teach
er backed slowly toward his desk
and stood covertly awaiting further
developments. But Tod was left again
to his own inclinations, after having,
with brazen air of innocence, so
licited and gained the masters assist
ance in the solution Of very knotty
problem, which it is needless to say
he knew no more Of than before.
Throughout the remainder of the day
Tod was thoughtful, and was evident
ly evolving in. his mind problem
far more serious than could be found
in books. OF his own accord, that
evening at the close Of school, he
stayed in for some mysterious reason
that even his deskmate could not COM
prehend. When, an hour later, this
latter worthy from the old barn op-
posite, watched Tod and the teacher
hand in hand come slowly down the
walk, he whispered TO himself with
oated breath: whats the durn fool
lp to, anyhow"
From that time Tod grew to be a
leeper mystery than he could fathom,
nasmuch as some strange spirit of in
lustry fell upon him, and he became
| student.
Though a perverse fate had SEEM
ngly decreed that Tod should remain |
. failure in all branches wherein most |
choolboys readily succeed, he rapidly
.dvanced in reading; and in the de-
lamatory art he soon acquired a fame
hat placed him high above the reach
# competitors.
Tod never cried when he got up to
speak" Tod never blanched, looked
il1v ond b,,De dawn 57io boa1 Tod
ever mumbled in an undertone, was
ever at a loss to use his hands, nor
yer had "his piece" so poorly men,
rized that he must hesitate with
repetitions, to sit down at
asst in wordless misery among the
and derisive plaudits of the
chool. Tod, in a word, knew no such
Tord as fail when his turn was called
} entertain his hearers either with
he gallant story of the youthful Gas
"The Speech of Logan" or
Catiline's Defiance" Let a pupil be
i training for the old-time exercises
Friday afternoon, and he was told
, speak out clear and full-not hang
Is head-not let his arms hang down
ke empty sleeves-but to stand up
ke a king, look everybody in the
.ce, as though he were doing some
ing to be proud of-in short, to
Ike Tod for his model and Speak out
xe a mani"
When Tod failed to make his ap-
with his usual promptness
le Friday afternoon, and the last day
the term, there was evidence of
neral disappointment Tod was to
liver an Grafton written especially
+ that occasion by the teacher The
sitors were all there-the school I
mmittee, and the minister, Tod's
her, who occupied Tods desk alone n
len Books" was called. The teach +
with his pallids care-worn face, tip s
I'd up and down the aisles, bending q
,asionally to ask whispered ques- II
n, and to let the look of anxious o
nder deepen on his face as the re-
sctful pupils shook their heads in h
snt response But upon whis- a
ed colloquy with the minister, his a,
% frightened, as he learned that h,
ID was practicing his Grafton in the Sc
- I. tho