The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-04

without casting alook in the direction
of the young girl, the business of the day
went ON as usual, but. each and all under
stood that trifiing was at an end, and
even Faiths rosy checks paled a little as
she glanced shyly at the stern, quiet
face.
1t had been a hard day for the young
master, and it was no wonder if his pa
thence was exhausted. In the morning
n of his largest scholars, a half witted
Frenchman, had entered late and inn
mediately commenced to laugh, and all
the information that could be elected
from him was that he guessed "the two
year-old would get full by and by" and.
again his fat sides would shake with
laughter. He was a great, ~oveTgrown
fellow of sixteen, who worked for his
board at farm about a mile from school,
and at o his employer presented him
self at the schoolhouse, and in loud, an
CRY tones ordered him never to darken
his doors again.
1t appeared that the spring where the
cattle had been in the habit of drinking
was formed by lowering a barrel into
the ground, and all around it was very
slippery with ice, and Us the clown had
driven them to drink, the ''two-year-old"
had slipped and fallen in head first, and
being unable to getout alone, the French
man had left it to 'sget fulP' while he
went to school. When found by the
farmer the animal was drowned. Al
though the schoolmaster could not blame
the farmer for his indignation, yet the
circumstance annoyed him exceedingly;
and if one might be allowed to judge by
the lookeof determination on his white,
stern face, Faith was likely to feel the
full force of his authority, andseyen her
stout heart quailed a little as the shadows
heightened and the day drew near its
close.
The last lesson had been recited, the
last class had stoodup tospell; the even
ing hymn had been sung, and at last
school had closed, the scholars filing out
Of the house in good order and with a
strange quietness and dispatch, wrap
ping about them their shawls, hoods and
comforters. Faith, with the roses. all
gone from her dimpled cheeks, was sit
ting at her desk, white and still. For a
few moments, which seemed like an eter-
nifty to her, the master sat at his desk
with head bowed upon his hands. The
short winters day was drawing to q
close, and n solitary sunbeam, red as
blood, streamed through the window and
lay across the desk exactly in front of
her, and to the day of her death Faith
xs,i1 aay-Y.v a vivid ipxx-ayl ,Nfafr,ro ~ kloA
little schoolroem, for every article which
it contained was indelibly impressed
upon her mind in those few moments.
AT last the master raised his head and
in low tones said:
"Miss Faith, you may come here"
AT the sound of his voice the blood
rushed back to the cheek which had been
80 pale but a moment ago, and her cour-
age revived. She arose and with firm
step walked across the room and stood
before him, and as their eyes met she re-
turned his gaze unhinchingly. His was
a sad. beseeching look, as though he
would urge her to beg his forgiveness.
Hers was a mixture Of fun and anger
combined, but certainly they showed no
signs of sorrow. AS herarose to his feet
his huge form lowered like a giant above
her, and reaching over his desk he grasp
ed his ferule.
"Hold out your hand"
And more in sorrow than in anger he
looked to seeif hiscommand was obeyed.
The words were jerked forth as though
they caused the speaker untold pain.
Faith obeyed, although the white lids
covered the brown eyes and the long
eyelashes swept over cheeks as white as
the snow outside. She had never re-
ceived a blow in her life, and she shivered
as the tipsof her slender fingers were
firmly grasped, and one short, sharp,
stinging blow descended upon the white
palm, leaving a crimson mark that Curl
ously reminded her of the blood red sun
beam asst lay across thedesk h eferule
was raised for another blow when again
their eyes met, but .from the brown ones
the anger was gone, and they were full
of tears and mute pleadings, and with a
dull thud the ferule dropped to the floor,
and the girl was clasped to his heart in a
wild, passionate embrace.
u x y =
In after years, when she was the loved
and honored wifeio of the statesman who
began his career as a district school
teacher, Faith was wont to say that the