A geographical class was equally interesting. "How many counties has

Pennsylvania?" sent five persons to their seats before it was answered

correctly. Others succeeded in locating such queer names as

Popocatepetl, Martinique, Ashtabula, Rhodesia, Orkney, Comanche.

A little later the last spelling class was held. It was open to

everybody. The line was already stretched across the schoolroom when

Lyman Mertzheimer, home for a few days of vacation, entered the

schoolhouse.

"Oh, dear," thought Amanda, "what does he want here? I'd rather do

without his fifteen cents! He expects to make a show and win the prize

from every one else."

Lyman, indeed, swaggered down the room and entered the line, bearing

the old air of superiority. "I'll show them how to spell," he thought

as he took his place. Spelling had been his strong forte in the old

days of school, and it was soon evident that he retained his former

ability. The letters of the most confusing words fell from his lips as

though the very pages of the spelling-book were engraved upon his

brain. He held his place until the contest had ruled out all but two

beside himself. Then he looked smilingly at Amanda and reared his head

in new dignity and determination.

"Stelliform, the shape of a star," submitted the teacher. The word fell

to Lyman. He was visibly hesitant. Was it stelli or stella?

Bringing his knowledge of Latin into service, he was inclined to think

it was stella. He began, "S-t-e-l-l--"

He looked uncertainly at one of his friends who was seated in the front

seat. He, also, was a champion speller.

"Oh, if Joe would only help me!" thought the speller.

As if telepathy were possible, Joe raised the forefinger of his left

hand to his eye, looked at Lyman with a meaning glance that told him

what he craved to know.

"Iform," finished Lyman in sure tones.

"Correct."

"That was clever of Joe," thought the cheat as the teacher gave out a

word to one of the three contestants. "I just caught his sign in time.

Nobody noticed it."

But he reckoned without the observant teacher of Crow Hill school.

Amanda, seated in the front of the room and placed so she half faced

the audience and with one little turn of her head could view the

spellers, had seen the cheating process and understood its

significance. The same trick had been attempted by some of her pupils

several times during the monthly spelling tests she held for the

training of her classes.

"The cheat! The big cheat!" she thought, her face flushing with anger.

"How I hope he falls down on the next word he gets!"

However, the punishment he deserved was not meted out to him. Lyman

Mertzheimer outspelled his opponents and stood alone on the platform, a

smiling victor.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024