New Beginnings A Fresh Start
Ch. 36
The Substitute
From chapter 35: While Mr. Hiram substitutes, George has found himself in a predicament.
"I didn't draw that! Caleb added to my picture! First he snatches it off my desk and then he draws on it! He's the one that should be in trouble not me! Sent out of school! Papa's going to be so mad! He probably won't believe me either! I don't want to go to the Sheriff's Office! I wanna go home! I don't like school anymore!" George thinks standing outside the school.
Slowly making his way down the boardwalk past the hotel, the general store and the hardware store to his Pa's office, George has to stop several times to wipe his eyes in order to see. Opening the door to the office he walks in letting the door close quietly. Not seeing anyone he's debating whether or not to call out or even stay, when Ethan walks in.
"George? What are you doing here at this time of the day son?" he asks before taking a good look at the boy. Seeing the tearful eyes and red face he questions; "What is it? Are you hurt? Sick? What's wrong?"
"I'm not hurt or sick, Papa. Mr. Hiram sent me here. He made me leave the school!"
"What reason did he have for doing such a thing, son? Have you been misbehaving in his class?" Ethan asks, his voice going from concerned to stern.
"I didn't do anything wrong but he won't listen to me, Papa! He's just being so hateful to everybody!" George exclaims, breaking down completely.
Lifting the boy, Ethan carries him into the back room and sits at the table. Holding George and rubbing his back, he waits for the child to calm down.
"Shhh, try to stop crying son. What has you so upset? This isn't like you to cry so. What happened this morning, George? Explain for me what it is that is upsetting you."
"Pppapa, Mr. Hiram is so mean. He yells and is calling us names. I don't like school anymore with him there. Rob is right, he's not at all nice. He won't even let us go to the outhouse! I needed to go badly too! He said for me to come straight here but I stopped at the outhouse. Are you mad?" he finishes.
"About you using the outhouse? Of course not son. Now that you have calmed down, sit over here and let's talk. I understand Mr. Hiram is behaving differently than you are used to with Miss. Brandenburg. He is short tempered but he must have had some reason to send you to me. Is there something you need to tell me?"
"No, Sir. I'm always good at school. Miss. Brandenburg will tell you that too. I never get put in the corner or have to stay in at recess. Ben does though."
"Yes, I'm aware of your brother's behavior but we are discussing you right now. I know you are usually very well behaved but I feel there must be something you aren't telling me. I don't believe Mr. Hiram would send you out of school without a reason."
"He didn't have a reason, Papa. I didn't do anything! The other boys were making him mad because they couldn't answer what he asked. I was listening but I didn't speak."
"He must have had some reason to send you here, George. Now what was it?"
Getting no answer just more crying, Ethan takes his hand and gently pulls him to sit in his lap once more.
"Are you afraid of being punished, George? Is that the problem?"
"You said if we were sent home or to you for misbehaving we'd get a whipping! I don't want a whipping, Papa! I didn't do anything. I was just drawing while I listened to him. Somebody snatched it off my desk and drew on my picture and he saw it."
"Did he send a note?"
"Yes sir."
"Let me have it, please."
After reading through the note, Ethan says "Show me what you were drawing, George. He says in the note that you were rude. What did you say?"
"Papa, I didn't say anything and I didn't draw that. I didn't!" George protests passing the picture to Ethan.
"George Allen Cord! This is extremely disrespectful young man!" Ethan exclaims looking at a drawing of Mr. Hiram complete with evil eyes, horns and fire coming from his mouth.
"Papa! I didn't draw him as a devil, I didn't, I promise!" George replies beginning to worry over the look in his Pa's eyes.
"If you didn't draw this then who did? You must know who did this to your picture. Besides that, you were not to be drawing during class time in the first place!"
"Are you going to tell me who else is involved here?" Ethan asks after a long silence.
"I ... well... I'm sorry Papa. I can't say. I didn't mean to cause trouble in school. I was just trying to do something while he yelled at the other kids."
"An apology is good to hear, George. Apologizing is a good start but you deliberately disobeyed me. I won't make you tell on your friends. However, you've been told more than once not to draw during school without permission. According to this note you were to be listening to your teacher, not drawing. By not paying attention you were misbehaving. Your drawing is disrespectful which caused you to be sent out of school. Being sent out of school and disobeying my instructions only leads to trouble."
"But Papa! I didn't draw him that way! I drew him nicely and someone drew over it!" George tries, explaining his side once more as Papa isn't getting the message.
"You have a choice to make, young man. You can be restricted to your room for the weekend starting as soon as we are home or you can choose a spanking."
"I shouldn't even be punished! I didn't draw the bad parts." George replies sorrowfully. At Ethan's prompting look he says "I don't want to lose playtime with everyone."
"A spanking it is, then." Ethan says tipping the child over his lap and applying his hand firmly while ignoring the child's cry of "Papa! NOO Papa! I don't want a spanking either!".
"Young man, I went easy on you this time. Be warned, if this ever happens again, you being dismissed from school for behavior, we will have that meeting in the barn! Do you understand me? You go to school to learn by listening and following directions not fooling around! You draw at home from now on!"
"Yessir" George sobs into Ethan's shirtfront as he's cuddled on his lap. Right then he decides it feels much nicer to be cuddled on his Pa's lap than be over it with his bottom being set on fire. It's not fair though! I didn't draw those ugly parts so I shouldn't of been punished! Caleb needs his britches set on fire and not be comfortable sitting, not me! Some family he is, getting me in trouble with Papa!
"Sit here and calm yourself down while I get you some water from the well. I'll walk you back to school as I want to speak to Mr. Hiram." Ethan says a little while later as he lowers the still sniffling child to a chair.
Just as they reach the outer office door, it opens and Delphie walks in.
"Hello Ethan, I thought I'd see if you had time for lunch at... well hello there, George. Are you ill?" she asks seeing the slightly red face and evidence of crying.
"Hello. No Ma'am, I'm not ill." George answers quietly, hoping his Pa won't embarrass him by explaining why he's not in school.
"Hello Delphie. George has had some problems at school. Just let me walk him back and speak to Mr. Hiram. I'll be back in just a few minutes and we can go have lunch."
Walking into the classroom, Ethan hears children crying softly and sees Ben, Caleb and Jackson Blackstock all in corners facing the wall. Mr. Hiram is too busy scolding them loudly to notice Ethan has entered the room. Before he can say anything, he hears Alyssa whisper near where he is standing "Uncle Ethan?" Bending down to her, he asks "Yes Princess?" Then noticing the tear streaks on her face he asks "What's wrong sweetheart?"
"Can I whisper in your ear please?"
"Yes."
"I wet my bloomers! He won't let us leave the room and I couldn't hold it in any more. He said we couldn't go until we wrote our punishment sentence from the board one hundred times. I can't write any longer, my hand hurts!"
"I will take care of this, sweetheart. Stop crying, now. Everything will be fine." Ethan replies automatically. As he reads the sentence she was copying, Reading "I am a lazy, uneducated child who cares nothing about learning, only about myself and I will be a failure." makes him call out "MR. HIRAM!"
Ben, standing in the corner, winces at the sound of his Pa's "Mad" voice in the tone that means tremendous trouble. Daring to peek over his shoulder his Pa's face confirms his thoughts. Pa is not here to praise anyone.
"Hello, Mr. Cord, I see you sorted out young George and brought him back. Perhaps you would do the same with your other son and his friends. No one is learning anything the way these children behave."
"I will speak to you while the class goes outside. Children, any who need the outhouse, leave now. The rest of you go gather your coats, lunch pails and spend your lunch recess outside please. I will call you when I want you inside. Aaron? Come here son."
"Yes sir?"
"Alyssa needs to go home. Take her to your Pa at the office and tell him I sent you there. I will explain more to him later. Go on, now." Ethan tells the boy.
Noticing the boys in the corner haven't left, Ethan says "Boys, all of you are dismissed also. Ben, Caleb, I will speak to you about this later."
"Papa! We didn't do anything, I promise." Ben whispers as he walks by.
"We'll talk later, son. Go on outside for your lunch."
Waiting for the last of the children to go outside, Ethan turns to look at the man standing by the teacher's desk.
"Mr. Hiram, I realize you are used to older students but do you seriously believe having them write a sentence describing themselves as lazy and a failure is appropriate? They are all only seven to eleven years old! Why wouldn't you allow them to leave the room for the necessary? Are you deliberately trying to be cruel to the children?"
"You may think they are innocents but they aren't. Your own sons have been causing trouble! Did you even see the drawing and note I sent?"
"I did and I had a discussion with George. He won't be drawing during school without permission. What has Ben done? How about Caleb? He's staying with me for the weekend so I'm responsible for him also."
"They were doing the same as the other boys. Whispering among themselves instead of listening. Mocking me by giving deliberate dumb answers to my questions. These answers disrupt my lesson which I have to scold them for and they will not sit still, just wriggling all the time! That and the incessant repetition of the same question no matter how many times I answer it. They all deserve a strop on their behinds!"
"What answers are they giving? Are they being disrespectful when answering?"
"I was discussing General Custer which they should know. Benjamin answered "Sand One Hill" when I asked where Custer had his last battle. That Brandenburg boy said Custer was famous for inventing custard. Another child had previously said the same thing so he knew that was not an appropriate answer! Those are deliberate attempts to disrupt my lesson in trying to be humorous."
"What question is it they are repeating?" Ethan asks next.
"I've heard "May I be excused?" at least twenty times this morning! They can wait until lunch recess as the older students do!"
"Look Mr. Hiram, these are small children. They can NOT wait. Did you know you caused at least one child to have an accident? Judging from the way several ran out of here you were about to have more! When the children ask to go, LET THEM!" Ethan replies firmly.
"It's all a ploy to get out of learning. I know they'd go and then stall around to take up lesson time. They're just lazy is all. You are too gullible, Sheriff! These mongrels need discipline! No one behaved this way in the boarding school I attended as a child!"
Trying to hold on to his temper, Ethan continues "As to your saying the boys were being deliberately disruptive by giving those answers, I can say this. Mrs. Carroll has not taught the children anything about General Custer. You assuming they know what you want them to say is just wrong. I look over my son's schoolwork and know this as a fact! Ben gave you the answer he thought was right as the only battle he's aware of is Teddy Roosevelt and San Juan Hill. He knows some about it only because you assigned Rob the essay on that battle. Rob discussed it with his brothers. So you see, he wasn't being rude, he was repeating something he thought you wanted to know."
"If you are unhappy with how I run this classroom, you can take your children out of it."
"I have a better idea, Mr. Hiram. I'll take YOU out of it! You are free to go and I warn you, if you cause any more problems with the students in this school you will no longer be teaching. You will have the opportunity to continue with the older students until the term is up. We have had this discussion before as to your treatment of the students. As a member of the school board, I can and will recommend your removal if necessary! Good afternoon, sir!"
"You don't need to recommend anything. At the end of this term, I plan to leave Colorado. I'm heading back East to my hometown of Boston where I have a family obligation. You will be searching for someone else to bring knowledge to the brats you call students."
"Good day, sir. You are not needed until Tuesday if you still wish to come. If not we will dismiss classes until we find a replacement for the upper level students."
"I will finish my contract as I gave my word. I am an honorable man Sheriff even if you do not think so."
"I base my opinions on my observations Mr. Hiram." Ethan remarks holding the door open for the man to leave.
Seeing Mr. Hiram marching off towards his store, George tells the boys sitting around him "Good! Maybe now we won't have to be yelled at. My Pa's calling, let's go."
Gathering the children around him as he sits in the one adult sized chair, Ethan is about to speak when Aaron comes into the room.
"Uncle Ethan, Papa isn't at the office and Alyssa's still upset. Miss. Delphie took her home. We aren't allowed to stay home alone." Aaron says walking up to him.
"Sit down, son. I have something important to say to everyone. Mr. Hiram will not be teaching your class so I'm dismissing you early. We will let you know about class Monday. Tell your parents I cancelled your class today. I don't want anyone to be in trouble for coming home early and you will go straight home! If I hear you didn't, you will answer to me and your parents!"
"Yes sir! Yes Sheriff Cord." the children answer before he says "Class dismissed."
Turning to Aaron, Ethan says "Your Pa went out to check on someone's missing cattle. I'd forgotten that and I don't know how long he'll be. You'll come to the ranch this afternoon to play."
"I'd like that! What about Alyssa?"
"I'm assuming she will come also. Why don't you go ask Miss. Delphie to walk her back to school? Ben, George and Caleb you three stay here." Ethan calls as the trio starts to follow Aaron.
When the door opens, Ethan expects to see Delphie with Alyssa not Chris.
"Well, back from wrangling duties? How'd it go?"
"The cows are fine. Just as I suspected he had a break in the fence and they took advantage. What is all this about Mr. Hiram and the kids? I met Miss. Delphie with the twins outside."
"Mr. Hiram is no longer substituting. I dismissed class for the day and possibly Monday if I can't find a new substitute. He was too rough with the children."
"He HIT them?"
"No, yelling, insults, refusing to give them a morning break,assigning lines... I assume you know about Alyssa's accident? She was mortified, Chris. I wanted to punch the man!"
"I may do just that, myself."
"No, leave him be. I don't want to put my deputy in jail for assault. I was going to have the twins go home with the boys. Would you rather take the rest of the day off and be with them? Mitch will be back at the office as he isn't needed to cover Hiram's store now."
"I'll take them home, thank you." Chris answers as the two men walk out to gather the children.
"But PA! We were going to go to the ranch! I wanted to ride the ponies and play with the boys!" Aaron complains when told he will be going home.
"Aaron, Alyssa has had a hard morning. We'll let you both come to the ranch tomorrow if that's alright with your Papa." Ethan intervenes seeing Chris still has an angry look on his face.
"Yes son, you can have longer to play tomorrow instead of only a couple of hours today."
"Alright, I want a long time to play as we haven't been out to the ranch in weeks. I'll see you tomorrow Ben."
"Bye, see you soon." Ben answers as Chris takes his children by the hand to walk home.
"Well boys, you three head on home. Tell Rob and Claire what happened and that I'll be home by supper time. You remember what I said this morning, Rob and Claire are in charge while I'm away."
"Yes sir. Are Joseph, Sarah and Elisha going to get to go home early too?" Ben asks.
"No, they will finish the schoolday. Go on now, I have work to get back too."
Before going to the hotel to meet Delphie, Ethan has a quiet word with Mr. Davis.
"I wanted to tell you the younger students have been dismissed for the day. Mr. Hiram was being rough with them. I disliked his teaching method if you call it that and dismissed class. Please tell your class. I don't want them to worry over their younger brothers or sisters not being in school."
"Yes, I'll do just that. I had heard the commotion next door but just thought the kids were showing up the new teacher."
"Well, I think they did a little of that but his actions were reprehensible. Any problems with Joseph lately?"
"None. He's done well this Winter term just as he did for the Fall term. If anything changes, I'll let you know."
"Thank you. I need to get back to work. Have a good rest of the day."
Finally getting to enjoy a hot lunch, Ethan savors the flavor of the steak he is chewing. Opening his eyes at Delphie's insistent "Ethan!" he murmurs "Hmmm?"
"I asked you a question."
"Yes, you did. I'd rather enjoy this delicious lunch than discuss the children's latest escapades."
"I want to know why George was crying when I came to the office. Alyssa told me what happened at school. Was that Mr. Hiram cruel to George also? I've a good mind to go tell him what I think of his 'teaching" ability! Imagine treating little children that way! Did he harm George?"
"No, George got himself into some trouble and was sent to me. He was punished right before you came in."
"You spanked that sweet little boy didn't you? How could you do such a thing!"
"I had no choice, Delphie! I promised the boys they would be punished if they were ever sent out of school for misbehaving. I couldn't go back on what I said and not punish him. I went easy as I only spanked him. He was drawing during class instead of listening. He's been warned about that very thing before."
"I believe you did have a choice. You could have just talked to George! He's just a little boy. Thank you for the lunch."
"As I said, I'd discussed this with him before. I only gave him a few smacks with my hand. Where are you going?"
"The clinic. I don't have any more time to sit to talk about mistreating children."
"Wait! We won't talk about Mr. Hiram. Sit, finish your tea at least."
"I was referring to your mistreatment not his! "
"I believe you have to be firm at times to get the point across. How I raise my children is my business!" Ethan replies irritably.
"I refuse to argue. I'm due back to work. Good day to you! " Delphie responds before turning and walking off.
Coming back into the Sheriff's office, Ethan stalks to his desk glaring at Mitch as he does so.
"Well, I see Mr. Hiram put you in a fine mood. I don't care for the man myself but I don't get all puffed up over him."
"Mitch, I am not "puffed up" over him. How do you even know about the morning?"
"He came into the store complaining to himself how you overstepped your authority by ordering him out of the school. He was muttering about how children were coddled these days and no one parented their children. He was pretty steamed over you 'throwing him out of school'. What went on there anyway? Is that what has you in this mood?"
For your information I just had lunch with Delphie who informed me I mistreated George. For a woman who hasn't ever raised children, she sure does have lofty opinions."
"In what way does she think you mistreat George? It seems out of the bunch of boys you have he's the one who is in trouble the least."
"That's true most of the time. The whole incident with Mr. Hiram started because he sent George out for drawing during his lecture. I have warned the boys they will be in major trouble if they are ever sent out of school so I spanked him. Delphie came in right as I was taking George back to school and has her feathers ruffled! She actually walked out on me at lunch! We were getting along so well until today. She's going to have to accept the children will be punished if they deserve it."
"You like her very much, don't you?"
"We were enjoying each other's company up until today. I thought we were getting along well and the kids love her. I was hoping for more to this friendship. I wasn't the best lunch companion with my mind on Mr. Hiram. He isn't the ideal teacher at the best of times but proved he's not capable of working with the younger class. I have to find someone else for Monday or cancel that class. You wouldn't want to take it would you?"
"No. I don't want to be in charge of a group of fifteen kids, thank you. As for Delphie, in my experience with ladies you just have to give them time to settle their feelings. Give her a few days and then talk to her. I don't think this should be such a major problem. Surely she had parents who punished her occasionally. Don't talk about raising your kids with her, just keep the talk to other things."
"Maybe you're right. I'm rather new to this courtship business. Any problems with Mr. Hiram's store today? Mr. Axelrod has been having his merchandise rearranged overnight. Is anything like that happening at the General Store?"
"Not that I'm aware of. I didn't see anything that looked out of place but I don't really know the layout of his merchandise all that well. The bins and tables seemed normal enough. So someone is moving things around in the Mercantile? That will surely drive him insane as he is very much an orderly person. Do you have any ideas?" Mitch asks.
"I'm suspecting children but I don't know how they get inside. He locks both doors and I didn't find any signs of the door being broken or forced open."
"I'll keep an eye out. I don't mind adding that to my nightly patrol as I already walk the boardwalk. I'll just check back and front more often."