At length Roland began to realize that this teacher was not a vindictive creature, wreaking her spite upon him for harmlessly amusing himself and other people, but one who was interested in him, Roland Smith, and really cared what he did and thought. And, though she had queer ways of looking at things, he really hated to disappoint her and she could make him feel most awfully uncomfortable and ashamed of himself. [Sidenote: Paper Wads] Miss Downer’s final test came when Roland was discovered throwing paper wads at a boy across the room. Miss Downer felt very much inclined to thrash him soundly, for this was a case of wanton naughtiness. But she did not. Instead she merely talked to him as she had talked before, bringing in a little more of the personal element. “Roland, what if your brother kicked you every time you were almost asleep at night, or joggled your elbow every time you started to take a mouthful at the table, or pulled the chair out from under you when you started to sit down? It would be funny at first, wouldn’t it, but how long do you suppose you and your brother could keep on playing together as good friends if he kept it up?” Roland shook his head, mystified. “That’s just what you’re doing to me. You told me you wanted to learn and get on in the world, and the rest of these children do, too—they don’t want to be stupid when they’re grown up. But we can’t learn very fast with some one hindering us all the time, and I was counting on your help.” Miss Downer spoke very kindly and earnestly, and looked directly at Roland. “I wasn’t goin’ to throw them paper wads, honest I wasn’t, Miss Downer. But before I knowed it, they was thrown,” and Roland did look truly sorry. Miss Downer’s impulse was to punish him, not to forgive him again, but if he really were sorry and trying to do better, a whipping would spoil all the good work she had accomplished so far. “Are you sorry, Roland?” her voice was low and serious. There was a long pause, during which Roland fingered a scrap of paper nervously, not looking up. Then his lip began to quiver and he nodded violently, breaking into sobs. “I—I d-didn’t mean to and I won’t do it no more, honest.” Roland, whose boast was that “nary whipping” had ever made him cry, was penitent because he had disappointed her who had been kind to him. CASE 87 (HIGH SCHOOL) [Sidenote: Laughing at Nothing] Hen. Rutgers couldn’t help having plenty of fun. If no one made it for him he took a turn and produced it himself. He could have plenty and not laugh. Then he could laugh like the falling water on a cataract when there was very little fun in sight. Hen. laughed. He laughed out loud. Miss Gresham went speedily to his desk, looked him straight in the face, and said: “Henry, why did you laugh just now?” Hen. lifted his head slowly and just as slowly rolled his eyes over until he looked her squarely in the eyes. With their glances mutually fixed Henry said very deliberately: