All the rest of the morning Tommy kept thinking, thinking,
thinking. One thing was certain: the present situation was not
to be endured one moment longer than was absolutely necessary.
But what could he do? Should he fight Dicky? This plan was
rejected at once, on high, moral grounds. Well, then, supposing
some dark night he should see Daisy on the street, just grab her,
hold on tight and say: "Now, Daisy Rivers, I won't let you go
till you promise you'll like me a great deal betterer than you do
Dick Ray." There seemed something nice about this plan, very
nice; the more Tommy thought of it, the better he liked it; only
there were two objections to it. Firstly: Daisy never by any
chance ventured out doors after dark. Secondly: Neither did Tom.
Both objections being insurmountable, this delightful scheme was
reluctantly abandoned, and the thinking process went on harder
than ever, till at last--oh, oh! if he only dared! What a
triumph it would be! But then he couldn't--yes, he could too.
Didn't she say that she "wouldn't be one bit s'prised if he
hollered so loud that they would hear him way down in Colorado?"
Colorado, indeed! He'd show her there was one boy in the school
who wasn't a girl-cry-baby!
Yes, actually, foolish Tommy had decided to prove his manhood by
being whipped, and that that interesting little event should take
place that very afternoon!
What did he do? He whispered six times!
Had it been any other child, he would surely have been punished;
but Miss Linnet knew both Tommy and his mamma quite well, and
therefore she knew also, quite well, that only a few days ago the
one horror of Tommy's life had been the thought that he might
possibly be whipped.
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