But it was not only with cattle notices and Americans that Isabelita
was offended this day. She was in a bad humor, and nothing suited
her. Hence it was in no pleasant voice that she called to Timoteo,
when he at last made his appearance between the bony gate-posts:
"Hombre bobo, thou must go for the cow tonight!"
Now, "hombre bobo" means much the same as our word "booby,"
therefore this was not a very soothing manner of beginning her
information. To Isabelita's surprise, however, Timoteo answered only
"Yes," and, coming in, put his one book carefully away, and then
went forth for the cow, as he had been bidden. Isabelita stared
after him. She had at least expected a quarrel.
Isabelita would have been more surprised still, if she could have
seen what Timoteo did after reaching the place in the woods where
the cow was tethered. He threw himself down; crushing the fragrant,
small-leaved vines of "yerba buena" as he fell, and, hiding his
face, Timoteo cried in a half-angry, half-hopeless tumult of
feeling. The pink blossoming thistles nodded, and the cow looked
wonderingly at the lad, but no one else saw or heard him. By and by
he sat up.
"Teacher never like me any more," he told himself, his lips
quivering. "Americanos tell her my father lazy, my mother no clean.
And I try, I try!"
He choked down a sob. A new teacher had come to the public school, a
sweet-faced, pleasant-toned young lady, whom Timoteo was ready to
obey devotedly from the first time she smiled on the school.
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