Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-26

scholar.
"Why, that girl over there in the G
by the register nibbling away at a
soda-cracker. She never brings any
thing but a cracker or two for her
lunch, cause she's afraid, 1 suppose,
that if she brought any goodies some
of the girls might want her to 60
halves"
eve call her Miss Polly Wanta-
cracker"
"What is her real name w asked
Jessie.
cob! her real name is Stella Bur-
ton. But Miss Polly Wantacracker
is a much more suitable one accord
ing to our way Of thinking"
perhaps she is poor and can't
afford any goodies for her lunch,"
suggested Jessie, who was a sweet
tempered, kind-hearted girl.
"Well, if she's poor, l don't see
how she can afford to come to such
an expensive school as this and dress
as nicely as she does" 49,.
"That dress she's got on doesn't.
it fit horribly, though p is made of
cloth that costs two dollars a yard.
I saw some like it in my fathers
store last week. And she gets
pocket-money every month from
somebody. The letters come to
Mrs. Blossoms care, and I've seen
Miss Polly Wantacracker open them
and take money out"
"Ipeeped over her shoulder once"
said Mary Reynolds, "and spied a
five-doliar bill. Aren't you going
to treat?!" says L. Not this time,'
says she, with a perfectly sickening
smile, and after that she "
opened her letters in the school
room. Look at her now. She's
CHANGING this way. Don't she look
ashamed /? She knows we're talking
about her"
"Poor grill" said Jessie; "to
me she looks more grieved than
ashamed. And isn't she pretty? I
wish l had her lovely, blue eyes and
beautiful curly hair. 1t curls nat
urally that is plain to be-"
"Oh! there now," interrupted
Alice Hays, spitefully, "the girls
won't think much OF you if you are
going to stand up for Miss Polly
Wantacracker, I can tell you that"
81 shall stand up for her." de-
clared Jessie. with sturdy Scotch
self-assertion, "until l am convinced
that she deserves the harsh things
you say about her-no matter what
the girls think. I like to judge peo-
pie for myself, and L haven't been
here long enough to form any de-
cided opinion about anybody. May
be in a month or so I'll find out
whether Stella Burton is "a regular
little miser' or not. And until l do,
I'm most certainly not going to take
sides against her"
But when "a month or so" had
passed Jessie reluctantly admitted
that she had come to the conclusion
that Alice and her friends were
right. She had watched the daily
nibbling of crackers at lunch-time
and had seen the reception of the
monthly allowance. She had no
ticed the costly material of which
Stella's dress, cloak, hat, and even
aprons were made, and had been
much mortified by the girls persist
ent refusal to share her-Jessie's-
candies, cakes and fruits.
cts because she's afraid you
might expect something in RETURN
said Mary Reynolds, with a scornful
toss of her head. When she first
came here. six months ago, we told
her that all the girls took it in turn
TO bring sweets for the class, and she
turned red as a beet and said, please
leave me out. l can't afford it,"
81 wonder what she is saving her
none for?" Bella Smythe Joined
in. "Perhaps to buy a gold watch.
But I'd do without a gold watch for
eve before I'd do such a stlngy
thing" -.
The Christmas holidays drew near,
and the pupils of Blossom Academy
started 4 subscription list for the
nnrpose of raising the means with
which to purchase for their principal
and teachers some handsome gift.
!" can COlllllDuCC AOIilliiS' ~
Stella, when they laid it OH her
desk. "That's too bad" sneered
Alice Hays. We'll have to take
nm a contribution for you" And
they did, and the next day at recess
Stella was presented most ceremoni-
ously with a paper bag OF cheap
crackers. Not a word did she say
when it was placed in her lap, but
when school was over Mary Key
nolds. whose way lay i'll the same
direction as hers for a block or TWO,
saw her hand the bag to a poor old
woman who kept a small peanut
stand on the corner. "Did you ever
sae such coolness!" said the girls in
chorus when they heard of it. And
ansvered themselves, "Never," in
another chorus. c,,o
Well, the holidays passed. Schooi
was to begin again upon the third OF
January. and on the evening OF the
od MIS-. Blossom, the principal, gave
comeback New Year party 70 hel ~
and their near relations. otella cam.
the rest, dressed in a delicate laVeilae
nolonaise. looped owe a dark purple
lrt,rt and embroidered with pune
lovely purple pansies, a bunch OF rea
serving her for a breast-pin, M a
making, by contrast, her golden nal:
still more golden.
.How sweet she looks" whispered
Fergus to Bella Smythe. ,odv
aWhoY' answered that young lazy.
Miss Polly Wantacracker. | mus 81, /,
T don't see any sweetness pou iM a
going to sit beside her at the sa La,e
and see il she only eats crackers t'ei'