The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-06-02
Arvid Ek's Actions.

Arvid Ek's Actions.
ooh, botherl" muttered Arvid Elk,
drawing his coarse iacket-sleeve across
his slate to erase faulty example in
long division.
Still muttering under his breath, he
wrote down the dividend and divisor
anew, scowling over them till his eye
brows projected above his great blue
eyes like unbleached awnings. School
had been dismissed ten long minutes,
and by this time the rest of the boys
were coasting with all their might on
Hackett's hill, while here was he peg
ging away after mean old quotient,
which he'd wager was wrong in the
book. Ugh! He was angry enough to
Jump out of the third story window be-
side him. 1t made him angrier yet to
see Miss Farley writing so coolly as if
she just dotted on staying till dark
But if Arvid could only have known
it, his teacher was nearly as impatient
as himself, for had she not been in
tending to purchase the materials for
her hat that afternoon? And how was
she to match them by gas-light? In
her purse were various samples from
which to choose, and presently she put
away her pen and laid these before her
on the desk. The ecru was the pref
test, but it was too delicate for service ;
the blue was not becoming, and she
was tired of garnet. Perhaps it would
be more sensible, after all, to decide
upon black, with jet trimmings, to cor
respond with her cloak. She took
down the cloak from the closet be-
hind her and tried to fancy a black
velvet bonnet above it. Yes, on re-
Election, she would prefer the black.
She could relieve it with dash of ecru.
Could she afford ecru gloves besides?
She counted her money. There were
81. Well, by making the hat herself
she thought she could get the gloves.
Looking up, she saw Arvid regarding
her with interest.
Have you solved your problem?"
she asked.
" Yes, ma'am."
" Bring it to me, please"
He shuffled awkardly down the aisle,
and held up the greasy slate for her in
spection.
THAT is correct, Arvid; you are ex-
cused."
AS he slouched back to his seat to
put away his books, Miss Farley hur-
ried on her things and passed out into
the deserted hall She had reached the
bottom of the last flight of stairs when,
in feeling for her handkerchief, she
missed her portemonnaie. She thought
she had slipped it into her cloak pocket,
to be handy for shopping, but it was
not there; neither was it in the pocket
of her dress. OF course, then, she must
have left it upon her desk. How pro
voking and the daylight failing so fast,
and the staircase so long and wearisome p!
If Arvid Elk had been in better hui
NOR she would certainly have asked
him to run back in her stead, but he
turned his face away at sight of her,
and skunk past, leaning far over the
baluster.
" Dear me! Pm afraid Pm not TAX
ing the best course with him. unused
poor Miss Farley, toiling up the stairs.
" 1t is hard getting on with a new
scholar, at best, and his Swedish dis
position puzzles me-"
Having mounted to her classroom,
she fastened to her desk. Upon it stood
a neat row of books, an ink-well and
pen-rack, globe and thermometer.
Nothing else.
After moment of blank amaZement,
Miss Farley began to rummage the
drawers, the waste-basket, the closet
and every other possible and impossible
hiding-place. 1t was all in vain. The
purse was not to be found. Could she
have dropped it on the stairs without
having heard it fall? Cherishing this
faint hope, she descended the stairs a
second time to the lower hall, eXamin-
ing each step with care.
"Lost anything, ma'am?" asked the
janitor, just entering the doorway.
Miss Farley briefly explained, re-
questing his aid in the recovery of the
missing property. The man clasped
his hands over his broom, and whistled
softly.
" 1t don't stand to reason now that
that yer could walk off 'thout boost "
said he, with reflective air. 81 see
that Elk chap scooting out of the yard
as l came up the street. Shouldn't won
der if he could tell something about it,
Miss Farley turned away in silence.
Deep down in her heart she felt con-
vinced that the janitor was correct in
his suspicion of Arvid. She had never
had perfect confidence in the lad. He
was sullen and taciturn, and she did
not like his way of keeping aloof from
the other boys. She recalled the
eagerness with which he had watched
her counting the money-his ayerted
face when he afterward met her. II
was plain that she had left the purse
upon the desk, and that he, tagging be-
hind, had taken it,
All the next day she observed Arvid
closely, and noted that he was uneasy
under her eye.
Stop moment, pleased" she said
quietly, as he was edging past her desk
at the close of school.
He obeyed, but with startled look,
painfully significant. She waited till
the boys had filed out, then began,
rather TREMENDOUSLY
81 lost something here last night,
! Arvid-something should be sorry not