Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-08-14
MISCHIEVOUS NAN.

Bang!
A SNOWFALL whizzed through the
air, and away over the fence sailed
the professors hat, battered and dis
honored.
A ripple of girlish laughter floated
mp 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 a
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, regained his
disfgured tile, and tried rather ruefully
to smooth its battered sides; then she
scampered toward the school-house.
Joel Sherwood had just emerged
from the university at W with con-
siderable 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 steadfastness of purpose with which
he had toiled and made his way through
the tedious university course. He had
done 1t 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 it's
custom, had been somewhat slow in
recognizing his genius, SO that when
the winter term of school at Weston
was offered to him he was only too
glad to accept it, hoping that in the
meantime something better would come
to him.
He picked up his hat with some sense
of disgrace and strobe to the school
house.
1t was the eventful ''frst day."
and it must be confessed that Joels
heart for 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 dim foreboding that trouble
was in store for him. But shortly his
courage rallied, and with his lips closed
little more firmly than usual he step
ped to the desk.
Nan, with many girlish giggle, was
relating her adventure to a circle of adj
mirers.
THE idea of young fellow like him
bringing tall hat down here! My!
how mad he looked when the thing
went over the fence! Well, it was
rather mean, after all, but I'll never
see him again. don't know who he
is. Some city chap, l s'pose, down to
look at the natives"
just then the door opened and the
professor walked in.
If Joel could have seen the glorious
crimson which swept Mans face he
might have known how poorly priced
was her victory. But he was busy and
had almost forgotten the episode mo-
ment later.
1t was brought back again, however,
when he CHANGED to glance at Nan.
Once more the food of crimson dyed her
CneeKs, Dut sne buried her face in {,
book and waited until il had vanished
That winter Joel Sherwood learned
many valuable lessons. 1t was good
school for 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 it 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 Gle.
ment in his little dominion. Not that
she meant to do anything wrong but
she had too much mischief in her nature
not to be at the bottom of many pro-
ject which brought the new teacher in.
to disrepute. She never pretended
that she had no hand in these plots.
There was no deceit in Nan. What
ever she did was so frank that Joel's
reproof was tempered by strange
feeling which caused him to forgive the
spirit which prompted Mans actions
feeling he knew not how to analyze.
Once, when she perpetrated some es-
pecially 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:
20 Nan! Why will YOU"
But she had pulled her hand out OF
his and fed before the words were on,
of his mouth.
And Nan-she was the same thought.
less girl, as far as Joel could see,
as 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 a
race on the ice for fear OF the defeat he
knew would await him. Hire happy
laugh rippled everywhere. Not boy
but would have ris,ied his life for her
Not a girl but fed to her in time Of
trouble, for she was ever to them q
champion equal to every emergency
To all she was simply "Nan"-kind
loving. mirthful Nan"
About the time Joers school closed
the river, which had been frozen al
winter began to break up, and the ic'
gave signs of going out. Here auC
there great seams appeared, and warn
ing roar sounded through the valley.
Some Of the older boys who had ex
plorcd the stream higher up sagel,
predicted that there would be troubl,
before night, but this brought to Joel.
mind little fear. He thought TIL
stream might rise and carry away tn,
ice, but that would be all. He knew
nothing about the fearful gorges tina
sometimes damned the river and flood
ed the entire country for miles around
At noon the report came that gorg
was forming short distance above tn
school-house. There never before ha
been such pile of ice crowded int
that part of the river, and water wa
beginning to flow over the valley.
heavy rain set in. falling for hours i
torrents. Still Joel had no idea wins
danger was impending. This was h
first experience with the river, ant
when some Of his pupils begged to g
home. he thought it best for them
wait until the storm was less terrib
or their parents came for them. TIL
latter thing happened sooner than !