Pryor was
examining the class. The children got along all right with the spelling
but when Whiskers began to question them about the meanings of the words
they were all at sea, because they had not learned them. Ella and the
other big scholars felt terrible over it. They love their teacher so,
and it seems Mr. Pryor's brother, Abel Pryor, who is trustee of that
school, is against her and has been trying to turn the other trustees
over to his way of thinking. And Ella and the rest were afraid that if
the fourth class couldn't tell Whiskers the meanings of the words he
would think the teacher was no good and tell Abel so, and Abel would
have a fine handle. But little Sandy Logan saved the situation. He is a
Home boy, but he is as smart as a steel trap, and he sized up
Whiskers-on-the-moon right off. 'What does "anatomy" mean?' Whiskers
demanded. 'A pain in your stomach,' Sandy replied, quick as a flash and
never batting an eyelid. Whiskers-on-the-moon is a very ignorant man,
Mrs. Dr. dear; he didn't know the meaning of the words himself, and he
said 'Very good--very good.' The class caught right on--at least three
or four of the brighter ones did--and they kept up the fun. Jean Blane
said that 'acoustic' meant 'a religious squabble,' and Muriel Baker said
that an 'agnostic' was 'a man who had indigestion,' and Jim Carter said
that 'acerbity' meant that 'you ate nothing but vegetable food,' and so
on all down the list.
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