Part 17 (1/2)

Even after starting school three rades and picked up four credits, which was nor, wrote some book reports, took tests on the work, and made three extra credits That ood strong student was allowed to take five subjects My record convinced the teachers that I could do even more than five So, with their help, we persuaded the superintendent to let me take seven subjects that second year B-plus was the lowest grade I et the superintendent to let me take all nine, but he refused I could have et his permission to let me try it

By the end of my second year I was 21 and had 14 credits I needed two ot my books, Papa told me he needed another truck driver and couldn't afford to hire one and keep me in school So I quit school and drove a truck for hiht of as a ”book-worm,” probably because I didn't spend all thatI lettered in football that second year I also took first place in the half- else Would you believe it: I've forgotten what the fourth event was Along with athletics, I also took first place in declamation

While I was a Freshman, I was assistant editor of our school paper which rated second in the state With all four grades coning ”Class pennant,” I wrote the song which won first place and designed the pennant that won first place

We had another contest to see which class could raise the most money to pay on the doctor bill for one of our football players We Freshmen won that contest

In my Junior year we had a contest to determine which class could publish the best edition of our school paper When it came our turn, we Juniors won first place and sold three times as many papers as any other class I also painted all the posters for advertising games, plays, and other school activities And then I placed them in store s all over town I was allowed to take a student with me on these poster ventures Only one requirerades And Iback from where I sit today, I can easily see how o with me

We Juniors put on a play which we presented in Hamlin and in other towns nearby We first put the play on in Haed adain a feeeks later at the same theatre and played to a full house Then we played it at the same place a third time by popular request The play went over so well in Hamlin, we decided to present it in other towns around I knoe played it in Rotan and I believe the other toas Anson The name of the play was ”Clarence,” and I played the title role You ton was the author

Naturally, all this publicity didn't hide me from public vieell known around the little town of 2,500 During that tirocery stores, tire shops, and welding shops, besides driving a truck now and then when I was needed

I painted all the posters for advertising the play which we put on in Hamlin and other towns around Usually four of us Juniors went to other towns to place the school hours, and only straight ”A” students could go

One day four of us were delivering posters to Rotan-two boys and two girls The other boy was driving and I was in the back seat with one of the girls She was not ”irl I don't think I even had a girl to call my own, or maybe I did If I had one, it was one of the teachers, which was strictly against board rules, so we had to keep it secret No student was allowed to date a teacher Well anyway, there ere in the back seat of the car,all kinds of fun teasingkick out of watching the girl edge over towardcautious Hoas I to knohat a city girl ht do to a country boy like me

Our school athletic club was always short of money for uniforms, balls, bats, and other equipment To help h school I did all the buying, keeping the records, and half the selling Another regular job foroff the football and baseball fields

Now you can begin to see why I didn't have to ask pero and come when I needed to It would have been a waste of time And I just didn't have all that e of going without asking and I was careful not to abuse that privilege They usually knehere I was and which student I had picked to go withthe idea that I could have carried nine subjects that Junior year I did all these extras, took seven full courses, and made ”B-plus” and ”A” all the way

By this tiun to learn a little diplo my Freshman year-my second one, that is-Miss Packas in her first year of teaching In her history class I sat on the front row right by her desk Four boys sat in four seats on the back row and gave her a rough tiot so bad that she actually cried at times The boys didn't know it but I did She tried hard to hide her frustration and emotions But she was at a loss to knohat she should do next

I caught those four boys out at the toilet one day and had a diploroup of five ere dealing our teacherour responsibility to her ”Hoould we like for soirl?”

Well sir, the results of that little conference surprised even le one of those boys bothered that teacher another time the rest of that year I never told Miss Packhat had taken place, nor did I ever uilty of any of the wrongdoings, in my talk with the boys, I included myself as one of theht listen totobeen able to influence them, and help a friend as in trouble

The last year Coach Hinton was at Hah, Superintendent Greene asked hiet the football boys into training Coach asked about pay for the teeks Mr Greene seelad to pay him for his time Then he told Mr Hinton, ”If they will not pay you, you can take your pay out of the athletic fund” Mr Hinton caain

As it turned out, the board didn't pay for the teeks Mr Hinton waited and waited and they still didn't pay He was too ured perhaps they would pay him at the end of the school year, but they didn't So he took his pay out of the athletic fund as Mr Greene suggested And at that point so that he stole the money and left town It simply wasn't true I knew about Mr Greene's promise There was never any reason for anyone to doubt Mr Hinton's honesty He was never anything less than a gentle you I didn't get into trouble at school That's just not true However, I didn't deliberately plan it Most ofthe Christmas holidays one year, workmen revarnished the desks in the study hall When school reopened, the varnish was dry, but you kno fresh varnish is, even after it is dry When you sit on it for an hour your pants sort of cling to it Well, as I have told you, ere a poor family, and I had the pants to prove it My pants were old and thin, but there were no holes in theot up an hour later-a big one I first suspected so when I felt a breeze I knew it for sure when I looked down and saw the seat ofto the new varnish

Needless to say, that was another ti I backed out the door, hurried down the stairway and ran, trying not to turn my back on anyone all the way hoh school, one of my jobs at home was to hitch up a team of horses each day after school, drive seven on with cottonseed, drive back home and leave it for Papa to unload the next day But then one day I didn't ular trip

In school that afternoon our teacher was called fro tiot in our roo erasers, throwing books, running around the roo out one door, down the hall, and back into the rooh another door

When the teacher returned, she caught them in the act I say ”the contrary to rules I had special privileges I didn't want to lose I wanted to be trusted As a -Mable Hudson and I But the teacher didn't know that She told us she was ashamed of everyone of us And she kept us all in an hour after school

That was the cause ofmy Neinda trip and that hy Papa was not at all happy In fact he was very unhappy He asked why I was late I told him I had to stay in He asked what I had done to have to stay in I told hi, because, he said, ”Teachers don't keep kids in for nothing” Then he added, ”I thought I had at least one boy I could trust to behave and tell the truth”