Equality Wins

   Sarah Jessup sat in the secretary's outer office.  Her stomach
was doing flip-flops at the thought of her calling by the
headmistress.  There could only be two reasons.  Either Mrs.
Cohen had discovered that she had been the one to write those
disparaging remarks on the w.c. stalls or Mrs. Cohen had
discovered that Sarah's paper for composition class had not been
entirely her own writing.
   "Miss Jessup, please do come in."
   Sarah walked through that dreaded inner door.  She heard the
outer door of the office open once again, but the inner door
closed before she could see the person's identity.
   "Have a seat," Mrs. Cohen directed Sarah as she picked up her
phone.
   "Ah, good.  Please ask them to have a seat.  I'll be with them
shortly."
   Great, some other girls were waiting outside in the office. 
Now they would have a good look at her when she had to exit,
bottom smarting and tears flowing, through the secretary's
office.  
   Mrs. Cohen withdrew a paper from her desk drawer.  Sarah's
heart dropped.  This would mean much worse punishment than what
would have been if it were only for her filthy writings on the
stalls.
   "A good paper, Miss Jessup.  Your argument for equality in the
workplace is a most brilliant one."
   Sarah started.  She was being praised, not punished.  Thank
God!  "Thank you, ma'am."
   Mrs. Cohen nodded.  "Are these your true feelings, or did you
just write it for Miss Cromly's benefit."  The whole school knew
the Miss Cromly hated the fact that women were treated as
inferiors when it came to monthly wages and other such things.
   "Oh, no, ma'am.  I truly believe that men and women should be
treated as equals in all things."
   "What about front-line combat during wars?"
   "Even in those areas, ma'am.  If a man is expected to give his
all for his country, then why should women not be expected to
give the same."
   "Quite so.  What about in the school systems?"
   "Ma'am?"
   "Should the schools recognize that there are differences
between males and females in the schools?"
   "Oh, no, ma'am.  I mean there are, uh, physical differences,
but that doesn't hinder performance capabilities."
   Mrs. Cohen looked puzzled.  "What difference would the
physical differences make?"
   A slow blush infused Sarah's face.  "Well, ma'am, I realize
that there are certain...uh...um...desires..oh dear..wants...no,
I didn't..."
   "It's alright, Miss Jessup.  I understand, please continue."
   "Thank you, ma'am.  What I mean is that I understand the need
to keep boys and girls separated in that...um...area."
   "Yes, quite."  Mrs. Cohen chuckled to herself.  She remembered
a most thorough paddling from her own headmistress for sneaking
out to visit a boy all those years ago.  Ah, the foolishness of
youth.
   Sarah's blush hadn't lessened.  "But in terms of other areas,
then equality should be the norm."
   Mrs. Cohen leaned forward.  "What about in the area of
corporal punishment?"
   "Ma'am?"
   "Well, as you know, the boys at the academy just over the hill
are punished, at times, by a caning with pant...er...underthings
down.  Do you feel that this would also be proper for a girl?"
   Sarah knew that none of the girls here were punished in that
manner.  At worst, a caning could be administered to the bare
hands, but never to the bottom.  The worst measure for the bottom
would be to meet the paddle with panties down.  "Well, ma'am, I
probably wouldn't care for such a measure, but it would be a step
toward equality, yes."
   "Precisely, but would you vote for such a measure?"
   "Well...yes, I believe that I would."
   "So you feel that what is good enough for an errant young man
should also be good enough for an errant young woman?"
   "Yes, ma'am."
   "Let's talk about the paper you submitted."
   Sarah was puzzled.  "I thought that we were."
   "No, we were talking of your personal beliefs."
   "Well, my beliefs are in that paper, ma'am."
   Mrs. Cohen smiled.  "Yes, I'm sure they are.  What I found to
be interesting was the fact that Mr. Holmes, the headmaster for
out neighboring school, called me to discuss a most excellent
paper turned in by a young man in his school."
   Sarah's heart and face fell.  She had been tricked.
   Mrs. Cohen saw in Sarah's face all of the guilt that she
needed to see.  "Which of you actually wrote the paper, Miss
Jessup?  Was it you, or was it Mark Callin?"
   "Mark did, ma'am," Sarah whispered.
   "I see.  Did you copy his paper with or without his
knowledge?"
   Sarah remained silent, so Mrs. Cohen picked up her phone and
asked her secretary to show in the visitors.
   In through Mrs. Cohen's door walked Mark and Mr. Holmes. 
Sarah started.
   Mrs. Cohen asked them to be seated.  "Young Miss Jessup will
not tell me if her copying was done with or without Mr. Callin's
knowledge."
   Mr. Holmes answered.  "Mr. Callin informed me that he
knowingly allowed his paper to be copied."
   "Where and when did they meet to allow this violation?"
   "Mr. Callin informs me that it was done in the Common
Library."
   "Miss Jessup, is this true?"
   "Yes, ma'am."
   Mrs. Cohen sighed.  Well, no curfew violations there at least. 
The Common Library was a building located between both schools so
both girls and boys were allowed in there.  Of course, the
library was under strict supervision so that no foolishness went
on, but a young man and a young woman just sitting at the same
table would not be questioned.
   Mrs. Cohen stood up and began to pace.  "Miss Jessup, even
though she did not write the paper, agrees wholeheartedly with
its views.  In fact, she even agrees that errant school students
should receive the same punishments for the same offenses."
   Sarah was fuming.  She had been tricked into this whole mess.
   "Mr. Holmes," Mrs. Cohen asked the headmaster, "what is the
normal punishment for a boy in your academy when he is found
guilty of plagiarism?"
   "Six strokes of the cane applied to the bare."
   "And for one who allows his paper to be copied for that
purpose?"
   "The same, if the offense is done with the writer's full
knowledge."
   "As in this case.  Did you bring your cane?"
   "It's in the outer office."
   "If you would be so kind..."
   Mr. Holmes got up and went out into the secretary's office. 
In his hand he held the boys cane.  Sarah was frightened beyond
reason.
   "Marjorie, would you please escort Miss Jessup into your
office for a time?"
   Sarah was led into the secretary's office and the door to Mrs.
Cohen's office was closed.  Soon Sarah heard the unmistakable
sound of a cane meeting the bare flesh of Mark's bottom.  Mark
remained silent for two strokes, but on the third, he let out a
cry that could be heard from here to his own academy.  Sarah was
scared out of her mind.  A few minutes after the last stroke had
landed, the door opened and a crying Mark was deposited into the
room.
   "Miss Jessup, would you please come in?"
   Sarah walked slowly into Mrs. Cohen's office.  Mr. Holmes had
a sleeve rolled up and was swishing the cane as if practicing for
a most painful session."
   "Miss Jessup, would you kindly assume the position over my
desk?"
   Sarah bent over the large desk.  She felt her skirt lifted and
pinned.  When Mrs. Cohen's hands tugged at her panties, however,
Sarah leapt up and protested mightily.
   "Miss Jessup, I thought it was your opinion that equality was
to be the norm?"
   "But, ma'am, Mr. Holmes will see..."
   "You should have thought of that when you were so busy
plagiarizing Mr. Callin's paper.  Assume the position, young
lady, and I'll brook no further protests!"
   Sarah resumed her position over Mrs. Cohen's desk.  Huge sobs
wracked her body and her face was as red as a beet.  She felt a
wave of humiliation as she felt her panties lowered to mid-thigh. 
She knew that all that she possessed was now on display for Mr.
Holmes.
   She felt she coolness of the cane touch against her bare
bottom.  She felt it bounce up and down at least twenty times as
Mr. Holmes prepared to deliver a most devastating strike.  It was
withdrawn for a longer period and suddenly made a "whoop" sound
that ended with a sharp rifle crack against her bare bum.
   Sarah let out a terrific yelp and jumped up, grabbing her bum
and howling considerably.  Mrs. Cohen roughly grabbed her and
forced her into a bending position over the desk again.  She
sobbed as she felt the cane once again bouncing up and down upon
her fiery bum.  "Whoop...CRACK!!!"  Again she broke free and
hopped up and down for a bit.  She bawled and pleaded, but Mrs.
Cohen forced her into position again.  This time, Mrs. Cohen
levered herself into a more stable position.
   The cane tapped at her sore bottom again for a time. 
"Whoop...CRACK!!!"  Sarah let out an ear-splitter, but she
couldn't manage to fight her way up this time.  The cane was
replaced and it resumed its tapping.  "Whoop...CRACK!!!"  Sarah
screamed at the top of her lungs.  She began to cough and choke
upon her sobs.  There was a long wait while she calmed down. 
Then the cane began to tap again.  "Whoop...CRACK!!!"  Sarah let
loose a string of phrases that made Mrs. Cohen blush.
   "You probably deserve double for that, but I'll wait until
you've healed up and then I'll give you a good dose of the paddle
for saying such filth."
   Tapping resumed for the final stroke.  Sarah felt the cane
tapping on the lowest part of her bum.  "Whoop...CRACK!!!!!!!!" 
Sarah's eyes bulged out and her mouth let out a tremendous
shriek.  That last one was at least twice as hard as the previous
five.  It had impacted at the junction of thigh and buttocks. 
Mrs. Cohen held her in place for about five minutes until her
sobs and screams had quieted somewhat.
   After that, Mrs. Cohen roughly pulled her panties into place,
eliciting a few more cries as the abrasive material rubbed
against the raised weals.  She was led sobbing into the
secretary's office.  Mrs. Cohen informed her secretary to
inscribe Sarah's name into the punishment book as having received
six strokes of the cane, panties down.  Marjorie's eyes widened
slightly at that, but she filled in the proper punishment.  Mrs.
Cohen also informed her to make a note to recall Miss Jessup in
thirty days to receive a paddling for using disgraceful language.
   Mrs. Cohen then left the two punished students in Marjorie's
office and invited Mr. Holmes into her own for some tea.
   "A most interesting day," Mr. Holmes remarked.
   "Quite.  I dare say, we've probably lost a proponent for
equality in these last few minutes."  Both laughed and sipped
their tea.