New college graduate Joe Hannon experiences the predictable range of first-day-of-school new elementary school teacher challenges, but survives reasonably well until a female student becomes distraught that her father's special pen has been removed from the items she has brought to school that morning. "I wasn't supposed to bring it," she cries; "my father will kill me!" Joe insists to her that she need not worry that her father will kill her and contrives various methods to convince the thieving perpetrator to come forward, including a parade of all students to his desk at which time the minor thief can place the valued pen in a container on the desk. This results in a wide variety of left items, but no special pen. The school day ends, but Mr. Hannon tells his class that none of them will be dismissed until the missing pen surfaces. School administrators and parents alike begin to form in a crowd outside Joe's classroom. When one of them demands an explanation, Joe goes to the door to explain the circumstances and that he intends to stand by his principle that there will be no release until the pen is returned to the class member who brought it to school.
—robertmulderig