Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-10-19
THE rRoUBLE OF rHe SCHOOL.

THE TROUBLE OF The SCHOOL.
School was over and ont of the
rough, hut not unpicturesque log
building which served for both
church and school house to the lit
tie backwoods settlement came rush
ing, in one tumultous mass, score
or more of sturdy boys and rosy
checked girls, at all ages from six to
sixteen.
The sharp winter had just set in in
real earnest, and the chiIdren's mer-
ry voices rang out clear and distinct
upon the keen, frosty air, as, half
wild with delight, they sped merily
and noislessly homeward.
Inside the school-houSe a tall, fair
haired girl was standing by the
black board collecting her books,
with thoughtful, serious air that
seemed TO contrast strangely with
her dimpled cheeks, archly cnrving
lips, and bright sparkling eyes.
Suddenly picking up piece of
chalk, she wrote upon the black
board the one word "Finis;'' and
turning towards the teacher, a tall,
grave-looking man of four or five
and thirty, who was standing by his
desk, she exclaimed, $50 ends my
last day of school life! Are you not
glad, MIR. Lester?"
"And why should | be glad, Miss
Dale?" was the questioning reply;
and Robert Testers pale face flush
ed as be turned towards his fair pu-
pill.
"Why, indeed! have you not told
a hundred times that l gave you
more trouble than any other pupil
in the SCHOOL," And a glance, half
merry, half defiant, flashed up un-
der the coquettish little straw hat,
upon the teachers face.
"Ies; | have said many things
that | did not half mean, | have no
doubt. But let us forget all that.
Won't you shake hands, and part
friends, Miss Dale?"
"Of course. We have never been
enemies, have we?" answered the
girl, looking up wonderingly into
his earnest face. Then quickly, (the
merry, defiant look suddenly vanish
ing from her dark eyes, 81 must
run away home now. l have lots of
things to do before supper, and the
sun is not more than half an hour
high. Goodbye, Mr.. Lester"
Goodbye, and merry holidays
to you, Miss Dale"
And the worn, grave look came
back to his face, as the slight gray
robed figure passed out at the open
door, and with a sigh, Robert Lester
turned again to his desk, and began
arranging his books and papers.
For nearly two years Robert Les
ter mad been teacher of the village
school at Westbrook, a village on
the western shore of Spirit Lake, in
the star west," and Minnie Dale
was not far wrong when she half
jokingly accused him Of having call
ed her the most troublesome of his
scholars.
She was merry, willful girl; the
petted and spoiled darling of her
forest home; the acknowledged
belle OF the settlement; just little
bit of coquette, yet true as steel,
Notwithstanding, frank and fearless,
and, as is often the case in the colo
nies, a good shot and splendid
horsewOman.
On the. afternoon of the day be-
fore Christmas, a weak after the
breaking up of the school, Robert
Lester, who had started that morn
ing on skating expedition up the
lake, (which though not over mile
or two broad, was nearly twenty
miles long,) was slowly skating
homeward along the eastern shore,
when suddenly turning round bend,
about seven miles above Westbrook,
where the road from that village TO
the next settlement runs for some
distance close to the lake shore, he
came suddenly upon an empty
sleigh, lying ON its side on the snow
covered road.
Close by the overturned vehicle,
with perplexed look in her usually
laughing eyes, stood Minnie Dale,
who looked up suddenly as the
ringing of his skates upon the ice
proclaimed his approch.
"Mr. Lester!' she exclaimed, a
faint, crimson flush mounting to her
forehead as she recognized him. 81
am so glad! IL am in fix, you
see. My horse bolted-scared by a
deer which ran suddenly across the
track. He seemed to jump right
out of his harness, and has carried
away the shafts with him."
Il see, said Mr.. Lester, coming
closer and examining the overturned
sleigh, which, having been made for
Mlunle's own special use, was very
small and light, and proved upon ex-
animation to be almost uniniured,
with the exception of the broken
shafts, which had snapped off close
to the body of the sleigh.
"Well, Miss Dale" he continued
restoring the sleigh to an upright
position, and pushing it before him
over the hard snow, towards the
frozen Lake; "the best plan | can
think Of will be for you 10 get into
the sleigh, and let me push you
along before me over the ice. Will
you conner" he added holding out
his hand to guide her down the
bank.