The Black Forge Mills : $b or, Up the King's highway
John Stuart Mill · en
He refrained, however, for some time, from doing anything that would
call special attention to the perpetrator, and contented himself by
creating those little annoyances liable to occur in every school.
Ray's books were mislaid, his pens and paper mysteriously disappeared,
examples were erased from his slate, and a dozen other things, equally
annoying, happened to hinder him in his work. Ray suspected at the
outset who was guilty of these things, but he manifested no difference
from first to last in his courtesy toward Edward. Nor could these
things be entirely concealed from the other members of the class, and
they, too, suspected the perpetrator, while they all wondered that Ray
bore the annoyances so patiently, and evinced no desire for retaliation.
So matters went on for a number of weeks, and then another marked
evidence of Edward Lawton's spite occurred. Mr. Greenough had, with
this term, adopted a new custom. On each Friday the senior class
reviewed the studies of the week. One Friday morning after the school
had begun, Mr. Greenough called the attention of the algebra class
to certain examples he had placed upon the blackboard, requesting
that each member of the class perform them, and, copying them neatly
on paper, hand them in to him when they came up to recite in the
afternoon.
"These examples merely illustrate principles we have studied this week,
and I shall expect each one of you to hand them to me," he said. "If
you have not performed them when the class comes up for recitation, you
must remain after school until they are completed."
Before noon Ray had worked the examples, and copying them upon paper,
he folded them neatly, and laid them in his algebra. In the afternoon
when the class was called, he found they were no longer in his book. He
turned over his books hurriedly, but could not find them, and then came
forward to his class with a look of embarrassment upon his face. When
Mr. Greenough asked for his paper, he said:
"I worked the examples this forenoon, Mr. Greenough, and placed them in
my algebra, but I cannot find them now. Possibly I have mislaid them.
May I return to my desk and see?"
A look of annoyance passed over Mr. Greenough's face, but he gave the
desired consent. Ray returned to his seat, looked thoroughly on and
within his desk, opened every book, and then, with chagrin clearly
depicted in his countenance, returned to the class.
"I cannot find them," he said; "but I certainly performed them."