The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-08-27

berrys--D
Miss Pritchard interrupted Emeretta'
flow of information by calling the mex
name. Phebe Jane womanfully swallow
ed the lump in her throat, and pressing
her lips tightly together to hide he
quivering, stood in the same proper atti
tude, her little sharp elbows prolrudin:
at each end, ready to answer the new
teachers questions. But the very mex
day Miss Pritchard had reason to thinL
that, after all, she had not been mistaken
in expecting that Phebe Jane would bt
+" hard to manage" By that time some
thing like order and discipline had beer
established. The new teacher was strict
in suppressing whispering and and al
communication. When a small wad oi
paper came flying across the room, and
was dexterously caught by Phebe Jane
Dusenberry, who unrolled it and read
something written upon it, Miss Pritch-
ard promptly commanded her TO bring
the paper to the desk After one instant's
hesitation Phebe Jare popped the little
wad of paper into her mouth, chewed il
deterninedly with her small strong teeth
and swallowed it.
This was the first open rebellion that
the new teacher had encountered. There
was murmur all over the school-room
surprise not unmixed with delightful
excitement 1t was teachers pet F" who
had been guilty of this most daring dis
obedience.
Phebe Jane Dusenberry viii stay IN
at recess" said Miss Pritchard, so calmly
that no one would have supposed that she
was inwardIy sorely disquieted and per.
picked about what she was to do with
this small rebel.
After she had marshalled the others
out in single file to recess-an astonish-
ing innovation for the Corner school
where they always had been allowed to
90 out with rush and loud whoop
at the touch of the teachers bell-Miss
Pritchard returned, with a troubled mind
to Phebe Jane, who sat with sturdy
and defiant cir before the window, on
the other side of which some laughing
boys had already gathered, and little
Aaron Dodd's scornful face was raised
as far above the sill as his extremely lin
tied height would permit The teacher
waved the boys away with imperative
gesture.
La you needn't trouble about them
young ones. 1 can tend to them," re.
marked Phebe Jane, with calm supe-
riority.
~Phebe Jane, why didn't you obey me
when told YOU to bring that payer tc
my desk ?" asked Miss Pritchard.
"'Cause 1 want a-goin' to have any.
body know what was wrote on that pa
per-" said Phebe Jane, firmly Il ketch-
it on the fly, so't Leck couldn't get it.
Hosy Dood he throwed it to Leck be
was mad cause Leck got above him, but
sence he beat Leck choosin' sides he
won't say no more. But if Leek had read
what was wrote there, he'd "a carried the
paper straight home to Hash. Our Hash
he's:said he'd shoot Dr'i Dodd ifever be
heard of his sayin' sgain that twas him
that cut the underpinnin' of the bridge
over the crick time I broke, and Dr'l got
carried off and most drowned. You don't
know our Hash so well as do He'll do
what he says he will, and there amt any
stoppin him"
Miss Pritchard had indeed heard that
Ahasuerus, the oldest of the Dusenberry
boys was lawless fellow, and the prime
mover in the feud between the two fam
lilies.
Hosy wrote that twas Aash that cut
the bridge, und that pushed Ledy off7n
the hay-loft I'm tellin' you jest what
was wrote, amt 1? But you don't pear
to be one of them kind that tells all
they know. Bat was afraid you'd read
il right out if / carried it to yos. The
| teacher we had last summer she lsed to
do that with every note she could ketch
so l wanted to mind you I ike you
real well, but, you see, there wa'r't any
thing / could do but jest swallow that
note. | didn't want to make you mad!at
me / don't care for anything if | can
only Jest keep the boys from quarrelin'
and fightin' 1t makes Lecty feel awful.
Men Lecty like each other We always
did. You see, it's awful Lonesome where
we live. There amt many houses, and
what there is, is chockful o Toys. That's
what makes the boys :thinS 50 much of
me where girls is scrce they do.
Hash and Leck, they'll do anything for
me, except to quit ighiH Doddses-
There amt no mother o our house,
either, so they call me Many.
"It's jest the same o'er to Leety's,
only they've got gra'motier We got so
that we didn't darst to spesk to one an
other, Lecty'n me, only est through a
chink in the fence, except that one day
/ when they was all gone away but Gram,
and went over to their b.rn and Lecty
fell, and they said pushed her. That
was an awful foolish story TO tell, for if
be quick, never got NAL With Lecty.
The boys set out to drown kitten that
gave her through the :hnk in the
fence. They didn't, 'caus Iecty cried
but they wouldn't have it round the
house. and Lecty has to leeo ii way up
stairs in the mill. It's gotta whole family
of kittens now, all up in tie mill cham
Der, and Gram had to fee, item. Lecty
thinks everything Of that 'elow cat, but
until she got hurt, Dr'l wasalyays threat
enin to drown her, 'caus The was our
cat once. D'ri is thewGst unless it's
our Hash, and they usd o be great
friends, too. So, now, w'iit to blame
for swallowin' that paper, VA ?"
| Phebe Jane had pourec dlt her story
breathlessly. as If it were arelief to an
over-full heart.
I'll wish that you hadbnught it TO
me, and asked me not to nas it aloud, I"
said Miss Pritchard, hesiatng between
due regard for discipline mc sympathy
with Phebe James feeling, mich seem
ed too deep for her years.
| 81 didn't stop to think, an If ! had,
4 o0s,1I h 80 ,-ol.d ~ w.,