The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-03
~ said she.

ooh, I didn't want to see him. What
you got there, grandma"
''Nothin' but a sum the minister brought
me to do. He an Mr.. Plainfield have been
workin' over it,"
"Couldn't they do it?"
'IWell, he said they hadn't neither of
'em done it yet"
as it awful hard?"
Il don't know. 1 'ain't looked at it
yet"
LET me see. He didn't get it out of any
of our books, know. We never had any
thing like this"
Il s'pose it's one he come across some
where. l guess I'll sit down and look at it
two or three minutes"
An old bureau stood against the wall; on
it were arranged four religious news
papers in the exact order of their issues,
the latest on top. Farmers Almanacs for
the last four years filed in the same way,
| and a slate surmounted by an old arith-
metc The pile Of newspapers was in the
middle. the slate and almanacs were on
either side.
Lefty, soberly eating her apple, watched
her grandmother getting out the arithmetic
and slate. She was pretty young girl;
her small, innocent face, in spite of its
youthful roundness and fairness, reminded
people of Mrs. Torry's.
81 don't think much of Mr. Fairfield,
anyhow" said she, as the click of her
I -
''and he knows | don't. He overheard me
telling Lizzie Bascom so to-day. He came
right up behind us on the street, and |
| know he heard. You ought to have seen
| his facet"
II don't see what you've got agin him."
remarked Mrs. TORY, absently, as she
| dotted down figures.
| II haven't much of anything that | know
/ of against him, only l don't think he's
much of teacher. He can't do examples
/ as quickly as you, | know, and | don't
/ think man has any business to be school
/ teaching if he can't do examples as quickly
/ as an old lady"
Mrs. TORY stopped her work and xed
her round, unwinking eyes full on the girls
face.
"Letty TORY, there's some things yoE
don't understand. You never will UNDER
stand 'em, if you live to be as old as Me-
| thuseleh, as far as that's concerned. But
| you'll get so you know the things air,
! Sometimes it don't make any difference if
| anybOdY'S ignorant, am faint got any
ok-learning; air old, am hid hard
| workin' life There'll be somethin' in 'em
that every body else 'ain't got; somethin'
| that growed, an didn't have to be learned.
I've got this faculty; l can cipher. 1t
'ain't nothin' agin Mr.. Plainfeld if he
'ain't got it; it's gift"
Her voice took on a solemn tone and
| trembled. Lefty looked at her with child
ish wonder. "Well," said she, with sub
dued manner, "he has no right to teach,
anyhow, without it. l guess I'll have
another apple. | was real hungry"
So Lefty ats another apple silently, while
her grandmother worked at the problem
| again.
She did not solve it as easily as usual.
! She worked till midnight, her little lamp
drawn close to her on the kitchen table;
then she went to bed, with the answer still
in doubt.
ut amt goin' to do for me to set up any
! longer" said she, forlOrnly, as she replaced
the slate on the bureau. Il shall be sick
if do. But | declare | don't see what's
got into me. hope I amt lo8in' my fac
ulty."
She could not sleep much. The next
morning, as soon as their simple breakfast
was eaten and Lefty had gone to school,
she seated herself with her slate and pencil.
When Lefty came home at noon she
found her grandmother still at work, and
| no dinner ready.
Il do declare! cried the old woman.
"H You don't mean to say You're home, Let
ty! 1t amt twelve O'Clock, is it,"
"Course it is; quarter past"
T : 81 'ain't got one mite of dinner ready,
then I've been 50 took up with the sum [
hadn't no idea how the time was goin'. l
don't know what you will do, child"
'Oh, Pll get some bread and milk, grand
ma {usG as soon d nave ~ as anything else
~ ,t>t me p oDieil u cul7
No. T am D. IetI Ieal pau ABOUT your
uli iie IN h hiI u2 d IRE no" ana Try
SG NJ, an eSwIneLe pc tIlile enough
~, l,a r41n Ter. nave i preai ana mix
lDeL letvy h!a s9ne 10 scr, sc9GoI LOT Ine
| afternoon ana MRS. 1offy had been work
| ing lfultleSSiy Tor an hour longer, she
uI1oPPed hef pencil
declare" salH she' I'm AFRAID am
IoSih' my Iacuity J"
Tears SOood III hef eyes II WON'T give
u Iha0 am any noW,'' SAD she, ana TOOK
Ihe pehcIl again,
w men Lefty returned IN the latter part
on Ine afternoon she scarcely knew 1T, with
tne iuu meaning OF the word. She saw her,
put her Jfue CONSCIOUSNESS was SO tull OF
ilSufes IhaG LeVuS 5 Iaf lace could only
look IN aJ the door.
Lefty ran IN hastliy;a young girl was
waiting Tor her outside. ION, grandma"
crled Lefty. "LIzzle's going to Ellsworth
to 90 an errand Tor her mother; she's
coming back on the last train. Can't go
with herr"
Her grandmother stared at her for
minute and made no answer.
"She'S got tickets for both OF US. Can't
l 90, grandma"
Yes"
Lefty smoothed her hair little and put
on her best hat; then she went.
"Good-bye," said she, looking back at
the intent old figure; but she got no an
sWer.