Smyrna times., 1924-10-08
Disciplined
by Their New
Schoolmaster
By }. B. AYRES


$50 you're the new schOOlmaster of |
-Four OOrnersT' he said. Yes, 1 guess
1 can board you. l boarded the last
three schOolmasters. My terms is
twenty dollars a month, payable in
advance"
"Why in advanceP" inquired Mr..
Pendleton quietly.
Because you won't last a month";"
answered Silas Prettyman. None of
'em does"
In spite Of his anticipations, Mr..
PendletOn's heart sank as he took his
place at the desk.
The school consisted Of boys and
girls of all ages, from Jim Smith. a
husky youth Of some twenty years,
who was still struggling over the mys-
teries of long division, and Miss Susie
COnnor, a farmers daughter, who at
tended principally to be a sort of ma
trOn to the little ones, down to the
staid little ones of seven and eight
years.
1t was after school on that day that
Smith came insOlently up to Pendle-
ton.
Say, you're the One-lunger, amt
your" he asked. 1--WE don't want to
be hard on feller what's only got one
lung. So I'm going to make things
easy for you, If you act right. Under
stand2"
Before PendletOn had recovered
from his surprise, Smith had slOuched
away, leaving the young man gasping
at his pupils audacity.
"No corp'ral punishment" was the
slogan in Four Corners, which prided
itself on being an enlightened cOmmu-
nifty. But, even If such a method of
discipline had been permitted, how
would II have been enforced7
The question was prompted by the
pandemonium that followed upon Mr..
Pendleton's resOlute rejection Of Jim
Smiths proposition.
! Smith lOunged insOlently in his seat !;
Smith talked with his neighbOrs and
contemptuOusly refused to recite his
lessons.
II told yer what it would be II you
didn't do as I said," he explained to
Mr. Pendleton, when the schOOlmaster
demonstrated with him privately. Get
out Of the school? Say, yer crazy.
Whatd l get out for when I'm having
the time of my life here2"
There was one thing that kept the
schoOlmaster to his work. That was
Susie COnnOr. A strong attachment
had begun to dawn between the young
man and the pretty country lass.
"If 1 were you, Horace" she said
one day-they had begun unconscious
ly to call each other by their first
names-"I would try to make a real
school here"
On the next day Smith cast aside
all pretense at discipline. His re-
marks-made In class-were brief and
pointed.
You're sweet on her." he said. In
dlcating the girl, whose face was man
tied with red, "She's my gal, Mr.
SchoOlmaster - understand? And
won't have any miserable, measly in
terloper coming here fOoling rOunt
Susie"
Mr.. Pendleton had been aware thai
Smith had a calf-like attachment foi
the girl, but it had never occurred t
him to take him seriously.
He looked up hopelessly, and HI
saw a strange look in Susie's eyes. H.
could not help interpreting 1t Alright
It said: Are you man rrO9Sa 10 pre-
vent my being insulted and to stant
up for me?"
"Mean that, Smith," asked Mr.. Pen
dleton, leaving his desk and crOssin
the floor.
Smith leaped at him with a below
"Ah, surel" he mimicked "YOu'v
had your day, Mr.. SchOolmaster, an
now you can git, because this schOC
won't open any more so long as your
in this town, you snivelling hound"
smith" said Horace Pendletor
''you are a bad boy and you have tn
makings Of a bad man in you. Do 20
see that switch in the corner? G
and bring 1t to me-"
The lOut stared at him increduloui
"; then, with swinging arms, h
rushed at him. Next moment,
found himself lying on the floor.
The schoOlmaster yanked him frOl
the floor and grasped him with on
hand by the collar And Smith creI
to the corner-then, with wild ye
threatening vengeance, he had bur
out Of the door and was running in tF
direction of his home
"This will mean gOod-by, Susie
said the young schOolmaster, after II
wide-eyed, respectful class had bee
dismissed.
But when he reached his home Silt
: Prettyman was waiting for him wit
a hearty handclasp.
81 wouldn't ha' believed Il Of you
he exclaimed. "Why. it's all over Il
town and everybOdy's saying as no
J we can begin to have a real schOC
-whippersnapper Let n