Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-12

IMTj7
THE BOYS CONSULT WITH THE scHooLMAsTRR.
brook is swelled by hundreds and thous-
ands of tiny rivulets. Little by little it
| gathers force and volume until it grows
| into mighty power, thing of terror
| which sweeps down the valley destroying
| all in its pathway. At certain points be-
/ low us the people found they had the ad-
vantage of the stream and determined
| to keep it, and constructed costly iron
bridges, which serve to connect the sec
tions of country in winter time, but
which there is no traffic or population to
| justify up our way.
Now, to describe the land of which
speak. My own place borders upon the
brook at point where Its bed is full of
quicksand. Just opposite lies this quar-
ter-section, comprising small crescent
of level or gently sloping land, bounded
by the stream in front and noun tains on
either hand, while the remainder eX-
tends up the steep hillside. Near as the
place seems it can only be reached by q
trail leading back over the mountains
and connecting with rough country
road at point some fifteen miles distant
from the nearest railroad station. The
land was entered some eight or nine
v, ars ago by a thriftless fellow who soon
abandoned the claim. His failure dis
oOuraged anyone else from trying it. In
my judgment, the lower level is of rich
alluviaI soil, and could be made produce
tive with proper cultivation. l do not
know what buildings there are over
there; probably there is something that
could be made habitable in this accom-
TOOdatiDO olimata pOrpa obOva
onght to afford plenty of firewood.
If our young people go there they
must count upon leading lonely and Sc
cluded life. They will be in a state of
siege for months every winter, when the
trail Will be impossible.
Don't ask me whether 1 advise it.
Everything depends upon what kind of
stuff they are made of. You say there
is girl; SO much the worse for her and
the better for them. Yours truly,
DIR. JOHN.
"What a singular letter, and what an
odd name, y" exclaimed Martin.
eyes, - said the schoolmaster, alb
sently. "He is a man with a history. "
Martin looked curious, and would have
followed his remark with question, but
Ned, who had been lost in deep thought,
forestalled him.
81 will take the land - he said.
Mr.. Roberts looked both surprised and
pleased at this decisive speech.
al like that he said, cordially:
"and now 1 am going to make another
suggestion. AS a rule, you know my
maxim Is to make haste slowly but in
this case every moment you wait is so
much precious time lost. All the data
requisite for the entry is here. 1t is now
only few minutes past nine. What do
yon say TO meeting me at the United
States land office at eleven?''
"That Will suit me, Mr.. Roberts,"
said Ned.
"And me, - echoed Martin
"Another thing said the school
master, ewing the boys little nervously
as they rose, 81 am going to bequeath
to you serious and important charge.
l am going to bequeath 10 YOU my heifer
calf. "a
That heifer calf, the gift of devoted
pupil, has been the masters plague and
Nemesis for months. 1t had drawn him
into more scrapes than Mary g little lamb
beguiled its mistress. 1t was always es-
Gaping from his adjoining yard into the
school yard, frightening timid children
and driving bold ones wild with delight
1t had lunched on the experimental gar
den planted by the botany class. It had
browsed on school satehels and hats and
coats in the entry. 1t had been impris-
oned in the principals room enc day by
some mischievous boys; and, escaping,
wandered into classroom and greeted
some visiting directors with a loud
"baa-a,' and then shamelesSly pro-
claimed its ownership by sticking its
nose into the masters pocket TO find
some hidden sweets. 1t had brought
him into disgrace with his neighbors,
and narrowly escaped becoming the SUD-
ject of litigation IN the courts. 1t had
even now helped HIM into one more
sorape, for there in the room doorway
stood the donor OF the calf, q handsome
curly haired boy, his face red with vex-
alton.
''If you don't want Beauty, Mr.. Ro-
beTts, III find somebody who does.
think you might have had the politeness
TO tell me, instead of joking about it with |
the boys. AS for you, Ned, and you,
Martin, you just dare to lay one finger to
that calf, and Pm
"Thomas Bateman, be silentl' COM
manded Mr.. Roberts, in the tone of au-
thority that no one ever dared to dis
obey. "Now, boys you may go. Don't
fail to meet me at IL sharp.
"Oh, yes, those poor little shavers of |
Austin e. said the foreman of the fac
tory, folding his arms aud looking
troubled. ''It's hard case. The men
are going to do something for them to-
night. Saturdays pay day, you know. -
'You can Z reach them IN that way -
said Mir. Roberts, decidedly.
"Eh?'' said the foreman, looking
puzzled.
1.-The boys are young, but they have
character. They don't want charity.
They mean to take care of themselves. -
"But we can t see q man drop right
down among us and not raise finger to
help his family, and pack of poor little
youngsters at that.
''Then help them in a different way.
Mr.. Austin has a chest of tools here,