Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1883-09-06


tFrom Arsnur's Magazine.l
A NOPE EXCELLENT WAY.
this minute! 7'''''
The t. ne WAS stern enough to enforce
obedience ofitself. but the speaker ada.
ed emphasis by Selling the mniscreant by
the coiisr and giving him thorough
shaking. It WAS small boy, thin and
starved looking, with many patches on
his poor clothing and not a few rags
that fluttered as be swung in the rrasn
OF the strong, we'll dressed youth who
held him. But his grimy fingers never
aoosed their hold of the disputed object.
and his only care seemed to be to keen
ut from injury. His eyes blazed with
passion as he screamed:
Let go of me, Rick Markham. It's
me break it Till kill you for it sometime
See if don't. Let go, L say"
1t was an odd contest, and the bows
gathered round. full of interest. to see
what would happen, though. of oourse
they knew that the little fellow conld
not hold out long. -
Give it to him, Richp. shouted ont
some; "shake the dirty little beggar out
OF his boots,n oe Wv
"Stick TO it, Toby" cried others, to
keep up "the fun" /" !" tindin's is havinn's,
II yo-d can only keep 'e1n."
:" Boys! Boysl What is all this dis.
turbance?" inquired Miss Lawrence, the
teacher, hurry1ng to the scene. I" Hav-
en't forbidden fighting times enough 2"
Yes, ma'am," answered Markham,
. but this isn't a real fight. Toby briggs
s.'stole Ray Burgess's toy balloon, and was
srying to make him give it up, but he
won't, and SO you see i cannot take ii
away without breaking it. ~ ~
Careful, careful!" said the teacher,
gently; ,stole is an ugly word. Do not
say it unless you are sure"
"Well, Inm sure, Miss Lawrence, for
! saw isim myself, He watched where
Ray laid it when some of the boys called
him to play tag, and went and got it and
was making off rs fast as ever he could
when l caught him."
Charles, said Miss Lawrence, grave
ly-she never called him by that hateful
nickname, Toby" thought you were
growing to befonc of my best boys, and
now you pay me in this way for Trusting
you. You cannot be my friend if you do
such things. Now make it as near right
as you can. Go and give Ray his balloon
at once. - ts-s q
The chilS's eyes had been fixed upon
her as though he dreaded each word as
1t fell, while his face grew whiter and
more set As she ceased a stony def
ance settled over it. He moved not one
rstep,.rr
- CHARLES" she said, after long
pause of wonder at the stubbornnes, Of
this boy, who had lately obeyed her
every word, and perplexity us to the best
course in case he continued obstinate,
"are you not going to obey me?"
"No, ma'am," replied the boy. slow
ly, 81 did't steal it, and won't give it
up to him mot if you kill me-"
Miss Lawrence was astounded, though
no sign OF the fact appeared.
Very we'll" she remarked, quietly,
Looking at her watch, "we have no more
u9e to spend with this affair now. Go
INTO the school-room, all of you, and
.ake your seats. l will attend to it after
Tue session. Charles need have no reci-
'at'ons. He can take his time to think. y
"
Ihe sunbeams stole in through the
School-room window, marking, as they
moved S, from desk to desk, the passage OF
the elours. Pleasant summer hours they
were Bees hummed through them,
n'rus sang, andsleepy windIets swung in
ieaiy branches, but two hearts in that
room were too heavy to heed.
Charles briggs sat stolid and deter
mined, watching the door furtively, and
calculating his chances of escape, for to
..Ms plan his thinking" had evidently
rtDrougat him. But too many eyes were
upon hlm, and, spite of the teachers ef-
lorts to prevent, many fingers were
pointed at him and many cruel little
tongues whispered, "Tbief!''
aa! what wild beast instinct it is
euat 80 common one, to hunt the sus-
pected or unfortunate, eitheriof human
or dumb creatures, the very ones that
should rouse the Christ-like yearning to
shelter them.
g, MISS Lawrence watched anxiously.
phe ieit that there was something unac-
conntable in the boy 8 sudden stubborn.
ness, and IN the value he seemed to set
upon simple toy. She had found him
at her entrance into the school, idle,
Mlllul, and dlsorderly, as neglected chill
ureh 80 often are, but he had been eas.
. ny won and had tried earnestly and
constantly to improve. This outbreak
was puzzGng, discouraging, like &C
many OF the cases teachers have to deal
WIN. Sometimes they find the key tc
.ae mystery; oftener it is entirely out oi
.neir reach, and they have to blunde,
Mong blindly, doing what circumstance
compel, feeling that, after all, it is moi
tne night way, though the only one pos
Blble to them,
Tff What weary afternoon; would i
never end? At last the sunlight slipped
on the threshold. The pupils soon fol
lowed 1T. For moment she slackenet
her watch, while the larger ones, being
III spelling class with their backs to tht
door, could mot see. In that monen
Charles slid round. He was almost gon'
not quite, though.
Miss Lawrence turned just in time Il
seize him and throw him, kicking ant
struggling, into the nearest seat. Sh
was thoroughly angry at his persisten
wickedness, and flung the boy dow
with the feeling that he was entitled t
no further consideration from her.
"Sit there!" she exclaimed, can,
we will have you fastened like any othe
thief. 9ssat q Ct
Cruel words they were regretted a
soon as spoken-but the boy did nc
seem to hear them. Hiseyes were fixe
with glare OF terror upon the balloon
which was slowly shrinking away, piert
ed by some pin-point. As it shriyele
up into an uneightly rag he flung him
rslf, with despairing scream, upon tn
hoor beside it, and lay there moanin