The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1873-06-13

isn't likely Will Schofield noticed it.
or, if he did, remembered it two min
utes. He'll out-grow such ways by
and-by."
20 yes, I know you and mother
always take Fred's part" sobbed
Lutte. Il guess if mother would tell
father some of his tricks, he would
'outgrow' some Of them pretty quick.
But if father finds out anything it is
all smoothed over"
1t was strange how with a slight
difference in the subject, Fred's
thoughts were running in the same
direction as Lute's.
"She grows crosser and crosser,n .
he muttered, digging his toes into
the chips behind the woodhouse,
land since Will Schofeld comes up
here. she don't want m round at all.
i s'pose I do plague her. | don't
see why I have t. upset everything
before l fairly get near it." And the
boy actually sat with his cap over
his eyes full three minutes. resolv-
ing he would be very careful next
time.
"Plaze, marin, can masther Frid
90 to the sthore fur NE - asked
Bridget putting her head in at the
door, an hour later.
"Certainly," said Mrs Randall.
AN IS he not back yit?"
"Why. isn't he about the house
somewhere:"
"Shure, marin, an he started fur
Toompson's Pond wild half dozen
boys an hour agone, but I thought
he was back afoor."
"Thompson's Pond?" repeated
his mother, aghast. "Why, his father
has told him never to go there with
the boys."
You see now just how well he
obeys,' said Lutte, rather pleased
with an opportunity to show her
superiority in reading Fred's charac-
ter.
20 marm, cried Bri get, putting
her head in again, "shure, there's a
man here as says the boys is all kilt,
and masther Fred drowndid wild both
his legs broke, fallin' out q treeI"
O dear! how still the house was!
Father and mother gone to find Fred,
and Lutte left with Aunt Harriet and
Bridget, to get reasdy for their com
ing home. What kind Of coming
home would it be? They didn't dare
think. Tommy Witham, d sort of
Jobs comforter. came in and fol
lowed Lutte as she went restlessly
about the house trying to do some
thing. In one corner Of the hall lay
the big basket that had made 50
much trouble, but somehow Lutte
wanted it now. As she lifted it up.
the cover slipped to one side and two
or three bright leaves fell out. The
basket was full.
Yes" said Tommy, who found
the silence very oppressive, ''me and
Fred's been away over to Brckett's
woods this afternoon to get them for
you. ! should ha' thought he'd ha'
been too tired to 90 of again. I'm
about used up" A manly expression
Tommy was fond of using.
And he was going to give them
to me when I drove him of, thought
Lutte, with a sharp pang. What a
wicked thing l am. Why don't they
come? He must be" N~, she
couldn't bring herself to speak the
word; and catching up Fred's geo
graphy, she turned the leaves from
sheer necessity of doing something.
On the fy-leaf was Freddie Ran
dali. 4" in her fathers writing. She
remembered when he wrote it; they
had all said it was hard to tell which
was prouder,-Fred of the new book
or the father that his only son had
advanced a step in learning. Would
he ever write his boys name again ?
Then there was the boys scrawl and
here the name again in Old English
type, and on another leaf strange
looking birds with banners in their
beaks, bearing that name so precious
now. And now his favorite picture
Of a prancing horse. How hard he
worked over that with dirty fingers,
head on one side and tongue stuck
hard into his cheek,-and how Lutte
had scolded because he abused his
books sol She would have been
glad at that minute to see him draw
ing in Tennyson's poems, a present
frnn WIN Schnfeld last birthday.