“Yes, sir.”
“Well, am I to understand that you want permission to go on with that?”
“No, sir, not with the squad, sir. But I’d like to go down to the track now and then—every day, maybe, and run just by myself. I—I feel the need of it, sir.”
Mr. Collins smiled again. “Muscles getting creaky, you mean?”
“Yes, sir, sort of.”
“Hm; it’s rather a delicate question to answer offhand, Pennimore. Certainly faculty doesn’t want any student on probation to become ill for want of outdoor exercise. The question is whether you are merely after the exercise per se or want to keep in condition for track work in the hope that when you are let off probation you will be in good condition to go back to the squad. See my point?”
“Y—yes, sir.”
“On the other hand,” continued the Assistant Principal, luxuriously stretching his slippered feet, “am I required to go behind the evidence? You ask me whether a student on probation may take exercise. There can be but one reply to that: he may. Possibly it is not required of me to speculate as to your motives. If you may exercise, I presume that you may indulge in any form you wish. You want to run. Well, why not? Running is a common form of exercise. But you tell me that you want to run on the track. Hm.” Mr. Collins deliberated. Then, “And again, why not, Pennimore?” he continued. “The rules say that you must not take part in school athletics, but they say nothing against your exercising on the track. No, so far as the letter of the law is concerned you may run on the track or turn summersaults on it or walk on your hands on it. But the spirit of the law, Pennimore—” Mr. Collins yawned behind his magazine. “Dear me, I believe I’m sleepy. Let me see, where were we?”
“At the—the spirit of the law, sir,” replied Gerald.
Mr. Collins looked surprised. “Were we really?” he asked. “Had we got that far? And what had we decided about the spirit of the law, Pennimore?”