rs by signs, for munching apples or gingerbread, and for
passing little notes between the boys and girls.

When the school had settled a little, the master struck a sharp blow on
his desk for silence, and looked fiercely around the room, eager to find
a culprit on whom to wreak his ill-humor. Mr. Ball was one of those
old-fashioned teachers who gave the impression that he would rather beat
a boy than not, and would even like to eat one, if he could find a good
excuse. His eye lit upon the new scholar.

"Come here," he said, severely, and then he took his seat.

The new boy walked timidly up to a place in front of the master's desk.
He was not handsome, his face was thin, his eyebrows were prominent, his
mouth was rather large and good-humored, and there was that shy twinkle
about the corners of his eyes which always marks a fun-loving spirit.
But his was a serious, fine-grained face, with marks of suffering in it,
and he had the air of having been once a strong fellow; of late,
evidently, shaken to pieces by the ague.

"Where do you live?" demanded Mr. Ball.

"On Ferry Street."

"What do they call you?" This was said with a contemptuous, rasping
inflection that irritated the new scholar. His eyes twinkled, partly
with annoyance and partly with mischief.

"They _call_ me Jack, for the most part,"--then catching the titter that
came from the girls' side of the room, and frightened by the rising
hurricane on the master's face, he added quickly: "My name is John
Dudley, sir."

"Don't you try to show your smartness on me, young man. You are a
new-comer, and I let you off this time. Answer me that way again, and
you will remember it as long as you live." And the master glared at him
like a savage bull about to toss somebody over a fence.

The new boy turned pale, and dropped his head.

"How old are you?" "Thirteen."

"Have you ever been to school?"

"Three months."

"Three months. Do you know how to read?"

"Yes, sir," with a smile.

"Can you cipher?" "Yes, sir."

"In multiplication?" "Yes, sir."

"Long division?"

"Yes, sir; I've been half through fractions."

"You said you'd been to school but three months!" "My father taught
me."

There was just a touch of pride in his voice as he said this--a sense of
something superior about his father. This bit of pride angered the
master, who liked to be thought to have a monopoly of all the knowledge
in the town.

"Where have you been living?"

"In the I