f the forenoon. As soon
as he could get away, he ran home, determined to enlist his mother in
his cause.

CHAPTER XIV
MR. STONE IS CALLED TO ACCOUNT

At home Godfrey gave a highly colored narrative of the outrageous
manner in which he had been abused, for so he chose to represent it.
He gave this account to his mother, for his father was not at home.
Indeed, he was absent for a day or two in a distant city.

Mrs. Preston was indignant.

"It is an outrage, Godfrey," she said, compressing her thin lips. "How
did Mr. Stone dare to treat you in this way?"

"I was surprised, myself," said Godfrey.

"Had he no more respect for your father's prominent position?"

"It looks as if he didn't."

"He is evidently unfit to keep the school. I shall try to persuade
your father to have him turned away."

"I wish he might be," said Godfrey. "It would teach him to treat me
with proper respect. Anybody would think that Irish boy was the son of
the most important man in town."

Both Godfrey and his mother appeared to take it for granted that a
teacher should treat his pupils according to their social position.
This is certainly very far from proper, as all my youthful readers
will, I hope, agree.

"I don't want to go back to school this afternoon, mother," said
Godfrey.

"I don't wonder," said his mother. "I will tell you what I will do. I
will send a letter to Mr. Stone by you, asking him to call here this
evening. I will then take occasion to express my opinion of his
conduct."

"That's good, mother," said Godfrey, joyfully.

He knew that his mother had a sharp tongue, and he longed to hear his
mother "give it" to the teacher whom he hated.

"Then, you think I had better go to school this afternoon?"

"Yes, with the note. If Mr. Stone does not apologize, you need not go
to-morrow. I will go upstairs and write it at once."

The note was quickly written, and, putting it carefully in his inside
pocket, Godfrey went to school. As he entered the schoolroom he
stepped up to the desk and handed the note to Mr. Stone.

"Here is a note from my mother," he said, superciliously.

"Very well," said the teacher, taking it gravely.

As it was not quite time to summon the pupils, he opened it at once.

This was what he read:

"MR. STONE: Sir--My son Godfrey informs me that you have
treated him in a very unjust manner, for which I find it
impossible to account. I shall be glad if you can find time