The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-24

wife came with them. The wife wore q
changssbls silk drsss, With flowers and
white plume In her bonnet, and all tbs
children stared AZ her. JRns distinctly saw
this strange lady turn her whi~te-pIumed
head toward her, then whisper to her hus-
band. Then she saw him look ut hor and
Hak one Of the committeeman who tfnt tall
girl WIS. She could tell what no said BY
wife. and . little smile stole over her 10
rsna face between Ito soft curls Of black
hair. Jane thought she was laughing Mt
her. She did not dftam that the lady hnd
noticed her because her face was SO pretty.
and not because she was SO tall.
had TO put I'm example on tho blackboard.
She began quite low down. Put your
sum higher on tho board. so al to make
room for those who cannot reach" the
toachsr called out suddenly. "Height has
its advantagss," remarked ono o. the COM
mitteemsn atfnbly, tho scholars Uttered.
Jane rubbed out her example and
stretched her slender arm mp to tue top Of
the board. Her face was blushing pain
fully and there was Il lump in her throat;
she could hardly speak when she explained
her example and everybody looked up
voice. .cs@-
The geography class came next; the visit
ors were still there. Jane filed out with
the rest and then stood in the center Of a
long row like the apex Of n pyramid. She
thought she had her lesson perfectly, but
to 90 down, a little bit of q girl in a long
aleaved apron went above her. Sho had q
conviction that the visitors wsre saying:
"What! that great, tall, grown-up girl with
hcr hair done up. missing!'
However, the change brought her next to
Robert Games: he shutiied his bare toes
kunsasily on the line, as he bounded Vene-
znela in q high, sweet voice, then no cast
d quick, shame-faced, but wholly sympa-
thetic glance at Jane. which she felt rather
than saw, but 1t comf0rted her. She and
Robert were near neighbors, and when they
were children had played together q great
deal.
When Jane went back to her desk, Maria
Starr passed over a slate slyly. There was
a picture on IL. Jano knew directly what it
was meant for, although the drawing was
very bad indeed. There was a long row of
figures in triangular skirts, and parallelo-
gramic trousers with their feet : out
were Of q uniformly small height; but,
passing them with her handkerchief to her
eyes, and tears, represented by little dabs
Of the slate pencil falling plsntifully, was a
very tall girl indeed, there was not quite
room for her on the slate and the top of her
head was left to the imagination.
Jane did not smile nor look at Maria she
simply rubbed the picture out and handed
back the slate. She wanted to cry, but she
would not let the tears come; she pretended
to be studying her spelling lesson very in
tently.
But the worst came when one of the COM
mitteemen addressed the school, and in the
course OF his remarks said distinctly that
intellect was not to be measured by size,
and he often noticed that the smallest
scholars had their lessons much better
than those who we're TALLER and older, Jane
felt that he referred to her and little Hattie
Baker and tho bounding of Uruguay. Her
cheeks burned hotter and hotter. Maria
starr who was three desks off in the same
row, leaned forward until she could see her.
pulled her sisters arm to make her stop,
but she did not heed.
Jane saw the committee and the strange
lady and gentleman 90 out, while the
teacher stood courtseying 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