Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-04

mored but not over bright miner
who occupied email cabin on Al
unambitious claim il The outskirts g
Indian Sprirg. His avurculsr It'll, W
evidently only Sd ironical tribute ~ ri!
smisole incompetepcy and heavy goot
nature, for he vas ill 8 young msu will
10 family ties, and by reason OF his sin
eulsr shynesf, rot even g visitor in tn
few families Of the neiehb srhood. a
the master looked up, he had Al irrltst
ing recollection that BFn had been 81
ready haunting him Tor the lac
two days, alternately appearing an'
disappearing in his path to AM
from school ss more than US
usll7 reserved and bsshful ghost
This, to the masters cynical mind
cissEly Indicated thst, like many ghosts
ne had something Of essentially selfis
, import to communicate Catching n
81 piri'iol's haIf-sppeAiipg eye, be pro
ce.ded to exercise II with q porteItlou
frown sid shake Of .re head, thst caused
It TO tiDidly wave al, fall away from tn,
porch, only, however, to Iesppesr aEt
rsx larger few minutes 10 er st ore o
me eide windows. The infant clasl
ssiiing his appearance as q heaven sen
boon, the master was obliged TO walk Il
the door and command him sternl,
aWsy, vher, refreshing 70 the fence
he m ounted the uppermost rail
aid drawing knife from hi
pocket, cut 8 lorg splinter
from the rail-, and began to wbitile it II
patient and meditstiys silence. But ~her
recess wss declared, and the relleyeG
feelings OF the little flock hsc vent In the
clearing around the schoolAouse, the few
Who rushed 70 the SPOT found that c Gle
Ben had slresty disappeared. Whether
the APPEARANCE It ths children Vas 100
Inconsistent with his ghos'lS mission, OF
whether his heart failed him At the LASS
moment, the master could not determine.
Yet, dis!asteiul as Inc impending inter
view promised to be, TIE master wac
vsguelY snd iIr,taG.ogly disappointed.
A few hours later when scnocl Was be-
ing dismiss, 4, She master found o3tavis
Dean lingeriog near s desk. Lookls G
into the gtri'1 miscEieyous eyes, he good
hum3r; d.Y answered their exps 'stlcn by
lef,rr.Eg 10 her IaorDirg's nc W.. 81
thought Niles Mex astTy mad been mar
REQ ~ this tins" be said cSreleGsly
Cc:syts sWiggi2G Ter sS'cbel like o
So Il she wele performing some
act CT thur fc,Iion over Der completed
tseks, re pllea demurely: Goa mol dear
No not that"
$50 It would seem," said the master.
~ reckon chs never ks!kiiated &c,
either" continued Octavia, slg!y lookli
up fren the corner of her lsshes.
"Indeed!'
"No-she wss ju.t funring with Seth
xli."
Cunning with him?"
"Yes, sir. Kinder foolir' him, you
know"
"Kinder ioolIb' bim,n
For an ius.SVt The master felt II his
duty TO protest sgsinst this
most uunsideoly and frivolous treat
ment OF ,hs matrimonial ergsgeme nj,
Uus 6 second giarce 81 the slgbifcen.
face CT his youthful suditOr made him
that her insti2c iva knowledge
Of her own etx could be better trus ed
thar his imperfect theories. He turned
his desk Without speaking
O;'ovls gay3 Gn ezra ewing TO her
ss'che', tossing It over her shoulder With
3 c.rtsla email ccquettishuess and m3ved
towards the door. AS che did SO
VIC 4ItS1s cHEGO 21DM LhF
safe v.Etsge CT ihe porch where
ne had fingered YVES suddenly lmpelled to
: crownirg audacity AS il struck With
IN original IDEA, bu. apparently address
ifg himself TO spsce, he cried out,
"Crethy M'Ktrthly likth tesc1er," and
irs aIti7 vanished.
Putting these incidents s,ernely sside
the master addressed himself to the
task Of setting few copies for the
next day as the voices Of his departing
fl Jck faded from the porch. Presently
I. s!lercs tell upon the little school
house. Though the open doCF a cool,
restEui BREATH stole gently IS If nature
we're eeaia STABILITY taking possession CT
her owa, A fqu'rrel boldly csme across
tie porch, few twitte,iIg birds charging
IT, stopped, bea! the sir heeits'irgly for
s moment With their wIpge, and fell bsck
with basbfuliy protesting breasts aslsn'
.gainst the cpea door and the unlock G
for spectEsie Of the silent occupant. Then
tn; re wa5 smother movement o; intrusion,
bat this time human. and tie master
looked up sagcily tc behold U Gle Ben.
He cntc-ed with slow, eXssperstirg
step, Ms!ing Dis !s'ge boots very high aG6
pGt,iIg them down again softly ss II he
were afraId Of some insecurity II the & ,or,
Or fgurs:ivsl7 recogn z3d the fact thst
tie pathways CT Knowledge were thorny
snd I'll nit. Il aching the masters desk
and the niIistetiDg presence above II n
stopped swkwsrdiy, ard with the rim Of
his soft felt nst e2desvored TO wipe fran
lis face the mask s;rile 1t had worn when
re entered. I. chacced also that he had
hsl,ed before TIE mlcu:e stool Of the
Infsnt FAgee end bis large figure
instantly assumed such Brobdinsgian
proportions IL contrast that he became
more embarrassed than evar. Tht
master made no attempt 30 relieve him,
but regarded BIN with cold iuterroes-
ton.
81 reckoaed," lie begen, ie.ning one
hand on the masters cesk with affected
esse, IS he busted his leg with his hat
with the other, 81 reckoned-that isl
sllo wad-I orter ssT-that I'd fad We
slone ST this me. Ye gin'Islly are, We
know. Ips nice, .sooihin', restful,
s!oodicu5 time, when man kin, SO to
spesk. run osck on his eddcstion and
thirk Ct all lie ever Knowed. Ye,,e jiss
like ne, ard ye see sorter spotted your
va to onct."
Then why did you ccme here this
morning and disturb the SCHOOL," de-
manded the master sharply.
"Tha's Sc, sorter slipped up thar,
didn't II" esd Uncle BIN with smile CT
ruefu assent. "Ydu see / didn't allow
20 come in sher, but only TO hang round
4 leetle and kinder get used 10 II. sid il!
to me-"
used to whs ?" said the, master, i'm
patiently, albeit with slight sofleniTg a.
his intruder, penitelt expire. eton.
Uncle Ben did rot reply immediately,
but looked round "a IL fnr a 81 at tried