The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-01

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 fled in the same way,
and slate surmounted by an old erith-
metic. 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.
II don't think much of Mr.. Painfield,
anyhow said she, as the click of her
grandmother's pencil on the slate began;
''and he knows l don't. He overheard Inc
telling Lizzie Bascom so to-day. He came
right up behind us on the street, and L
know he heard. You ought to have seen
his facew
"Idon't see what you've got agin him."
remarked Mrs. TORY, absently, as she
dotted down figures.
"I 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, l 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 fixnd
her round, unwinking eyes full on the glrls
face.
"Letty TORY, there's some things you
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 II
anybOdy's ignorant, an 'alnt got any
book learning: air old, an h'd hard
workin' life. There'll he somethin' in 'em
that everybody else 'ain't got; somethln'
that growed, an didn't have to be learned.
I've got this faculty; i can cipher. 1t
'ain't nOthin' agin Mr.. Plaintield II 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 a sub
dued manner, "he has no right to teach,
ANYHOW, without il. | guess III have
another apple. was real hungry"
So Lefty ate 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.
1T amt goin' to do for me to set up any
| longer" said she, forlOrnly, as she replaced
| the slate on the bureau. 81 shall be sick
| if do. But declare 1 don't see what's
got into me. L hope l amt losin' 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.
| 81 do declare! cried the old woman.
"You don't mean to say you're home, Let
| ty! 1t amt twelve O'Clock, is it:"
! "Course it is; quarter past"
| 81 'ain't got one mite of dinner ready,
| then. I've been so took up with the sum
hadn't no idea how the tims was goin'. l
don't know what you will 10, child"
"Oh, I'll get some bread and milk, grand
ma; Just as soon have it as anything else.
| Got the problem done?"
! ''No, 'aint. feel real bad about your
dinner. I'll kindle up fire now and fry
! you an egg-there be time enough"
''i'd rather have bread and milk"
After Lefty had gone to school for the
afternoon, and Mrs. TORY had been work
| ing fruitlessly for an hour longer, she
dropped her pencil.
"I declare" said she, ''I'm afraid I am
| losin' my faculty."
Tears stood in her ewes. 81 won't give
up that l am, anyhow" said she, and took
the pencil again.
| When Lefty returned, in the latter part
! of the afternoon, she scarcely knew it, with
| the full meaning of the word. She saw her,
| but her true consciousness was so full of
| figures that Letty's fair face could only
| look in at the door.
| Lefty ran in hastily; young girl was
| waiting for her outside. 'Oh, grandma, !"
cried Lefty. "Lizzie's going to Ellsworth
to do an errand for her mother; she's
coming back on the last train. Can't l 60
with herr"
Her grandmother stared al her for q
mirIte and made no answer.
.'She's got tickets for both of us. Can't
go, grandma"
Lefty smoothed her hair little and put
on her best hat; then she went.
"Good-by said she, looking back at
the intent old figure; but she got no an
swer.
"Grandma's so taken mp with the ex-
ample she's got that she doesn't know any
thing" she told her friend waeu she was
outside. ''She didn't answer when l said
goodbye; she forgot to set dinner to-day,
too"
Mrs. TORY worked on and on. She
never looked up nor thou ght of anything
else until it grew 50 dark that she could
not see her figures. "rll have to light the
lamp" said she, with a sigh.
After it was lit she went to work again.
She never thought OF wanting any supper,
though she had eaten nothing since morn
ing.
The kitchen clock struck seven-Letty
should have been home then-eight, and
nine, but she never noticed it. A few
minutes afterward some one knocked on
the door. She cipherad on. Then the
knocks were repeated. louder and quicker.
Somebody's kuockin' l guess" she
muttered and opened the door. Mr..
Plaintield stood there. He was a hand
some young man with rosy cheeks; he was
always smiling. He looked past her into
the room inquirinSly.
"Is Lefty at homer" said he.
"Letty:"
"Yes, Lefty. Is she at homer"
"Why, yes, she's here. Lefty"
"HaS she gone to bed:"
"Why, yes, l guess she has" Mrs.
TORY opened the door at the foot of the
stairs. LEFTY Lefty"
II guess she must be asleep" said she,
turning to the young man, who had stepped
into the kitchen. WANT me to go up and
see? Did YOU want anything partickler?"
He hesitated. "If you had-just as soon
-I-had something special"
The old woman climbed the steep, uncar-
peted stairs, feeble, with long pat on
every step. She came down faster, reck-
less of her trembling uncertainty. ''She
''You know she went to Ellsworth with
Lizzie?"
"No, L didn't"
"Why, she said something to you about
it, didn't she:"
81 don't know whether she did or not. {"
'LiZzie just told me that she missed her
in the depot. She left her there for a min
ute while she went back for something she
had forgotten. When she came back she
was gone. The train was all ready, and
Lizzie thought she must be on it, SO she
got on herself. She did not see her in the
depot here, and has been crying about it,
and afraid to tell till just now. 1 came
right over as soon as l knew about it"
40, Lefty! Lefty. Where's Lefty? o,
Mr.. Plainield, YOU 20 an find her! Go