The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-09-21
MAN..

"A SHOW Duu "hisS'h N'''u1h VIZ 'i '''''
away over the fence sailed the professor hat,
battered and dishonored.
A ripple of girlish laughter toated up from
some one behind him, and looking around
angrily, the professor caught glimpse OF a
pair of dark, roguish eyes peeping at him out
OF q pretty hood, which did not hide the
saucy face of the maiden who had thrown the
ball.
She watched the professor as he climbed
over the fence and regained his dsfigured
tile, and tried, rather ruefully, 10 smooth its
battered sides; then she scampered toward
the schoolhouse
Joel Sherwood had just emerged from the
university at W, with considerable honor
and the degree OF good opinion most men OF
his age entertain for themselves. He really
was entitled to a great deal of credit for the
courage and steadfa.tness of purpose with
which he had toiled TO make his way through
the tedious university course. He had done
it alone, and at the same time managed to
help his widowed mother in keeping what
had proved to be very gaunt and persistent
wolf from the door. But the world, as is its
custom, had been somewhat slow in recog.
MIXING his genius; so that when the winter
term Of school at Weston was offered to him,
be was only too glad to accept it, hoping that
meantime something better would come to
him.
He picked up his hat, with some sense of
disgrace, and strobe on 10 the schoohouse.
II was the eventfu first day, and it must
he confessed that Joel's heart for IA minute
sank very low as he saw the roguish face
disappear through the door of the building
which was to be his castle for the next few
months. He had n dim forebodng that
trouble was in store for him. But shortly
his courage rallied, and with lips closed a lit
tie more firmly than usual, he stepped to his
desk.
Nan, with many grlish CYCLE, was relat-
ing her adventure To "a circle Of admirers
THE idea of young,fellow like him bring
ing a tall hat down here. My how mad he
looked when the thing went over the fence!
Well, it was rather mean after all; but III
never see him again. ] don't know who he
is Some city chap, ! s'pose, down to look at
the natiyesm
Just then the door opened and the -profes-
sor walked IN,
If Joel could have seen the glorious Grim
son which swept Mars face, he might have
known how poorly priced was her victory.
But he was busy and had almost forgotten
the episode Il moment later
1t was brought back again, however when
he CHANGED to glance at Nan. Once more
the food of crimson dyed her checks, but she
buried her face in book and waited until it
had vanished.
That winter joel Sherwood learned many
L., 10 g..
him. He knew more about himself when the
term was over than he ever had before He
put away the silk hat, and wondered why he
ever should have worn 1t down TO WESTON.
BY this time he did not feel himself so
very much superior to the people there as he
had felt They proved to be kind hearted
and intelligent, and he liked them better the
more he knew them.
He had found Nan disturbing element
in his little dominion. Not that she meant to
do anything wrong; but she had too much
mischief in her nature not To he at the bot
tom of many a project which brought the
new teacher into disreputc. She never pre-
tended that she had no hand in these plots.
There was no deceit in Nan Whatever she
did was 50 frank that Joel's reproof was tenn
DtTtu ny u Nllulipt i''llIlS Nui'u NutStu ullIl
10 forgive the spirit which prompted Mans
nction-a feeling he knew not how to anal
we
Once, when she perpetrated some especial.
ly annoying trick on him, and he had met
her out OF school hours ON the way home, her
pretty smile and look Of respect had driven
every spark Of anger from his heart and he
broke out:
"Oh Nan! Why will youn---
But she had pulled her hand out of his,
and fled before the words were out of his
mouth.
And Ean-she was tue sarue thoughtless
girl, rs far rs Joel could see rs the weeks
sped quickly by and brought them nearer
the end Of the term. She led the boys and
girls in every game. She could outskate
them; not boy dared to challenge her to
racern the ice for fear of the defeat lie knew
would await him, Her happy laugh rippled
everywhere. Not a boy but would have
risked his life for her. Not gin but fed to
her in time of trouble, for she was ever to
them champion equal to every emergency
To all she was simply "Nann-kind, loving,
mirthful Man"
About the time Joel's school closed, the
gan To break up, and the ice gave signs of GO
ing out Here and there great seams APP
peared, and warning roar sounded through
the valley.
Some of the older boys who had explored
the stream higher up, very sagely predicted
that there would be trouble before night
but this brought to Joel's mind little fear.
He thought the stream might rise, and carry
away the ice, but that would be all. He
knew nothing about the fearful gorges that
sometimes damned the river. and flooded the
entire country for miles around.
At noon the report came that gorge was
forming a short distance above the school
house. There never before had been such q
pile Of ice crowded into that part of the
river, and water was beginning to flow oven
the valley. A heavy rain set in, falling foI
hours In torrents. Still Joel had no idea
what danger was impending. This was his
first experience with the river, aud wheu
some of his pupils begged TO &c home, he