You had to be very particular how you spoke to "Darn"
unless you wanted to get into a fight, and unless you were as old and as
big as he was you had no desire to fight with him. He was especially
touchy about his name. He had been "Jimmie" at home but once at school
he had signed himself, in the full glory of his name, J. Darnton Darner,
perhaps to do honor to his grandfather, after whom he had been named.
Thereafter "Darn" was the only name that he was known by outside of the
classroom and his own home.
He had fights innumerable trying to stop the boys calling him by that
name, but it persisted until at length he came to accept it. You could
call him "Darn" or shout "Oh, Darn!" and nothing would happen, but if,
in your excitement, you grew too emphatic and said "_Darn!_" or "Oh,
_Darn_!" you might have to run for the nearest refuge, or take a
pummeling from his fists.
So now Jerry answered very politely. "It looks good," he said.
"Is the circus coming?" asked Danny.
"Of course it is. What do you suppose they've put up the posters for?"
"It don't say so here," said Nora.
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