Now I will tell you what happened that afternoon.
The school was about half done.
The master gave three loud raps with his ruler.
This made the room very still.
He asked the other teachers to come up to the platform. And they did.
Next, he waved his ruler, and said, “Fold.”
And we all folded our arms.
It was so still that we could hear the clock tick.
He told Tom Cush to close the windows and shut the blinds.
Then he talked to us about stealing and telling lies. Said he didn’t
like to punish, but it must be done. He said he had reason to believe
that the boy whose name he should call out was not honest, that he took
other people’s things and told lies.
Then he told the story, all that he knew about it, and said he hoped
that all concerned in it would have honor enough to speak out and own
it.
Nobody said anything.
Then the master said, “William Henry, you may come to the platform.”