Show fiCTION JOHNNY JOHNN WAS WRONG By ey DO DONALD DONAlO U HUNtER Cornet eO L 1 l'- l' He had hod placed his teacher up on a pedestal because she was different differ different ent than all her predecessors All his dreams for the future were crushed however when she proved that she was just run the run mill JOHNNY was as quiet es as 8 an empty cloakroom In Mrs class clan but he wasn't listening to the talk about Vasco da do Game Garna and Hernando De DC Soto They were anI only a launching point for tor his dreams out the classroom window If It he could discover a count country or explore ex ex- or or r capture kidnapers like he be read about in the paper paper paper-or or ban ban- Suppose a bandit should walk Into i ithe the school room he dreamed lust Just suppose I With his mask and gun and rough voice and sharp orders and he Johnny should rise rise and and and and maybe get shot but save her hert He lIe ended the scene each time with Mrs grateful tears tear as she be bent over his hia hospital bed i That would be it lt That would be something It wouldn't be making a fool tool of ot himself like some of ot the theOther theother Other kids did by bringing her an apple in the morning or a flower from his mothers mother's garden or offering offer olYer- ins ing to clean dean the boards It would have to be bo something bigger than that something no one else could dot dof dotH If It he could risk his life Ute for tor her herand herand herand and and hot not die then shed she'd know what be he thought of at her She was the Ule kind of ot lady the knights of at King Arthur used to risk their lives for tor forshe forshe she she was the greatest lady of at them all aU I She made him feel teel good and warm inside Of Ot course he couldn't tell her in words not words not with his halting halting halting halt halt- ing speech But Dut that way shed she'd know knowl Mrs Marner was big strong and firm and Johnny had been afraid of her at first first dreadIng dreading the time when she would call caU on him and hed he'd revear reveal his stuttering Then in turn shed she'd appear surprised pa pa- tJ urgent and finally harsh finally harsh I Hed He'd have to stare at her in stoney silence then then his his only defense against an adult world Then of ot course she would decide decide de de- cide clde as all aU the others had that he be was bad She probably had some very solid Ideas about discipline about punishment and reward and about boys she thought were bad But when she finally spoke his name it was so 10 softly that he turned around to see who else was named Johnn Johnny He couldn't believe that easy gentle centle tone was meant for tor him until he looked up and saw her eyes eyu smiling smiting directly at him It was lust just like she knew him like Uke be was a real person She didn't try to hur hurry his speech didn't excite him him and and he could answer answer an her almost without a halt baIt But Dut Just thinking of her sometimes was enough to bring that choking lump to his throat which broke up all aU h. h his words Into Jumbled mean Ingless sounds When she caught him like that she didn't raise a fuss funs She simply nodded r and passed on to the next boy Of all aU his teachers she was theone the theone theone one who didn't decide h he was bad the the one he would do anything at atall atall all W for the for the one he loved lie He came out of ot his dream with witha a sharp voice yolee In Ir his hi ear Johnny Johnny It was her voice lIe He felt his hll stomach Jerk up in tn a tight knot beneath his chest pressing chest pressing pressing- pressing so 10 he ho could hard hardly breathe Somewhere there was a question with it vaguely he hadn't heard beard stay after school tonight young man the she said She hadn't even called caled him John Joba riy 1111 Th The The empty room that night gave cave h his mind space apace to wonder H U. U tried to force toree his bis eyes eye and attention to tobis toh h his bis history book but only his eyes eye were there lie He sneaked a glance clance at her bel desk where the she was busy bus with her own papers Was it such sucha a bad thin thing hed he'd done Were Vasco da di Game alma and Hernando Do De Soto to so important Did she ho really reaU think be he wa was wai bad Not that please pin h hi his mind almost cried in bt a hU his book Not her the her the only enel Johnnys Johnny's father was dead and th the love ties Ues to his mother had bad been broken off on one by one b by her absentminded absentminded ab sent-minded sent attention to her flower lower garden and by his own speech Im Im- pediment They'd hung dangling and loose about him waIting for some other object to come along and attract them And Mrs Marner had drawn Johnnys Johnny's loose ends like steel cables to an electro magnet He lIe had to know how she felt But Buthe Buthe Buthe he couldn't ask He Ite could feel teel that lump In his throat and the steady pressure in his stomach lIe He heard the rumble of departing children die lower in the outer hall and he thought that pressure had burst In him when three laughing girls ran into the room She laid her papers aside to smile at their giggling excited chatter Maybe he had been wrong ha he hoped Maybe she didn't think he hewan was wan bad But he felt the depression of ot the tile distance separating him from them lIe He was not one of at them them- until he heard their talk About flowers I He knew about flowers tool Ills His mothers mother's flower beds her beds her constant talk about them Sure he did And that was the price of ot admission up I s r 4 v. v A Arl rl gf 4 h y 1 yx S n I But when she ahe finally spoke poke his bl name it was to so softly that he heI I turned tamed around to see leo who else was named Johnny there They were all talking about flowers He lIe plunged desperately toward his answer without thinking lIe He knew thought brought fear If It he didn't do it right away hed he'd be tightened up beyond any possible sound from his throat He was on his feet teet Da Dah Da Dah Dahlias he began and and and HIS voice was cracked sharp It scared him in the sudden allence si silence sl- sl len lence e of ot the room Four pairs of at eyes were on him questioning walt wait waiting ing then ing-then then glancing at each other One girls girts smile faded to sympathy My My my mother says they a alie lIe He stopped His Ills throat was closed There was not a point pin of pf welcome Not even a hopeful face tace up there There was only surprise surprise surprise sur sur- prise in several degrees and not a hint of ot help And there was her blank stare tarel I That will do du for you young man Her voice was hard but no longer strange Hed He'd heard beard it that way before Youre not in this These Thee girls are not here as you youn n are Youre You're here ber for punishment punIshment- not Punishment not Pun Pun not hot reward Punishment Punishment I-PunIshment not The words settled from tram bright lightning flashes flashes to a dull dun rumbling like thunder rolling roiling about his ears ear He lie knew even before be be- fore tore their meaning came clear to him through the shock He lIe had failed tailed I Even the girls felt It and excused excused ex ex- themselves quietly leaving the room so he ho didn't hear He lIe could feel teel himself preparing t to stare at her in stoney silence But he was bad And he was wrong lIe He didn't need any liny defense now Those love ties were broken all at once now but they weren't hanging loose and dangling waItIng waiting wait waIt- ing for some other object to come along and attract them A bitter acid was loose In him burning them themon off on at the roots The only thing tight in him now was a new fearsome fearsome fear tear some thing There was a faint taint stir sUr of ot his old dying feelings How could he tell her how he felt teU about her hert He wondered how shed she'd feel If he could let her know really know really know know how how he really felt about her now He al almost almost al al- most smiled but he c caught himself him him- self He lIe was wrong I all aU Johnny she said laid at three You may go now And dont don't let it happen again Dont worry he said He did smile smite at her soft tones He wondered wondered wondered won won- dered if 11 the pleasant smile was a apart apart apart part of her punishment and reward sort sort of ot reward for tor punishment eDt may maybe maybel be I But youre you're wrong Johnny he told himself as he closed the school schoolroom schoolroom schoolroom room door behind him and gazed down the empty hall hail Youre wrong Johnny His heels punched sharp ominous sounds In the empty vastness as he walked down the hall Youre wrong Johnny he told himself again And all aU the rest of his life lUe he kept telling himself he was wrong as he kept walking in And all aU his life Ute he was wrong As wrong as two left shoes as as everybody knew when they called him Public Enemy Number One ODel I |