The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-03

III know who done it-I know!" she
cried, as we ran to our seats. at was
you, Tom Greenwood see you, and 1
b'lieve you done It a-purpose! But
you've got 1t to pay fer, sir-indeed you
have"
Tom bowed his head and wcpt before
such wrath as Miss Dodge exhibited.
But she seemed merciless, and, as she
left the school-room, she walked by
Toms desk and gave him ringing
slap on the ear.
After that the breach between Miss
Dodge and the school grew wider, al
though our teacher--a pretty young
girl from the East, teaching her first
term-tnlked long and earnestly TO us
about our duty toward Miss Rebecca, as
woman who was growing old, and
whose life had been embittcrcd by many
sorrows and misfortunes.
But we were not always kind and just
to Miss Rebecca. We said and did things
which we ought not to have said or
done. Sometimes we did annoying
things thoughtlessly, but, again, our
mischief was premeditatcd and mex
cusablc, as was the case when some of
the boys slyly opened the door of her
pig-pen, and allowed the fifteen head of
hogs she was fattening for market to
rush out into the highway; and some of
them went so far before poor Miss Re-
becca could overtalIe them all that she
spent most of the day gotting them
home again.
| remember now how pale and tired
sEe looked as she came up the lane,
driving the last of the rebellious pork
ers before her.
And while she was gone the boys had
made an onslaught on her flock of geese
with icy snowballs, and one old gander
lay dead by the roadside, while another
had broken wing.
1t had been wonderfully bright and
warm day in January; the air was as
balmy as April, and the sky blue and
cloudless We had had the four win
dows of our little school-room open, but
cold wave of wind came sweeping in
suddenly in the middle of the afternoon,
and the teacher had hastily lowered the
windows and put more wood into the
stove.
The broad bands of sunshine disap-
peared suddenly from the floor. and ii
seemed darker than usual.
1t was about this time that Miss
Dodge came home with the last of her
runaway hogs, whose absence she had
not discovered until they had been gone
more than an hour
sat close by a window, and saw her
stop suddenly when she came to where
the dead gander lay. She stopped over,
picked it up by the feet and noted how
its long neck hung Imply down; then,
giving it toss, she went on into the
house, shaking her fist wrathfully to-
ward the school-room as she walked
away.
Half an hour later boy sitting near
me shrugged his shoulders, gave
and said in a whisper behind
his slate:
'She's coming.'
"Who?" / asked.
"Old Miss Dodge. And won't some
body get it now!'
/ glanced out of the window and saw
Miss Dodge coming swiftly toward the
and before she reached it,
nearly every pupil knew, by the looks
and signs and sly whispers of others,
that Miss Dodge's expected visit was
about to be made. and we anticipated
lively time.
Wilfred Long, the boy who had opened
the gate of the pig-pen, looked slightly
white and nervous. He was only four
teen years old, and not very brave boy,
after all.
We were all breathless with excite
ment when Miss Dodge opened the
school-room door and marched in.
To our utter amazement, she said, in
a low, firm voice:
Miss Percy, you must dismiss school
at once and send the children home.
There's goin' to be big storm. I've
lived in this country fifteen years, and l