“I’m not going to that school any more—I’ve been licked for nothing, and I wont stand it!”
“And how came you home at this time of day?” inquired Marcus.
“I ran away from school,” replied Ronald.
“Indeed!” said Marcus; “and will you please to explain why?”
“Mrs. Benham set out to lick me——”
“Begin at the beginning, and tell the whole story,” interrupted Marcus. “What did she punish you for?”
“Why, you see she was real cross this morning,” said Ronald; “I saw it as soon as she got there, and thought there’d be a squall before night. Well, I was studying my lesson, and she came along, and wanted to look at my writing-book. So I handed it to her, and she opened it, and found four or five great blots on the page I wrote yesterday afternoon. She looked real mad, and asked me what it meant, and I told her I didn’t do it, and didn’t know anything about it. Then she said I lied, and she’d whip me for blotting the book, and for lying, too. So she made me go out to the platform, and began to put on the ratan over my hands, just as hard as she could. See that,” continued Ronald, showing to Marcus several red stripes on the palm of his hand. “I couldn’t stand that, so I got the stick away from her, and ran off as fast as I could. I didn’t blot the book, nor tell a lie, and I wont be whipped for nothing by Mrs. Benham, I know.”
“Have you told me the truth, about this affair, and nothing but the truth?” inquired Marcus, fixing a steady gaze upon Ronald.
“Yes, sir, I’ve told the real truth, and nothing else,” replied Ronald.
“Is it the whole truth?” inquired Marcus. “Have you not kept something back?”