The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-08

long words and the fluster ] was in.
The trustees are merely lay figures
Tor you to dress your petty schemes OF
conceit and tyranny upon"
He waved his hand impatiently, and
went omit is the will of the trus-
tees that you shall put aside the
puerile and reprehensible course you
have taken in exciting their magma
tion, and creating frivolous and mis-
chievous emotions. The pursuits OF
my own class have been interrupted,
their attention distracted
"Why don't your class mind their
own business" said Mime. why do
you look at me, or listen to me, or
bother with me at all? 1t is not your
class; that is disturbed, Mr.. Steele it is
you" The schoolmaster's face sud-
denly Redeemed, then grew paler than
before; he wiped the perspiratlon from
his long, high forehead, and his bony
fingers actually trembledon his knees.
| don't wonder he was mad, for Mime
went on in a most outrageous manner.
Her spunk was up, and she wasn't a
bit afraid of him.
"You can't bear to see knowledge
made easy and pleasant" h SAID.
You'd like to knock every new idea
into the brain with a sledge hammer;
you hate to look over at the children
and me, and. see us making light OF
our task-its gall and wormwood to
you, Mr.. Steele"
flush, Mime!n l said, for | could,
see that he was getting more ana
more excited, and | didn't know but
what he'd fling the lamp at her head
or something. But he mastered him
self and up he got and Went away
without another word, and pretty
500 Sam Riley came i'll.
/ thought we'd have a nice evening,
for Mime was in high feather, and sit
ting down to the table she caught up
o. pencil and made the schoolmaster
take every ridiculous shape that she
could. Her eyes shone and her cheeks
glowed, and | didn't wonder Sam
couldn't take his eyes off her face.
Say the word. Mime" said. Sam,
land I'll punch the idiots head"
who do you call an idiot?" said
Mime, turning straight upon Sam.
eff you had the hundredth part of
his intelligence youImight be glad"
Il thought you called him so your
SELF said Sam meekly, for he was
head over ears in love with the young
termagant.
'If | did" said Mime, sit was alb
surd, and Tlllnever do it again. No,
Sam, I'll beat him with his own
weapons. I1ligo to the trustees my
SELF, If he can wheedle and coax
them, so can. 1; and if he car bully
them, perhaps l can do that, too
You can do anything" said poor
Sam.
And soon, after that Mime said she
was tired and sleepy, and sent Sam.
off, as cool as you please. Then she
got upon her feet and walked about
the floor, and / could, see she was terri
bly, put out and excited by the school
masters visit.
You'll wear yourself out for moth.
ing" | said, for it veXed me to see her
all in. fret that way from pure spite.
Hell break your health and spirits
like he did with that poor little body
that was here before you."
Il don't believe all these stories
about that woman, aunty. I've found.
out she had heavier troubles than
those put upon her by the schoolmas-
ter. You mustn't believe all you.
hear"
That was the way with Mime-she
was that contrary when she was
vexed that she'd swear black was
white, and take the part of the evil
one himself.
She began from that time out to
fight hard for her own way, and it got
to be pretty we'll known she was win
ming over the trustees. The children
had never liked anybody as they did
Mime; and little Bill Pritchard, that
! used to play truant half the time, and
would rather take a beating any day
than be pent up in school, went there
as regular as clockwork now and be-
a to mark out horses and dogs with
a stump of a pencil himself; and Mr..
Pritchard, he was one of the trustees,
and thought the world and all of my
niece Jemima.
But somehow, or other. just as L
said. the continual worriment of it
fretted Mime and she got thin and lost
her pretty color, and the night she
came home and said she had got the
best of the schoolmaster, and the
notice had been served on him that
day that he was to let her have her
own way of teaching. that night l
made up my mind it was about time
it was settled in some way, for Mime
was more tidgety and contrary than
ever, and | don't believe everything
would have turned out as it did if
| Mime had been in her sober senses.
The girl was about half wild, and. l
don't believe she knew what she was
about, for it stands tosreasonsh she must
have hated the schoolmaster, and yet
when | began to glory over his defeat
and say how glad Sam Riley would be
she shut me up in a minute.
"Sam Riley and Mr.. Steele" she
said, ''are two very different men,
81 should hope so,p | said.
''Sam is made of different stuff she
went on to say. 1.-THE little pricks and
torrents that sting the soul of Mr..
Steele to madness would be utterly
unfelt by Sam. Sam is a good fell
low.n
"Thank you for Sam l said, for
she was enough to provoke a saint.
but he has not the capacity for
suffering that Mr.. Steele has; and, oh,
aunty, he does sufferlp
SERVES him right, the monster" |
said; and scarce got the words out of
my mouth when there was a rap at
the door. / went over, thinking it
was Sam Riley, when there was the
thin, gaunt face of the schoolmaster
again.
He came in and bowed as grave as
an owl, and sat down on a chair by
the door; his cane rolled down beside
him on the floor, and for a full minute
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