The tone was so fierce, and the clutch on her shoulder hurt her so much, that poor Patty screamed fearfully.
"Hold out your hand!" repeated the master.
Patty gave him her slender baby-palm, poor little creature! while Dorcas and Mary, up in the back seats, both drew in their breaths with a shudder.
Down came the hard-wood ferule, whizzing through the air like a thing of life. No time then to tell Mr. Purple she couldn't have picked gum off a hard-wood stick if she had tried; he wouldn't have believed her, and wouldn't have listened, no matter what she said.
One! two! three! Patty had never been struck like this before. The twins looked at each other, and almost rose from their seats. Indignation flashed from thirty pairs of eyes, but the master was too excited to see it.
Four! five! six! Patty's little figure bent like a broken reed, when there was a shuffling of boots in the aisle, and a voice shouted,
"Stop that, sir!"
It was William Parlin's voice. He had sent it on ahead of him, and was following after it as fast as he could.
"Let that child alone, Master Purple."
