CHAPTER IV.

THE KEY TO THE SUMS.

The next morning Alfred got up very early to write a letter to his mother and tell her all the news, and at the same time send the half-crown. He had stayed longer than he intended with Walter, and had to go to bed directly he came in. He sat down in his bedroom with his pen and ink and wrote with letters very well formed, but rather big, the following letter:--

_My own dearest Mother and Maggie_,--

_I am getting on ever so nicely, and I like all the boys except two, who don’t like me. There names are King and Cox._ (He paused here and scratched his head. He thought “there” did not look quite right; he was not quite sure whether he ought to have put “their”, so he smudged the last two letters and then went on.) _I like Steve and Walter ever so much, and Mr. Cottenham had us to tea yesterday, and we are going their to-morrow._ (Again Alfred hesitated. He knew that there were two ways of spelling the word, “there” and “their”, but could not remember for some time which was which. Then he went back again and altered the words, wondering how he could be so silly. The first word he altered with a big blot, and put “their”, and the second “there”. Again he continued.) _He has bought a coil with half-a-crown, but I have sent mine to you, because I knew you would be pleased. A lady gave us both each half-a-crown. She is coming to see you. Her husband was in the ship when father mended the engin, and he is going to get father a reward for saving his life. The parrot saved Mr. Cottenham’s life, and he likes it very much. It is very clever, and can talk just like a real man or boy. It says funny things. I am just going to have my brekfast, and I am going off to school with them, and they are going to take their batterys with them there, so no more now._

_Your loving son and brother_,

_ALFIE_.

Then there were a number of crosses to signify kisses, and quite as many blots and smudges, which Alfred did not mean to signify anything in particular.

If Mr. Harmer had seen the letter he would have told Alfred that “breakfast” is the way to spell the word, and that when words end in “y” with a consonant before the “y”, you must change the “y” into “ies” for the plural. For a small boy Alfred usually spelt very well except when he was careless.

There was a post-office at Mr. Cottenham’s, for the general post-office was a long way off, so after breakfast Alfred went into his shop to buy a stamp with one of the few pennies he had.

“Please, sir, will you give me a penny stamp?” he said, putting a bright penny on the counter.

“Certainly, I will give you one, Alfred,” replied Mr. Cottenham. “Have you written home to your mother?”

“Yes, sir, and I have sent her the half-crown.”

“Let me see your letter. You must not send money in an envelope like that without registering the letter.”

Alfred did not know what that meant.

“Well, Alfred, it costs twopence more, and then the postman takes care of it so that it shall not get stolen or be lost.”

“Please, sir, I have a penny a week pocket-money, and I will bring you two more pennies presently. I have got four at home.”

“You are a good boy,” said Mr. Cottenham, “so I will register it, and pay the postage for you as well. Give me the letter, I will take care of it.”

Alfred thanked him for his kindness, and ran off with a light heart to school. He did not meet Steve or Walter, as they were arranging how they could fix the batteries so as to give each boy a shock as he entered. Unfortunately for them the first to enter was Mr. Harmer, who received a slight shock, but not so great as theirs when they saw him come in.

“What are you doing?” he exclaimed.

“Please, sir, only a little fun. I didn’t think you would be here yet, sir,” said Walter, looking very foolish, and feeling quite as foolish as he looked.

“I am surprised at you, Parker, doing such a thing. You ought to set the boys a good example, as you help me with them. It is the first time you have ever done such a silly thing, so I will say no more this time, but I shall keep your batteries for the rest of this month. I think that will be quite punishment enough.”

Mr. Harmer took away both the batteries, and the coil as well, while Walter and Steve slunk away, feeling very small at the failure of their little joke.

“Walter,” said Steve, “what will Mr. Cottenham say to-night if you tell him that you have not brought your batteries?”

“I had forgotten that,” replied Walter.

“Let’s ask Mr. Harmer just to give them back to us for this once; perhaps he will,” suggested Steve.

“I know he won’t,” replied Walter. “Whatever he says he always sticks to, so it would not be any good.”

Walter was quite right in his opinion of Mr. Harmer, as he was a man who did stick to what he said. If he said a boy should do an imposition, all the tears and entreaties in the world would not move him.

After the roll-call Mr. Harmer set the boys their lessons, and then called Alfred up to him.

“Davidson,” he said, “come here.”

Alfred left his seat and went up to the master.

“Do you know that you left your sum-book on the desk when you went away yesterday with Dr. Phillips?”

“Please, sir, I am very sorry, but I quite forgot all about it. I won’t do it again, sir.”

“Do you know what the imposition is for leaving books about?”

“Yes, sir, three sums.”

“Then you must do three sums. I never excuse a boy.”

Alfred stood still.

“Do you know any other reason why I called you here?”

“No, sir,” replied Alfred, not remembering having done any wrong.

“Just think a minute,” said the master, looking at him very closely. “Doesn’t your conscience tell you the reason?”

“Please, sir,” said Alfred, ready to cry, “I don’t know anything wrong that I’ve done. I don’t really, sir.”

“Look at this sum. Tell me how many seven and nine make?”

“Sixteen, sir.”

“Then why do you put fourteen?”

“I am sorry, sir, I was so careless. I really will try not to do so again.”

“You have made another mistake in the same sum. You have added the farthings up incorrectly, and have put one halfpenny, when it should be three farthings.”

“Shall I do the sum again, sir?”

“I have not yet finished, Davidson,” continued Mr. Harmer. “What is strangest of all is, that your result, thus incorrectly done, should be the right answer. If you had added up the figures correctly, your answer would have been wrong. That is very strange, is it not?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Alfred.

“Do you know that I don’t allow any boy to use an arithmetic book with answers at the back of the book?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then how dare you use one?”

“Please, sir, I have not done so.”

“How dare you stand there and tell me that falsehood? Do you see this?”

The master held up a page of answers, evidently torn out of an arithmetic book, which had all the answers at the back.

“You have been squaring your sums so as to make the answers right. I can understand now why you helped Cox, and why he sent that note asking for your help again. I thought that he alone was to blame in the matter, but this makes me change my opinion. Where do you suppose I found this sheet of answers?”

Alfred did not reply, as he was too much frightened and surprised.

“Leave off crying!” said Mr. Harmer angrily. “Your tears will not save you. You have been a very deceitful boy, and I shall punish you severely. Cox, come here!”

Cox went up to his master.

“Has Davidson helped you before with these answers?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Cox, without hesitation.

“Was that the reason why you asked him to help you the other day?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You know that I forbid the use of answers, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I shall punish you both. You will stay in during every interval this week. Go to your seat. Davidson, you will also stay in during every interval this week, and come to me again directly after the afternoon service.”

When Alfred returned to his seat King whispered to him:

“You got me a caning the other day, and now you are in for one yourself, you little sneak! I hope Mr. Harmer will make you smart like he did me, that’s all.”

It was a sad day for Alfred. The service in the cathedral, which was one of the pleasures of his life, he could not enjoy. His friends, Walter and Steve, tried to make the best of it, but it was no good. He spent most of the time in tears, the hours seemed so long; and when he went alone into the school-room, after the afternoon service, it was with beating heart and trembling limbs. Mr. Harmer was not there, and he had to wait some minutes.

The door opened, and King and Cox put their heads round and laughed.

“I wouldn’t be in your shoes for anything,” said King. “Now you know how I felt.”

Then both of the boys laughed. Alfred remained in his seat and did not even look up. Suddenly the boys, hearing the master coming, ran away.

Mr. Harmer walked up to his desk. Alfred heard him open it and get out his cane.

“Davidson, come here!” he said.

“Please, sir, won’t you believe me?” he pleaded, sobbing bitterly. “I did not, sir, I really did not use those answers. I know you will hurt me, but I don’t mind that if you will only believe me, sir. Please, do this once, sir!”

Alfred could not speak any more. The master stood, cane in hand, and looked at him. His memory went back to his boyhood, and he remembered how he had once stood before his master pleading, as Alfred was pleading at that moment; and he recollected, too, how he had been punished severely, and his innocence proved some months after. Yes, he remembered all this, and that his heart-broken grief did not move his master. He was disgraced until it was proved that he had spoken the truth. He hesitated. Masters do sometimes err in judgment, but it is not often, and he could not believe that Alfred was a boy who would tell a lie and persist in it. He looked at the boy crying, and then put his cane down.

“Davidson,” he said kindly, “I will believe you.”

“Oh, thank you, sir, thank you! I don’t mind being caned now, at least not so much. You have made me so happy, sir.”

“When I forgive a boy, Davidson, I entirely forgive him; so I shall not cane you. I shall wait and watch, and I shall find out some day who used those answers. You must stay in during the interval to-morrow to do three sums for leaving your books about. I will accept no excuses for breaking rules.”

“Thank you, sir,” replied Alfred, looking at his master.

“You may go now, my boy,” said Mr. Harmer, patting his rough, curly hair.

Alfred ran off. All his grief went at once. Outside the door he met his two friends, who were waiting for him.

“Did it hurt much?” inquired Steve.

“Mr. Harmer has believed me,” replied Alfred with joy, “and I am so happy now! He has not caned me. I have only got to do three sums for leaving my books about.”

“I am glad,” exclaimed Walter, with emphasis. “I believe some one else put those answers in your book, purposely to get you in a row, while we were with the dean. I’ll try to find out.”

“What are you going to do now, Alfred?” inquired Steve. “Will you come for a walk with us? We don’t go to Mr. Cottenham’s until half-past five.”

“No, thank you, Steve,” replied Alfred. “I shall run home and wash my face, and just write a letter home to my mother and tell her everything.”

“All right!” said Walter. “We will call for you about a quarter-past five.”

“Thanks!” said Alfred, and away he ran, as happy as he had been miserable before, to write home.