Page:Fairview Boys and their Rivals.djvu/72

68 Bob noticed that after the spelling was over Miss Williams went all through the papers in her desk. She acted quite thoughtful and serious. After the dinner hour, just before school commenced that afternoon, a little girl came out to the playground and spoke to him.

"Miss Williams wants to see you, Bob Bouncer," she said.

"I wonder what for?" spoke Bob.

He found Miss Williams alone in the schoolroom.

"Close the door. Bob," she said, as he entered. "Sit down," she added, as he obeyed her and came up to the desk.

The school teacher looked very serious. Bob wondered what it all meant. He sat waiting for her to speak to him.

"Bob," said Miss Williams, after quite a pause, "you did very well in your spelling to-day."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Bob. "I tried to. I did the best I could."

"Did you have any help, Bob?" Miss Williams asked, looking straight into Bob's face.

"Why—I don't know what you mean. Miss Williams," said Bob. "Frank and I went over a lot of words at home, last night."

"I mean, you had no key, no idea of what words I was going to give out?" asked the teacher.

"Oh, dear, no! How could I?"

Miss Williams paused again. It seemed hard for her to go on, but she finally said:

"Bob, I had two lists of words. One I had copied to send to a sister who is a teacher in the next township. Both were in my desk when I left the school last night."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Bob.

"This noon I found one of them missing."

"Why, who could have taken it?" said Bob.