Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-09
THE NEW PUPIL.
BY MRS. A. W. CURTIS.

BY MRS. A. W. CURTIS.
Oh, girls! I shall Just die, I know
shall! !" exclaimed Belle Burnett, going off
INTO hysterical fit of laughter, which
she Yalnly tried to smother behind an
elegant lace-edged handkerchief
what IS 1t, you provoking thing?
Why don't you tell US, so we can laugh,
too?"
Well-you-see," she gasped out, at
| last, we've got new pupil-the queer
estIooking thing you ever saw. l hap
| pened to be in Madam's room when she
| arrived. She came in the stage, and had
| a mite of an old-fashioned hair trunk, not
much bigger than bandboX. and she
came into Madam's room with funny
| little basket in her hand, and sat down as
if she had come to stay forever. She
said, Are you Madam GaZin?' Yes,
she replied, that is my name We'll,
I've come to stay a year at your school,
And then she pulled her handkerchief
out of the basket, and unrolled it until
she came to an old leather wallet, and
| actually took out $3.50 and laid it in Mad
ANS hand, saying, That is just the
amount, / believe; will you please give
me receipt for it?' You never saw
Madam look so surprised She actually
didn't know what to say for minute;
but she gave her the receipt, asked her a
| few questions, and had her taken to No
| 10, and there she is now, this very min
ute"
well, what was there so funny about
all that?n
why, this: She has red hair tucked
| into black net, and looks just like a
| fright every way. She had on a brown
delaine dress, without sign of a ruff1e
or trimming of any kind, and the shah
btest hat and shawl you ever saw. You'll
laugh, too, when you see her"
Belle Burnett was an only child, and
her wealthy father was pleased to crafty
her every whim. So, besides being far
too elegantly dressed; for schoolgirl,
she was supplied with plenty of pocket
money, and being very generous and full
of life and fun she was the acknowledged
| leader among Madam's pupils
When the tea bell rang, the newcomer
was escorted to the dining-rOom and in
! troduCed to her schOolmates as Miss
| Fannie Comstock. She had exchanged
her brown delaine for a plain calico
dress, with bit Of white edging about
| the neck. She did look rather queer,
with her small, thin, freckled face, and
her red hair brushed straight back from
her face and hidden as much as possible
under a large black net, and but for the
presence of Madam her first reception
would have been exceedingly unpleasant.
| She was shy and awkward, and evidently
| i'll at ease among so many strangers. AS
soon as possible she fastened back to
the seclusion of her own room. The next
| day she was examined and assigned to
her place in the different classes, and, to
| the surprise of all, she was far in adj
vance of those of her age. But this did
not awaken the respect of her school
mates, as it should have done. On the
contrary, Belle Burnett and her especial
| friends were highly inceDsed about it,
| and at once commenced a series of petty
| annOyanCes whenever it was safe to do it,
and kept Fannie miserable indeed, al
| though she seemed to take no notice Of
| it. A few weeks passed by. Her lessons
were always perfectly recited. She made
no complaint of the Sights and sneers Of
her companions, but kept out Of their
way as much as possible. Her thin face
grew paler, however, and there were dark
rings about her eyes. A watchful friend
would have seen that all these things
were wearing cruelty upon her young
| life. One Saturday the very spirit of
wickedness seemed let loose among them.
Madam was away; the otherteachers were
busy in their own rooms. Fannie had
| been out for a walk, and was near the
| door of her room when a dozen or more
| of the girls surrounded her, clasping
hands together so she was prisoner in
their midst. For moment she begged
piteously to be released, but they only
| laughed the more and began going
| nrO11nd CT o+b irr
| which Belle had composed, cruel, miser-
able, insulting words She stood for an
| instant, pale and still, then with a pierre
| ing cry she burst through the ring, and
| rushing into her room closed and locked
| the door Through their wild peals of
| laughter the girls heard strange moan
and heavy fall.
81 believe she has tainted" said Belle.
| "What shall we do?" said another.
| For a moment they stood there sober
| enough; then one Of them ran for the
matron and told her that Fannie Com
stock had tainted in her room, and the
| door was locked.
She had a long ladder put to the win
dow and sent the janitor to see if it was
| true Fortunately the window was open
and in few moments he had unlocked
! the door from the inside. The girls were
huddIed together in frightened group,
while Madam lifted the poor girl and
laid her upon the bed. She was in VIC
| lent spasms. The doctor was sent for,
but when the spasms ceased alarming
| symptoms set in and he pronounced it a
serious case of brain fever. 1t is i'm
possible to tell the shame and remorse Of
the conscience-stricken girls. They were
not brave enough to confess their guilt,
but hung around the sick-room offering
their services, vainly wishing they might
atone for it in some way But their
| presence only excited the poor sufferer,
so they were all sent away. Day after
day passed and still she raved in VIC
lent delirium. The little hair trunk
was searched to find some clew
| to her friends, but there was nothing in
it but the plainest, scantiest supply OF
clothes. Day after day the doctor came,
! looking grave and anxious, and at last the
crisis came. For many hours she lay as
if dead, and not a noise was permitted TO
| disturb the awful silence while they wait
| ed to see if she would live or die. At
| last she opened her eyes, and the sus,
| pense was relieved by an assuring Wofd
from the doctor that with careful nursing
she would soon be well again. But her
| cOnyalescence was slow and TEDIOUS, after