[Sidenote: Caramels in School]
Murry Blane found three young women among his schoolmates in high school
that he felt very warmly toward. Having an abundance of pocket money, he
spent many dollars first and last in bringing tokens of his regard to
his three friends. For the most part he managed to do this quietly, so
that his devotion was not subject to discipline, but when Charles
Wingate became principal, things took a slightly different turn.
Mr. Wingate knew very well that there were always pairings off of young
folks in high school. He watched for these groupings of the boys and
girls, and when he saw Emma Moore laying a row of caramels on her desk
the first question that came to him was, “Who bought the candy for this
girl?” He immediately went to her desk and quietly asked the question,
“Emma, where did this candy come from?” Such a question had never been
put to her before, although efforts had been made many times to
eliminate lunching from the high school.
Her first answer was, “Why, friends of mine bought them for me. Isn’t
that all right?”
Of course the neighboring pupils heard the answer and knew what the
question was and consequently their interest was very deeply aroused.
“O, yes,” said Mr. Wingate, “it is all right for your friends to buy you
candy, but it is unusual to see it displayed in this fashion as if it
were for sale.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t offer that candy for sale. It is too precious for
that.”
Following this witty speech, Mr. Wingate saw that the concern of other
students was becoming too intense and gave up further remarks for the
time being, but an hour later when the matter of having the candy had
apparently been dismissed from his mind, he found the time to say to the
girl, “We don’t want that candy display to continue, nor do we want any
more of it brought into the assembly room. I want you to tell me who
else shares with you this abominable habit of bringing stuff to eat to
school.”
Emma hardly knew what to say, but managed to frame an answer: “Why, I
don’t know who brings stuff to eat. Everyone brings what he wants, or
doesn’t bring anything, just as he likes.”
“Does Murry bring candy to the girls?”
“Maybe he does,” said Emma. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“I shall ask whom I find necessary to interview, but I am asking you
whether he brought candy and gave it to you or not.”
“Well,” said Emma, “several of my friends bring candy, both boys and
girls. Perhaps Murry brought some. I wouldn’t say that he didn’t.”
Evidently the interview was not going to be satisfactory, and so Mr.
Wingate said, “Well, that will do for now.”