The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-03-24
SELECTED.
A MARCH MOOD.

1t was disheartening to look out and
see snow again. The pucker that had
grown between Ken's smooth brows deep
ened as the nurse ra sed the shade. If he
could only get out into it But fellow
who had been obliged to lie in bed all win
ter was tired of seeing snow from the
window. Ken had been seriously injured
in the first skating. Rob Wheeler's huck
ey stick, In Rob Wheeler's careless hand,
had tripped him, and in some unaccount-
able way had caused an injury to his back,
from which it was taking long weeks to
recover. Rob Wheelers careless hand,
people said. Ken didn't know about Rob
Wheeler. He never could get along with
that fellow. Rob wasn't always to be re-
lied on. As he lay there Ken thought over
the things that were 'outs' in Rob Wheel
er II makeup. He told tales about the
early "sweetings," which really belonged
to nobody, but which old Mrs. Paddleford
claimed; he didn't know how to fight like
man, and then shake hands and forget
it all; he always bore malice If he were
beaten. Ken almost felt as if Rob Wheel
er were to blame for this last snow com
ing just when the doctor bad said that
fine warm weather was all he needed to
make him we'll.
AS for Burr, he couldn't fix things for
him. Burr was Ken's younger brother
and Ken had been wishing all winter that
he had an older brother to attend TO Rob
Wheeler's case.
Dorry, too, looked that morning as II
she were In the "doleful dumps" She
WAS the lG.year old daughter of the house;
now most excellent thing about Dorry,
was, that, generally, one could depend
upon her for laul Ii. And here, II Dorry
herself didn't have quicker between her
brows this morning And there were no
long weeks of pain. and there was no Rob
Wheeler in her case. 1t was pretty hard
if girl who had no troubles-and what
were girls troubles. anyway? she would
as lief stay in the house as not-it was
pretty hard when a girl got tired OF cheer
ing a fellow up. But there she was
whistling to Rex and Kaiser-a low whis-
tie, of course, because Aunt Betty didn't
approve of girls whistling; she felt gay
enough to take the dogs and be of for a
scamper even if she couldn't do anything
to amuse fellow
So thought Ken, and while he was thus
tormenting himself, it 80 happened that
Rex and Kaiser were feeling aggrieved be
cause Dorry wouldn't scamper. They, as
well as Ken, had always thought Dorry
could be depended upon to be In the spirit
of sunshiny morning. AS for an unex-
pected March snowstorm, it was evident
that the dogs found that enlivening, and
thought that human creatures, though so
unaccountaby foolish as they were in
some ways, must find it 30 too.
Truth to tell. the picturesque hat with
the feather was shetering a brain full of
hnn
had really forgotten all about Ken she
was entirely unconscious that the dogs
wanted scsmper. Phoebe Pringlcs
drawing had won the prize Every girl
in the academy drawing class had tried
her best A rich man in New York had
offered the prize, and several noted artists
we're the judges. Every one had expected
that Dorry would be the winner. She had
felt scarcely doubt herself; she had been
for so long a time acknowledged to be
the best artist at the academy. And what
Mains she had taken; not one OF the girls
had worked as she had did she not de-
serve success? But Phoebe Pringle, who
taken lessons for only little while, who
WAS somewhat dull, and of whom nobody
expected anything, had won the prize!
Dorry had even heard that one OF the
great artists had said that Phoebe Pringle
WAS genius 1t seemed to Dorry not
quite fair that there should be such a
Thing as genius to win success over pains
taking work. There WAS anything but
pleasure in her surprise, when, AS she
passed through the orchard gate, she dis
covered that the little snowy figure upon
which social Kaiser had bounded was
Phoebe Pringle herself-phoebe with her
shabby old clothes quite gloritied by her
radiant face.
One must stop and say something, al
though one lad scarcely been conscious
of Phoebe Pringle's existence before, and
was very unpleasantly conscious Of it
now. "You-you-have won the prize
faltered DorIy. She couldn't say she was
glad.
Phoebe raised pair Of shining eyes.
"You don't know what 1t means to me"
she said. phoebe for once had forgot.
ten to be shy.) II am to have lessons
from one Of the artists He is sure
shall succeed We are SO poor, you know
and with my lameness-l couldn't help
at home in any other way"
Dorry's eyes filled; there was lump in
her throat. Phoebe's lameless. she had
not thought of that. And Phoebe wished
to help in carrying the family burdens
What had her own feeling been but selfish
vanity?
IL am glad you won it," said Derry
heartily, though her voice shook.
Rex and Kaiser did have their scsmper
home. 1t was after long walk in the
woods road, in the course Of which Dor
nv did much thinking. The warm sun had
melted the light spring snow so suddenly
that it was almost as II "a miracle had
been wrought.
Derry had remembered Ken with peni-
tence. She had great bunch of pussy
willow branches for him, and r wa,
carving more In his mouth.
She paused outside Ken's door. hearing
Burl's voice In unusually earnest tones
1T was 80 funny, you know that was
how 1t happened" said Burr. The pool
had melted, all Of q sudden, and there
was the old cross gobbler looking into 1t;
he seemed to see himself and think in was
another gobbler, aud he was so angry
( l looked up laughing, and II there wash,
Bob Wheeler on the other side Of the
pool, laughing too. or course couldn',
pull q long face right away, nor he either
though 1t had been 80 long since We had
spoken. He stretched out his hand, RICH,
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