“This class never studied geometry,” interposed Captain Gildrock.
“But they know this figure,” replied the carpenter.
“It is a square,” said Thad Glovering.
“Right. The diagonal of a square is a line connecting the opposite corners: rule in a diagonal.
Now rule another from the other corners. I dare say Mr. Bentnick will not find my geometry as scientific as his own. Where the diagonals cross each other is the centre of the square. Take the compasses, and set the points three inches apart. The problem is to inscribe a circle inside of a square, though it is necessary to mark only a quarter of the square.”
The quarter of a circle was inscribed, and formed the round corner of the shelf. It was repeated on the other end.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE END OF THE FIRST SCHOOL-DAY AT BEECH HILL.
The next operation for the class was to round off the ends of the shelves. Mr. Brookbine asked the boys how they would do it. One said he would plane it off, another would saw it off, and a third would chop it off with the hatchet.