Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

in his awful voice, "Polle Thompson may
come to me-"
Pollie took one step forward, then another,
fecli 6 as II each one must be her last. She
hardly felt the floor beneath her feet. When
at last she reached the platform, she found
loving arm about her and reassuring whs-
per in her ear.
Don't be frightened, darling. Whatever
you have done, / know you meant to be good.
Just two steps more. There, that's brave
little girl :"
But Polite knew that she was not a brave
little girl. Her heart had been humping vi.
oently all the morning, though no one would
ever have guessed it but the very hardest
was as nothing to this
Don't cry so," said Mr.. Sharpe. "Put
down your hands, and look at me"
Slowly, very slowly, the small hands we're
dropped. More slowly still, she raised her
swollen eyes, until they rested upon Mr..
Sharpes face. She kept them there obedi.
emily, though they could hardly see him
through their tears.
He was touched as indeed a harder hearted
person might have been; but he had no con-
ception of the suffering endured by the sens.
tive child. He tried to be gentle, but Polite
thought him very hard
NOM lbli hAu WY gbh hll Ahlbt hhlh Nc
holding up the Second Reader. "rm sure
you did not mean to spoil my best coat, but
what did you mean Don't be afraid. Speak
out"
Speak out indeed How could she speak
out, when every word was choked by sob
I-I-I--" Up went the handkerchief
again.
Come, come, come" :" said the sharp voice
"Why should a nice little girl fill her book
with chalk There's some good reason,
doubtless, but we'd like to know what it is. "
"'Twasn't full, sobbed Pollie then, gain
ing little confidence by the sound Of her
own voice. Twas just the edges. The
edges were all faded out, t,-brown and yel
low, and-and--"
"And you wanted your book to look par.
ticularly nice today" said Miss Read again
putting caressing arm around her little pu-
pill. 80 you chalked it. That is the whole
story, isut it, Pollie?'
II didn't kuow-it would-spill out, " fal.
tered Pollie.
One or two of the big boys Uttered, but
were instantly frowned down by the others
for Polio was a universal favorte.
81 see. l see, said Mr. Sharpe. This is
is a good little girl, and my coat will be none
the worse for little whitening. Wipe your
eyes, Pollie, and take your seat. Tut tut
no ulDTt lthIhs Dll Tue BOOI Nullu COulu
not be so easily consoled.
The other exercises might have been in
Greek for all that Pollie understood of them.
Iu her excited state, it made no difference
that she had been publicly acquitted. 1t was
| enough that she had been called up by the
committee" She should never forget it,
never. She kept her seat, a sobbing little
culprit, until, to her great relief, she was al
lowed to go home.
How she found words to tell mamma, she
mover knew but she did know that, from
that moment, she was comforted. And
| when a tired little head was laid upon its pill
/ low that night, Polie felt that life might not
| be altogether a burden, after all
"Don't tell John, mamma. Please dom
| tell John,' she had pleaded and mamml
had promised.
50 John didn't know a word Of it until the
next day, when the door bell rang aud love
| ly little bouquet was handed in for Miss Pol
| lie Thompson" Her eager eyes sought the
card attached.
Its DR.. Briggs" she cried, astonished.
"And he says, For the little girl who tried tC
do right o mamma, do you spose it viii
all brush of p
OF course John wanted to know what ''it'
meant, and of course Pollie had to tell him
Isn't DR.. Briggs good = she cried as sh
| uul6ncu. Il NOuiuu ever want 0lT' ouhIp'
to give me anything, but dear DR.. Briggs
Oh, l wish could brush him of myself
John"
John stopped and kissed his bright-eyeC
little sister. He remembered remorsefull.
that the withdrawing had been his own sug
gestion, but Polite had entirely forgotten it.
That evening, she arrsyed herself in one o
mammals kitchen aprons and conscientious
ly set herself to work TO undo the mischie
she had done. She slapped the Second Read
er vigorously, she "clspped' it and pounde
it, but not particle of the white dust coul
she raise.
1T must all have come of on them" sh
said soberly to her brother, who was lookin
on with an amused air. And this book
Just exactly like new one, John"
1t was SO very much like new one tina
she examined it little more closely.
John Thompson Do you know wher
this book came from y
But John only smiled.-NdrY c. Bdrtti
IN Christian Register.