The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-11-11


to her seat with the painful conscious
ness that all eyes were upon her. The
| pair that terrified her most were those
| upon the platform-not Miss Peters
| eyes, but those of another teacher who
! had come into the room during Becky's
| nap.
where did you come from?n asked
the woman sharply, for she was indig-
nant at the interruption of her class.
Biscuit City, ma am," was the
prompt reply.
"A land productive of biscuits and
| rude girls" returned the teacher face
| tiouslv, at which the other scholars
particularly the older ones, laughed
most obliglngly.
Unless you can command yourself
| you had better return there at once, J"
she continued.
Wild Becky did not need much urg-
| ing on that score. As quickly as posi-
| bic she sprang from her seat, and vault
| ing through the open window, swung
herself down to the ground as neatly
as boy could have done it, for she was
| in great wrath. So off she trotted,
never looking behind her until she
" =
Through the opening she could see
her grandfather bending over the big
| brick oven.
'Sakes alive! School amt out yet,
be it?" he asked. lifting himself up to
! get good view of the clock.
Becky flung herself down on the steps
and poured forth her injuries, winding
up with a declaration of independence
'Tll never go again, never. You
| will not ask it Of me, will you, grand
| father?''
Not if you're set agin it." said the
| old man, with sigh, as he passed into
| the buttery and brought out a heaping
| dish of pancakes
81 thought as how you'd come home
hungry, and so | made lot of EN-"
Becky had weakness for pancakes,
and was quite touched with the atten-
| ton. She moved a chair nearer them
and tried to eat but somehow they
seemed to stick in her throat The
| idea that her grandfather was sorely
disappointed made them hard to swal-
| low.
What makes you care so much about
my being lady?' she said, at length.
laying down her knife and fork, and
looking tixedly at him.
The farmer wiped his glasses care
fully.
Il don't know" he answered;
''p'r'aps it's cause your mother would
have liked it; she used to take to learn
in and to gentle ways, and grand
folks, naturally as horses take to hay. |
wanted you to be like her; but laws
me! 'taint in natur's you could be that
kind any more than a hen could be a
gosling. 1t don't matter"
Yes it does, grandfather;" and
Becky, jumping up, wound her arms
around his neck, and shed a tear or
two on the back of his old wastcoat
1T isn't that I'm SO against the
learning" she continued; Its the
folks can't stand"
well, some of ems rather irwin, -
answered the farmer, '.but there's one
powerful queer thing in human natur'
If you feel ag'in a man. do favor for
him, an you're sure to like him better
There's Squire Adams used to hate
him like fury; but since I've been in the
habit OF Lending him my yoke of oxen,
Eve got the better on it.
well, grandpa, I'll go to school just
one day longer to lend 'em to MS daugh-
ter. Such fixed up city girls haven't
the slightest idea of how to have good
time. | might bring them down here
and show them how it is done"
So, to the surprise of everybody, the
following day Wild Becky appeared at
school. The scholars all laughed as
she came tearing in, and making a
| lItf1a hob which IiI l,,+1, 4,
courtesy, begged to be forgiven for yes
terday's misdoings.
Perhaps Miss Peters knew by instinct
what a penance this was to the child,
or it may be that, in spite of her prim
little way, she had real sympathy for
Becky, and disspproved of the offensive
manner Of her assistant. At all events,
the matter was lightly treated, and the
wild girl" was soon established in her
seat.
At recess the girls paired off two by
two, but no one spoke to her.
Dear, dear thought the child; mo.
body isn't nobody here unless they are
couple, and | amt
When the afternoon session broke ur
that day haycart, with two big work
horses, stood drawn up before the fash.
ionabie establishment The bottom OF
the cart was strewn thicklv with frag-
rant hay, while old farmer Miller in his
shirtsleeves, held the reins. Cvnthia
Adams was one of the last to leave the
schoolrOOm. Who can describe he1
astonishment when. upon gaining the
yard, she beheld Wild Becky standing
upon horse-block and actually in.
yitiDg those city girls to ''hItch on. >
Most of the scholars looked so Mortified
as Cynthia expected, but Millie King
and four or five other jolly souls tumb
led in for the fun of it.
Farmer Miller shouted to Miss Peters
that he'd bring 'em home safe and
sound afore bedtime, and, cracking
! his whip, they were soon rattling down
the Hill, the girls getting such shake.
up as they had never had before; but
they held on to the poles like monkeys
filling the way with their merry shouts
and laughter. and by the time they had
reached the long winding road through
the pine woods they were thoroughly
enchanted with their novel mode O.
riding.
Such queer. homely house as it wa
before which they stopped! Becky
didn't try to hide any part of it, bu
made them welcome TO the whole, anC
to the great barn. too, with its number
less hiding-places. initiating them a
once into the most approved way O
sliding down hay-mows and riding or
the barn doors. She took them acros:
the meadows to the stream. with th
little grove beside it. and there the,
fished for trout; not that they caugh
enough to boast of, for only the mos
venturesome of fishes would bite in tha
uproar of voices. When they got tired
of that sport they chased the colts il
the orchard and hunted out the squir
rels, with whom Becky carried on such
a droll make-b believe conversation tha
the girls. as they said, almost died O
laughing
The sun was getting low and tn
grass was all purple with shadows wher