The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-08-26

Charlemagne the peace was shat
tered by q noise like hailstones,
falling about Carols desk. Someone.
she decided. had thrown handful
Of birdshot.
She stopped the discussion, and
silence dropped like wool over the
room. She sat for several seconds
studying the still faces before her,
and drew her own conclusions about
the culprit. ..tr .,
The blandest and most innocent
expression sat suspiciously on the
face Of a boy in the last row: Sam
Gates. He was one Of the jewellers
in Moronia, and worse still he was
an embryo criminal. He had not an
swered question in three weeks of
school. and his written work con-
sisted of verbatim copies Of what
he could see on the papers Of his
neighbors. She was convinced that
Sam had thrown the shot, but she
had to have confederation.
I'VE can't go on, I'm afraid, until
we find out where that came from"
Nothing but stiffness. She said
quietly:
probably the person who threw
It is too much of a coward to say
anything, so somebody will have to
speak for him."
Stiffness.
She tried again, conversationally.
Another one Of the delusions we've
all grown up with is the one about
being tattle-tale. If you saw man
robbing a store and had a chance
to identify him later on you'd do it
gladly, because the mans dangerous
to society.
1.-THE same thing holds true about
disturbers of the peace anywhere.
even in school. II the person who
threw that stuff hasn't got backbone
enough to admit it. we'll have to sit
here and hope somebody else has
nerve enough to do 1t for him."
Sam Gates looked sidewise. defy
ing his neighbors to say anything.
The bell for noon recess rang.
The class stirred restlessly, but
Carol shook her head. Sorry" she
said pleasantly, loathing herself. and
wondering If this was right or
wrong.
Three minutes crawled by like
years.
Suddenly someone spoke. A tiny.
frightened girl in the aisle next to
Sam.
miss Torrance, it was Sam
Gates"
you're a damn Hart"
The words splintered the stiffness
of the room. They echoed and re
echoed In an immense. frozen 81.
lence.
Carol stood up and spoke to Sam
Gates, and there was nothing in her
voice but an icy contempt.
Get out OF thi room. don't care
where you go. so long as you get
out and don't come back. If you still
hope to stay in school. go to Mr..
Halls Office and wait till get there.
II you prefer to go home and stay.
that suits us even better"
Sam Gates left with a swagger
that convinced no one. not even him.
self. When he had gone Carol smiled
at the frightened little girl.
CHE was trembling with fury as
- she walked to the principals of.
fee. To her surprise Sam Gates was
there. his closest eyes stony with
hate.
She nodded and glanced at Gates.
Get out Of here. and wait in the
hall"
Mr.. Halls eyes widened in sur.
prise. He hadn't thought her cap
able of such offhand, masculine con-
tempt.
She drew a deep breath. "It's
new one on me-" she said. managing
to smile. and told him the story.
Mr.. Hall sat polishing his nose in
wordless establishment. II never
heard of such a thing" he admitted
finally. What do you want me to
do?"
"Expel him. Not entirely because
Of that: the episode is a godsend as
far as I'm concerned" She disposed
Of Sans scholarship In a few terse
sentences.
Nothing is more expensive" she
pointed out, than this miserable
policy of giving everybody a chance.
One boy or girl like that can de-
moralize a whole class of decent
students. Why should he?"
"He shouldn't, Of course. But this
is public school. AS long as child
behaves we have to give him valu'
able desk room and hope he'll out
grow his indifference. But Of course
this offense is grave enough for
expulsion, If you think best"
81 do. Ask the other teachers II
he's ever answered @ question. ]
feel sure they'll say no. and cheer
his departure. He's not child; he's
nineteen or twenty years old. And ]
think he's an embryo criminal"
He summoned Sam.
you're expelled. Sam. Get your
books and get OUT .ss,<,
Copyright, 1886, By Marian SInlsI