The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-12-19

D0ENs ann NJ. - -
p1ayed toGether grsat deal
But the worst came when one q tn
committeemen addressed the school. and
In thu course Of his remarks said dis
tinctly that intellect was not 30 bemeas.
ured by dxe, and he often noticed thai
the smallest scholars had their lessons
much better than those who were taller
and older. Jane felt that he referred ia
her and little Hattie Baker and the
bounding Of Uruguay.
Her cheeks burned hotter and hotter.
Maria Starr, who was three desks OF In
the same row, leaned forward until she
could see her, and Uttered Mary Eta,
In the seat behind, pulled her sister arm
TO make her stop, but she did not heed.
Jane saw the committee and the
strange LADY and gentleman 60 out,
while the teacher stood couYtesying at
the door, and all through nearing cloud
of tears When the door closed after
the company she hoped her arms around
her face, and laid it down ON the desk.
The teacher came and stood beside her,
and asked her what the matter was.
Jane only shook her head and wept.
ssAre You sickr' asked the teacher,
bending low over her.
mo, ma'am," sobbed Jane She would
not say another word, and the teacher
went back to her desk and called class.
"Jane," she said presently, In a clear,
authoritative voice, "You may go out
and get pail of water"
The teacher meant it very kindly; it
was considered quite privilege to get a
pail of water, and then pass it around in
q tin dipper; she thought it would serve
to distract James mind from her grief,
whatever it might be.
But it was dreadful for poor Jane to
pull herself up to her full height and
crawl slowly down the aisle, with her
arms crooked In pink ring around her
face, and all the school looking, She
stumbled over a protruding nail. and
everybody Uttered, and the teacher called
out, "Hushr' sharply.
Jane went out with the water pail, but
instead Of filling it from the pump near
the school house she sat it down on the
platform and fed desperately down the
road to little bridge over brook.
Her mind was made up, she would
not 60 back to school, she had never
been 30 miserable in her life, and the
misery was all the greater because she
was ashamed of it and ashamed to con-
fess 1t. She did not want to tell even
her mother that she minded 80 much be-
cause she was tall; she crouched low
down In the bushes and wept.
Presently she heard a quick patter of
bare feet on the bridge, then break in
the bushes.
''Hallop called a hesitating voice.
Jane made no sound.
"Ho, you needn't play You amt there"
said the voice. 81 see you come in here.
I was looking out Of the window. l
raised my hand when teacher asked
where you was, and she cent me out here
to fetch the water, and to tell you to
come in.
Jane looked up and saw boys face
peering down at her from the top of the
bank, his brown cheeks flushing, his red
lips parting in bashful laugh.
Il amt ever going back to school.
Robbie" said Jane with sob. All the
old childish comradeship seemed to come
back to her, she had not seen much of
him for a year or two; she had played
more with girls.
II don't care, you're the prettiest girl
in school anyhow" said Robert in a
shamefaced way.
"Why. Robert Carnes! amt"
eyes, You are"
"Oh, Robbie-maybe shall be-taller
than am now"
II don't care if you are, you'll always
be the prettiest. Come along"
II amt going back to school,"
Teacher won't like it,"
II can't help it."
"Oh, come along"
~ won't" The giflts pink face turned
up toward him like a pink flower from
the bushes. There was look in it that
the boy knew we'll. He knew that when
his old playmate said 81 won't" in that
tone, she didn't.
Robert seated himself on the bank and
began to whistle. Jane looked at him;
she could see his slender shoulders in his
little homemade blue and white shirt,
and his handsome face gazing ahead abb
stractedly as he whistled.
why don't you 20 back to school?'
she asked hesitatingly.
"Oh, amt going back If you amt"
why not, I'd like to know
"'Cause I amt. Say, Mary Eta has
got her head down on her desk crying
cause you don't come in, and I seen
Maria passing along some crab apples to
put Ia your desk"
Jane said nothing. Robert whistled
again.
Jane waited minute, 'Wen, I'll,
come" said she. "You 60 ahead and
get the water
There was leap of bare feet over the
bridge, and Jane came out from the
swarm Of flower butterflies, with unde-
fined conviction that brought comfort in
her childish heart, that however tall she
ala -