Hinman wasn't looking, that he forgot half his "piece," broke down
and cried. He also cried after school, a little more bitterly, and with
far better reason.
Then, after an awful pause, in which the conspirators could hear the
beating of each other's hearts, my name was called.
I sat still at my desk and said:
"I ain't goin' to speak no piece."
Mr. Hinman looked gently surprised and asked:
"Why not, Robert?"
I replied:
"Because there ain't goin' to be any more speakin' pieces."
The teacher's eyes grew round and big as he inquired:
"Who says there will not?"
I said, in slightly firmer tones, as I realized that the moment had come
for dragging the rest of the rebels into court:
"All of us boys!"
But Mr. Hinman smiled, and said quietly that he guessed there would be
"a little more speaking before the close of the session." Then laying
his hand on my shoulder, with most punctilious but chilling courtesy, he
invited me to the rostrum. The "rostrum" was twenty-five feet distant,
but I arrived there on schedule time and only touched my feet to the
floor twice on my way.
And then and there, under Mr.
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