his big brown eyes, said,
clearly:

"No, sir. I meeched."

Quite taken aback by this frank confession, Mr. Garrison paused a
moment, and then, turning to Frank, asked:

"And how about you, sir?"

Without lifting his head, Frank muttered, "I meeched, too," in tones
audible only to his questioner.

So pleased was Mr. Garrison with Bert's honesty, that he would have been
glad to let him off with a reprimand; but the interests of good
discipline demanded sterner measures. Accordingly, he called to one of
his monitors:

"Munro, will you please go over to the Acadian School and get the
strap?"

For be it known that Mr. Garrison shared the ownership of a strap with
his brother, who taught a school in an adjoining block, and had to send
for it when a boy was to be punished.

While Munro was gone, Bert and Frank stood before the desk, both feeling
deeply their position, and dreading what was yet to come. When Munro
returned, bearing the strap--a business-like looking affair, about two
feet in length--Mr. Garrison laid it on the desk, and seemed very
reluctant to put it in use. At length, overcoming his disinclination, he
rose to his feet, and, taking it up, said:

"Cuthbert Lloyd, come forward!"

Bert, his head drooping upon his breast, and his face flushed and pale
by turns, moved slowly forward. Grasping the strap, Mr. Garrison raised
it to bring it down upon Bert's outstretched hand, when suddenly a
thought struck him that brought a look of immense relief to his
countenance, and he arrested the movement. Turning to the boys, who were
watching him with wondering eyes, he said:

"Boys, I ask for your judgment. If Bert and Frank say, before you all,
that they are sorry for what they have done, and will promise never to
do it again, may I not relieve them of the whipping?"

A hearty and unanimous chorus of "Yes, sir," "Yes, sir," came from the
school at once.

"Now, my lads, do you hear that?" continued Mr. Garrison in a kindly
tone, turning to the two offenders. "Will you not say you are sorry, and
will never meech again."

"I am sorry, and promise never to do so again," said Bert, in a clear
distinct voice, as the tears gathered in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, and won't do it again," echoed Frank, in a lower tone.

"That's right, boys," said Mr. Garrison, his face full of pleasure. "I
am sure you mean every word of it. Go to your seats now, and we will
resume work."

It took the school some little time to sett