Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-06-10

went on. The master always sat alb
sorbed in law books through the inter
mission, the keys could be turned on tn
outside in flash, the heavy wooden shut
ters pushed over the windows, and ther
would be an afternoon for the ice, an,
one for the master to learn lesson
in the dark Hand -pledging beganagain
but there was once more a gnat TO tn
lion; the slack trowsers stood motionlcS
again; Sans eyes blazed but Hal slowl,
unrolled bundle and held somcthin:
glittering and dangling before Gallowses
face. With great bound Gallowses
heart leapcd up, and the brown eyes shon,
like stars. "For me-" but Hal drew th,
prize away. ''lIold on! just give u,
your hand YOU won't meddle with ou
lookup, frstr'
Miss Judy's boy started back. Wa,
this quick, sharp-shooting pain what peo
pie call disappointment: He hadn't beer
used to expecting things, and he had moi
known disappointment.
Don't, Hal! Don't show them to me
| can't promise! You know | can't
Look here, Gallowses, don't be q
fool Didn't Sam let YOU have enough
the other time
- The Elm Tree school sat that morning
with dashes and muttcrings like a sup
pressed volcano. and Miss Pophurst
swayed in her chair, with short, crispy
little crcaks. She had been thinking
about something ever since Saturday af-
tcmoon, and at last she sprang suddenly
up.
"What difference does itmake to Tom
Perhaps he'll be gladI' and once more
the attic boards crcakcd, and when Miss
Judith took her seat again, she had a
little bundle softly by her side. The old
clock tickcd slowly on, but the latch lifted
at last, and Miss Judith raised the bun
die from the floor.
"Scc if those skates will ht you; they
might as well be worn as to rust, | sup
pose she said
The visit to the trunk haunted Miss
Pophurst after Gallowscs was asleep, and
at last she stole silently into his room,
but before she reached the bedside, she
stood transfxcd. Good land if the
child aint hugging close to Tom skates,
yet, and that other things under his
cheek again, and | do believe he's been
crying. Why, what ails the boy: And
the SHOWS coming down now at rate
thatll put the mill pond out Of sight for
one while -
And so it did, and the life went out OF
skates and the lookup plan, together
the heroic spirits dropped, and quiet set
tied in upon the school-room for the next
two weeks. The holidays were coming
so near that perhaps it was as well to
let them come peacefully after all.
Thanksgiving Day astonished every one
with an unprecedented thaw, and 4 rain
that turned the snow covered pond into
an oozy surface, black as ink; and though
Miss Pophurst had a chicken and little
ball of pudding for dinner, there
was no getting out, and still less of the
mcrry-making and gay company Gal
lowses had heard all the boys promise
themselves; and he hid away in bed at
last. thankful that the day was done ;
how should he ever live through 4 whole
week like that when Christmas came:
But before Christmas came the world
seemed TO be in altogether a different
mood. The sunset skies turned yellow
asJgold, and the purple hills stood sharp
and almost black against them III the
frosty air; the nights grew singing and
clear. and at last, as Christmas Eve it
self set in, north wind whirled down
on the glowing pond, and when morning
dawncd, as Deacon Bayberry assured the
boys. pharaoh and all his host might
feel free to march across
Whittier had our sorrowful memories
fled away, that wild, joyful, Christmas
afternoon; Faster and faster flew the
warm, eager blood through his veins
had he ever been miserable: had he ever
sobbed himself to sleep in world where
skates and skating grounds were found
On flew the hours: what did make
cutting letters so very hard: Over and
over the "P" he was determined to cut,
Gallowses went, too busy to notice that
one by one the boys had slipped away,
toward the cove above, for fresh ice; for
the black face of the pond wa. SCARED and
white at last. Another fifteen minutes,
and suddenly there was wild cry behind
him: "Sam Abberton and Hal are in the
water | am going for help" and with
marble face Bob Aylmer plunged off the
ice. We're those Squire Philips gray
sleigh-robes and mottled gray horses dash
ing past:
"You get OUT thuRdered the Squire,
and snatching Bob into the sleigh, he
shot the gray horse down the mill-road
by the pond, and then with swoop,
round to a motionless, black group, hud-
died on the ice.
And what did the Squire do then
What had any of them done all this
time standing motionless, in dumb, freez-
ing terror, as the ice crumbling from the
hands that clutched it, brought the black,