"  I  '11  tell  you  of  a  plan  I  've  thought  of,"  continued
Jerry  ;  "  and  if  you  '11  only  say  yes,  I  guess  we  can  fix
it  easy  enough. You  see  it  wont  do  for  me  to  ask  the
old  woman  for  a  note,"  —  the  old  woman  was  the  dis-
respectful title  by  which  he  usually  ^poke  of  his  mother,
—  "  and  if  I  go  to  school  without  one,  I  'm  afraid  that
old  Eaton  will  find  out  that  I  Ve  been  playing  truant
all  along,  and  he  '11  give  me  a  regular  trouncing. Now
if  you  will  write  the  note,  nobody  will  ever  know  the
difference,  for  you  can  write  just  like  a  woman. I
would  do  it  myself,  if  I  could  write  as  well  as  you  can."

"  What ! "  said  Clinton,  with  some  signs  of  astonish-
ment ;  "  you  do  n't  mean  that  you  want  me  to  write
an  excuse,  and  sign  your  mother's  name  to  it,  do
you  ?  "

"  Yes,  that 's  it,  exactly ;  unless  you  can  tell  me  of
a  better  way  to  get  out  of  my  trouble."

"  I  should  like  to  help  you  out  of  it,"  replied  Clin-
ton ;  «  but  I  could  n't  do  that."


APPEAL     TO    CLINTON. 95

"  Then,"  added  Jerry,  in  a  decided  tone,  "  I  shall
never  see  the  inside*  of  the  old  school-house  again. I
do  n't  know  of  anybody  else  that  I  can  get  to  write  the
note,  and  I  am  not  going  there  without  it,  to  have  the
breath  beat  out  of  my  body. I  shall  go  to  Boston,  and
take  my  chance, — I  wont  stay  about  here  any  longer."

"  Do  n't  talk  so,"  said  Clinton. "  Why  not  tell  your
mother  that  you  did  n't  go  to  school  yesterday  after-
noon, and  ask  her  to  write  an  excuse  ?  She  would
do  it,  I  guess,  if  you  made  the  confession,  rather  than
have  you  punished."

"  She  do  it ! "  exclaimed  Jerry,  with  some  bitterness ;
"  no,  more  likely  she  would  write  a  note  requesting  old
Eaton  to  lick  me  like  blazes. But,"  he  continued,
"  why  wont  you  write  the  excuse,  Clinty  ?  "

Clinton  hesitated  what  reply  to  make  to  this  ques-
tion. 