At length, when the school was about to break up for noon, the master put his pen, ink, and other little articles in the desk, and the school grew hushed with expectancy.
“This apology,” said Mr. Williams, “which I see is in John Dudley’s handwriting, and which bears the signature of all but three of those who were guilty of the offence yesterday, is a very manly apology, and quite increases my respect for those who have signed it. I have suffered much from your carelessness of yesterday, but this apology, showing, as it does, the manliness of my boys, has given me more pleasure than the offence gave me pain. I ought to make an apology to you. I blamed you too severely yesterday in accusing you of running away intentionally. I take all that back.”
Here he paused a moment, and looked over the petition carefully.
“William Riley, I don’t see your name here. Why is that?”
“Because I didn’t put it there.”
Pewee and Ben Berry both laughed at this wit.
“Why didn’t you put it there?”
“Because I didn’t want to.”
“Have you any explanation to give of your conduct yesterday?”
“No, sir; only that I think it’s mean to keep us in because we forgot ourselves.”