Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-03
When Billy w as
ardy

This is the story of the way nail
in the fence of Billy Aliens garden
kept the fourth-grade room in the Lin
coin school from winning the beautiful
flag that the teacher and pupils had
set their hearts on. IT really was not
the fault of the nail, as you shall see.
for the nail had its own work to do,
and would rather have been doing it
than making trouble for the fourth
grade room
The story of that nail goes back to
last summer, when Billy was helping
his father fasten some boards that had
worked loose in the garden fence.
II can drive nails, father: let me
hammer some of Them" he begged.
His father handed him the hammer,
and Billy did very we'll indeed-for
time; but after he had driven three or
four nails he suddenly tired of his task
and dropped the hammer to chase a
butterfly that was lowering near. 1t
had left one nail driven only halfway
half-driven nail when he picked up the
That was last summer, as / said be-
lOIc. OluCe SCuOOl DCGdA IACIC AoVS
been weekly contests between the
rooms of the Lincoln school, which
Billy attends, for beautiful silk Amer
lean flag. The room that does not have
a single tardy mark for the week holds
the flag for the following week. Some
weeks no room earns the flag, and
then it remains locked up in closet.
Billy's ROOM the fourh-grade room,
has not yet had the flag once; but
there was one week when 1t looked as
If that room were surely going to win.
When Friday came it was the only
room in the big building that had no
tardy marks.
Billy lives very near the school
house, and he had not been late all
the term 1t was no fault of his that
the room had not won the flag long
before. OF course he would not be
the one to fail it now!
But on that Friday morning he slept
a little later than usual When he
dressed, the buttons would not stay
buttoned and there seemed to be more
of them than usual Then he wanted
an extra slice of toast, and had to
wait while his mother prepared it. BY
the time he was ready to start it lack
ed only four minutes Of nine.
Lots of time!" he cried, when he
kissed his mother and put on his cap.
"I'll go through the garden. Its a short
cut"
Billy ran down the garden walk and
clambered to the top of the fence. The
school yard lay just beyond. The pu-
pills were watching, and they clapped
their hands when they saw Billy COM
ing. But Billy did not Jump off the
fence He sat there and acted as II
he were trying to take something ont
of his pocket Of his trousers. His moth
er ran to the door.
Billy, do hurry" she urged. "1ts
almost nine!"
Then the teacher of Billy's room
came to the window and called sharp
ly:-
William Allen, do not sit on that
fence an instant longer! The last bell
will ring in a minute and you will be
tardy!"
Still Billy sat on the fence, although
it was plain now that he was trying to
climb down. His mother saw that
something was wrong, and ran down
the garden path. Bill began to strug
gle harder. There was sound OF
tearing, and Billy fell to the ground
with big hole in his trousers. Just
then the bell rang Billy's room had
lost the flag.
1T was an old NALL" complained
Billy, crying bitterly, as he climbed
back over the fence and walked to the
house to have his trousers mended be.
fore he went to school. ut had no
business there, anyway"
| But later when he and his father
talked it over, he remembered about
the nail that he had left half driven;
and that the lesson that Billy has
learned is one that he Is not likely ia
| forgot.-Blanche Stuart.