St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-04-21


agogue's eyes and without fear of wrath
to come Sloan swore it was not he,
and II wonld have sworn it if | had
been given an opportunity. His grip
loosened, "a hand was clapped to either
eye, and we, the culprits fled-Sloan
by one of the little windows above the !
wOOd-pile and | by the stairway up
which Gage had already disappeared. |
As | ran | looked back and saw Sloan |
wriggling his way through the win |
dow, while sticks of wood were flying
through the air in wonderfully good
range for his disappearing parts. |
fled up the stairs, seized my cap from
its peg and made for the door. All, |
me That trick had been played too
often on Rhadamanthus before l
heard grunt of satisfaction as | turn
ed the knob and found the door fast
ened He had locked it before he
went down stairs.
His hand was fastened in my collar
in an instant and he towed me into
the room--as "A dog would carry Il rat
giving me shake every few steps
to let me know his power suppose.
Gage had slipped into the room and
gained his desk as he thought unseen
by the fate which had lighted on me,
but as he went by his seat a hand was
hooked in his collar, and he was con
strained to trOt along on the other side
of the impelling force toward the plat
form.
Unfortunately it was the day the af
ternOOn of which was devoted to com
positions and declamations, and all
the school was collected in the Prin-
cipals room with the teachers seated
on the platform. | remember Miss
Bells look of horror as she recognized
me under the coat of ashes on my face
and in my hair.
As he mounted the platform Rha
damanthus loosed me because he had
me by the right hand and took down
his whip. This made Cages turn
come first. | had no idea he had such
suppleneSS of limbs as he displayed
while dancing round the master. |
could not help laughing, though !
knew what he was receiving was only
a tritie to what awaited me. At length
the rawhide ceased to fall and poor
Gage was turned loose, moaning pit
eously and keeping Il hand on each
side, making lively journeys from knee
to shoulder i'll anxious search for the
sOrest spot. Rhadamanthus contem
plated his lively performance with Il
half-smile of satisfaction for IA moment,
while he caught his second breath and
then turned to me. | knew that out
cry or eXpOstulatiOn was i'll vain. Be-
sides the wrath of the atfray had not
left me. | shut my teeth hard, put Il
hand under each arm-pit, curled up
| L. To- T. fat
Then it rained rawhide over head and
shoulders for while. He could not
hold me long and | would not stand,
so l was soon sitting on the platform.
But still it rained blows. They said |
did not utter IA cry and | know did
not mean to. At length the blows
ceased and heard the master painting
over me. My back and shoulders were
Il quivering mass of pain-my heart a
caldrOn of fierce wrath. ! knew | had
deserved punishment, expected it and
would not have been angry ut any
reasonable amount, but | knew this
had been terrible. | had my head
drawn between my shoulders and had
determined to count the blows and had
done so. Each time the rawhide scOr-
ed the quivering flesh | had mentally
tailed one. | knew the number when
he stopped, and this as well as the
pain served to make my wrath still
fiercer.
"Get up" said the master.
| would have died rather than obey.
Again the blows fell, again he paused.
"Now will you get upw he shouted.
The blood was running from the lip
| had bitten to repress my cries, but
would not answer.
Again came the whip. He was
bound to break my spirit and | deter
mined never to yield. Again he paus-
!, ed.
''Get up and go to your seat - he
, shouted. | did not move muscle.
Again a few blows, and he pushed me
, with his foot off the platform to the
floor. lay as | fell. The house was
, as silent as death. ! did not stir
5 Rhadamanthus came down, lifted me
; up by one arm. did not offer to
. stand. He let go. | fell limp and
r mOtiOnless.
: He seized me again, shook me fierce
: ly, struck Il few blows and said, "Now
! go to your seat"
f fell prone to the floor as he released
me. He picked me up, dragged me tC
} my seat and thrust me into it. | sal
: with my head on the desk till some one
asked me if | would not have drinl
of water raised my head, took the
. tin dipper from his hand and draine,
= the last drop. As put it from my lip
D | saw that it was Gage who brought il
: and looking beyond him saw the face
of my sometime queen, cOnrulsed ,Cit
a laughter!
= | left the academy the next day
= Mine is said to have been the last rea
1 old-fashioned "hiding" ever done il
= that academy.
). When | came to see my face in
h glass an hour after, | did not wonde
= that any one should laugh at it. Ye
n | did not like to think that she, III.
n eart-queen, had laughed at my pligh
I won in the battle undertaken to aveng
Il her Sights. SO | cursed in my wratI
h and swOre that would never have any
= thing more to do with a ''red-hdired gin
q lChO had Snub nose and freckIes."
h A soft white hand reaches quickl
n over my shoulder and grips me spite
e fully by the beard. As glance meek
# ly sidewise a wave of golden hair fall
d in ripping splendor betwixt me an
e the sunlight. The voice of a spoile
l. ten-year old comes sharply to my ear
d in mimic wrath, and | know that TIA
is changeful blue eyes are mocking me Il
Is | meekly yield to hirsute bondage
" while she says:
Y go you bad papa, to write sue
1t naughty things! I've been readin
h over your shoulder and now you mu,
Is cross out all those bad words, J."
d "Bad words! What do you mean
Why all that about red hair an