The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-07-24

10 MIN. TIC went TlSHtO on SeLtlnS lDnSS
right as far as he could and then TAX
ing the consequences. He saw the
futility of his efforts and sometimes
clenched his sturdy fists and thought
of the future when he should be able
to lick those unfair teachers who
couldn't see hat they were letting
some fellows go scot free who were
more to blame han the ones Who were
punished. Some day he would be big
ger h a they, n then he would back
up his protests with a strength that
could not be g%ainsaid. And SO he
went on figb ing DULLES who were big
ger than himself and who did not hest
tate to put the whole story in a good
light for themselves; and taking the
consequences in such q way that when
he left a school h principal had be-
meath his open relief a troubled I'M
dertone of smallness, and of feeling
that. after all, tho boy had got the
better of him. for there had been the
look of a conqueror in Jasper's eyes
as he parted from him at the station.
Somehow he got himself through,
with his preparatory studies and was
allowed to pass On. 1t surely was not
from any great scholastic attachments,
for he never bothered himself to learn
lessons that he did not care for, nor to
recite them after he had learned them,
and examinations meant nothing at all
to him. If he chose to take one he did
so, and then spoiled the whole paper
by some erratic TRADE Of his own on
some special question; or else took the
whole thing as a joke. If he did not
choose to take an examination he
calmly sat through the allotted time
intent upon his own thoughts and
htanded In no paper at the close. His
teachers raved and ranted. They pun
ished and they threatened. But Jasper
went calmly on and did as he pleased;
and strange to say in all that c~heckered
career there were but two teachers who
understood the soul with whom they
had to deal, and could lead him like
a lamb by amere smile or word to do
he hardest tasks. For those two he
shaved, not because he saw any reason
in their demands always, but because
he desired to please them, for they had
proved themselves what he called
square"
Nevertheless he had acquired through
1t all a most marvellous and varied
amount Of knowledge. Nothing scaped
him. He never forgot anything he
heard, and the classes through which
he had sat, pe%rpetrating many of his
jokes Upon the teachers, a all Left
their mprcss upon him. What he had
heard the other students reclte, that he
knew. If you began to quote a line
Of poetry which had been studied In
English class he would promptly fin
ish it and, when he chose. tel you
much about the author. His teachers
would have been amazed If they could
have heard him. And often when a
other fellow o a hiph rank n the
class in mathematics it had been Jas
per who had showed him how to work
his problems-problems that he had
not taken the trouble to work out for
himself.
.rENhy should I2s e@enc ansuyered a
troublesome principal who was admon-
fishing him about preparing his lessons,
u get what I need out CT them, and
that's all that's necessary. isn't it? It's
my education. isn't it?? My teacher
isn't getting any good out OF my writ
ing out al. that Junk, is he? 1t isn't do
ing him any good, why should l take
the trouble? I"
And this was his hopeless attitude
whenever he had to deal with teachers
whom he id moi reverence.
In college he was mach the same,
only that II did not matter there SO
much. There were more men and he
was less under authority. 1t was ex-
pected that he should nave some indie
p~endence, Yet ven he was miaei up
in a great many OF the troubles. Fin
ally, in in his third year. his college
career came to a sudden and final end
was not his own. but which he took
upon his own sturdy shoulders 10 save
another youth who had a widowed
' nnthe.~ acpeaacnt upon him. and mus
i sc. ~ough college before he oeald
support her. Whether or not his action
was justified BY the following chapters
OF that weak and careless youths life Ii
mot part OF this story to tell. II
may be that Jasper himself learned
sons lessons by the disgrace he took
upon himself and the lightness with
which the real criminal accepted his
sacrifice. However that may be, Jas
per's mother, by that time an attrartiv,
widow. was so thoroughly outraged b,