Part 5 (1/2)
The visitors were given the highest seat of honor, and as soon as Mr
Walters' speech was finished, he introduced theious personage--no less a one than the county judge--altogether the ust creation these children had ever looked upon--and they wondered what kind of material he was made of--and they half wanted to hear hiht, too He was from Constantinople, twelve miles away--so he had travelled, and seen the world--these very eyes had looked upon the county court-house--which was said to have a tin roof The ahich these reflections inspired was attested by the i eyes This was the great Judge Thatcher, brother of their oyer Jeff Thatcher ireat man and be envied by the school It would have been s:
”Look at hi to shake hands with his, don't you wish you was Jeff?”
Mr Walters fell to ”showing off,” with all sorts of official bustlings and activities, giving orders, delivering judg directions here, there, everywhere that he could find a target The librarian ”showed off”--running hither and thither with his ar a deal of the splutter and fuss that insect authority delights in The young lady teachers ”showed off”--bending sweetly over pupils that were lately being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boys and patting good ones lovingly The young gentles and other little displays of authority and fine attention to discipline--and most of the teachers, of both sexes, found business up at the library, by the pulpit; and it was business that frequently had to be done over again two or three tiirls ”showed off” in various ways, and the little boys ”showed off” with such diligence that the air was thick with paper wads and the reat man sat and beamed a majestic judicial smile upon all the house, and warrandeur--for he was ”showing off,” too
There was only one thing wanting to make Mr Walters' ecstasy complete, and that was a chance to deliver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy
Several pupils had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough--he had been around aiven worlds, now, to have that Gerain with a sound mind
And now at this moment, when hope was dead, Tom Sawyer came forith nine yellow tickets, nine red tickets, and ten blue ones, and demanded a Bible This was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky Walters was not expecting an application fro around it--here were the certified checks, and they were good for their face Toe and the other elect, and the great neas announced fro surprise of the decade, and so profound was the sensation that it lifted the new hero up to the judicial one's altitude, and the school had two aze upon in place of one The boys were all eaten up with envy--but those that suffered the bitterest pangs were those who perceived too late that they the tickets to To privileges
These despised theuileful snake in the grass
The prize was delivered to Tom with as much effusion as the superintendent could pump up under the circuush, for the poor fellow's instinct taught him that there was a ht, perhaps; it was simply preposterous that this boy had warehoused two thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozen would strain his capacity, without a doubt
Alad, and she tried to make Tom see it in her face--but he wouldn't look She wondered; then she was just a grain troubled; next a diain; she watched; a furtive glance told her worlds--and then her heart broke, and she was jealous, and angry, and the tears caht)
Toue was tied, his breath would hardly coreatness of the man, but mainly because he was her parent He would have liked to fall down and worshi+p hie put his hand on Tom's head and called him a fine little asped, and got it out:
”Tom”
”Oh, no, not Toht there was more to it, maybe That's very well
But you've another one I daresay, and you'll tell it to entleman your other naet your manners”
”Thoood boy Fine boy Fine, reat reat many And you never can be sorry for the trouble you took to learn the there is in the world; it's what ood man yourself, some day, Tho to the precious Sunday-school privileges of ht ood superintendent, who encouraged ave ant Bible--to keep and have it all forup! That is what you will say, Thomas--and you wouldn't take any money for those two thousand verses--no indeed you wouldn't And now you wouldn't s you've learned--no, I know you wouldn't--for we are proud of little boys that learn Now, no doubt you know the names of all the twelve disciples Won't you tell us the naing at a button-hole and looking sheepish He blushed, now, and his eyes fell Mr Walters' heart sank within him He said to himself, it is not possible that the boy can answer the sie ask hied to speak up and say:
”Answer the gentle fire
”Now I know you'll tell me,” said the lady ”The names of the first two disciples were--”
”_David And Goliah!_”