The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-11-06

and . Il emerged into the clear moon
light sho leaned eagerly forward 20
catch . full sight OF ID. Il was eagerly
recognized. Mr.. Wilkin. beyond III
question. stealing meat from his own
stores.
The revelation was astounding. In
her astonishment she incautiously
loosed her hold on the gatc-post, took
. step forward. and her feet slipped on
the trcacherous ground She sat down
violently. and in m instant she was
speeding rapidly down the hill toward
her original point Of investigation.
For once the path Of duty was smooth
before her entirely too smooth and
icy. She could not check or guide her
progress; her feet struck with force
against tho mysterious door. pushed Il
| open and she slid into hall.
Thieves. gamblers or whoever thoy
were. she must not be discovered BY
them. flashed through Mrs. wilkins
mind more an instinct Of self-prescr-
| walton than thcught-and springing
to her feet she slipped behind some
boxes piled near her The noise Il.
tracted attention. and In q moment the
store-room was opened and boy
looked out
''Guess it's only the door blew open;
don't catch good" he reported.
''Lock 1t then. James. and then bring
In the key" said voice from within;
and to Mrs wilkins CONSERVATION the
order was obeyed and she was pris.
oner.
| The boy left the other door slightly
ajar as he re-entered. A CLEAN OF light
shone into the hall and there were
sounds from the room beyond "a
scratching Of pens. and a woman's
voice; II sounded wonderfully like that
of the little knitting woman, directing
and encouraging.
| swell done. Susan"
| "Now don't be disheartened, Will.
OF course while you work in the mill
and can only study at night you can I
| get along Just as some do who 90 to
school all day. but what you learn may
be Of some use to you- We care most
for those things that cost us trouble"
| There were few simple mathematic-
al problems. and then reading. and the
words. spelled out difficulty by some,
| were Bible words.
| ssCharity suffereth long and is kind.
II vaunteth not itself. Thinketh no
evil. Bcareth all things. believeth al
things. hopeth all things"
| 1t was easily understood. Mrs
Wilkin leaned forward q little. and
could peep into the room. Fifteen or
twenty boys and girls from the mill
gathered into a night school. Then
those wonderful words read so slowly
and emphatically. seemed suddenly to
assume q new and deeper meaning
than Mrs. Wilkin had ever thought OF
their possessing. Some things do show
more clearly in the dark than in the
light
As the timid little woman. who would
have been frightened at the sound Of
her own voice in any other audience
half so large, explained in her simple,
gentle way, the passage read. il occur
red to the listener outside that some
one was keeping ''sharp watch on
those mill people. after all. and that
this might be a better way Of doing 1t
than might be practiced by any police
force. 1t was G very informal school
One girl had brought her best dress to
mend rent in it, and another was try.
ing to knit a pair Of mittens for heI
brother. Every winter has its thaws
Mrs. Wilkin had heart down undel
all the crust OF opinions that she chris
tened duty; she became interested, de
spite her uncomfortable situation.
The position was unpleasant. Sh'
did not like playing eavcsdropper e
this innocent gathering, but there
seemed no help for it. She could mo-
escape through the locked door. and
boldly revealing herself aud explaining
her absurd suspicious and the remark
able way in which she had come there
was more than ever her thought could
endure. So she kept her place. hoping
that when the pupils were dismissed
she might slip out unnoticed. But wher
the lesson hour was over they parted
slowly, by twos and threes. the open
door flinging a flood Of light out into
the hall. At last only one fingered,
and Mrs. Wilkin listened intently as she
caught his voice.
Now, Tim" said the little knitting
woman. Il like to have you come, you
know that, and Ill help you all can,
but You must tell your aunt about it,
"Well, you see. don't know what
she II say" began Tim. irrcsolutely.
| .'But that shouldn't hinder you from
doing your duty"
"Don't know about that said Tim,
still doubtful. You see Aunt Liz.
beth's got an awful mount OF duty Of
her own. and it's such partic' lar kind
that other folks can't get much chance
to do theirs, only when hers Is a-nap.
pin. Why. Uncle Rcub gives my
mother lots Of meat but he just slips Il
of and don't tell"
well. il you don't know what ID
right for you know what is right for
me-" said the little teacher, with a
quiet laugh. land can't let you come
again until you tell your aunt how you
spend your evenings"
Mrs Wilkin nodded vigorous ap-
proval. but it was evident that Tim de-
parted in state Of dissatisfaction.
There was sound OF = crutch tap
ping on tho floor. and Mrs. Wilkin re-
membcrcd that little lame brother
had sometimes gone about with the
knitting woman. They two were left
alone in the room, and went around
shaking out the fire and putting up
books and papers.
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