The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-23

chain and fastened il with that as well as
they could. but there was difference be-
tween the pole and the sleigh of a number
OF inches, and as they went through pitch
holes they took most unexpected headers,
now on one side and now on the other,
and tipped over twice.
Going down hills the boys jumped off
and held the load from running into the
horses. There was something novel and
exciting in being thus in the woods at
night The big open fire made strange
and sometimes grotesque figures and shad-
ows of the young folks fitting about it,
and it seemed like masquerade. AS the
flames rose the trees and branches seemed
to advance in out of the night, and as they
fell to mysteriously disappear. The red
glare made the quiet woods about them
dark and solemn, but they laughed and
chatted and sang and ate jack-wax and
pickles and biscuits and cake, and eggs
cooked in the boiling sap.
wasn't that last little red house on the
right tho Bell place." asked Arthur of
Mary Tompkins mean the man who
kept his wife three weeks without burying
her"
my goodness! what did he do that
for?" asked Laura.
Arthur took long drink OF water.
'She wasn't dead" he answered SOL
EMMY.
They fell to guessing riddles and telling
stories, and one of these reminded Mary
that her father had seen what looked to be
bears fresh track in the woods yester-
day tho other side of Filters gull and
they talked of how a bear, that deep snow
winter, three years before, had strayed out
of the great north woods, and had gone
right through the village in the night and
had entered a woodshed and two barns in
search of food, and how the next day his
tracks had been followed for miles, but he
had finally escaped. Someway they all
drew closer together when this was told
The Tompkins' hired man ladled out
milk pans full of the boiling sirup and
carried them away to a deep snow-bank to
cool and harden into sugar.
IF there's anything n bear likes above
everything else, said Arthur, Its maple
strip. Ii there's one around here /
wouldn't be surprised il he scented this
and called on US. Indians always baited
them with maple sirup; and that reminds
me: Amt it funny, Laura, that an In
dian has no knee-pan there" and he
rubbed his knee.
Yes, what you know about Indians
would fill whole library don't believe
it; believe they have knee.pans.
80 they have: nevertheless. what | said
is true. Say, Sam, it's time 20 90 for the
horses" Sam SpeclIles had driven them
up to the farm.
arthur, honest now, il an Indian g
knee-pan isn't there, where is it?"
You won't believe me if tell you, will
you?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's on his own knee"
"Why do you always hector me, Ar
thur? Why don't you fool tho others,
too?"
"Well, you bite the easiest, and then
like TO see you spunky; 1t improves your
complexion and makes your ewes sparkle
and you're always catching up my mis-
takes in class even when the teacher don't
discover them"
But she don't tell on u.s." broke in
Stubby.
NO. that you don't Laura"
1t was only few DAYS before, during a
recess. that the teachers being out OF the
room, pretty nearly all the boys got to
raising Ned, and the principal hearing
the noise, rushed back to the room and
threw open the door Just in timo to be hit
on the nose with q small piece of bark. 1t
was the first one that had been thrown.
Although an excellent teacher, he was q
man of violent temper, and he charged on
the scholars like tiger. Neither Stubby
nor Arthur knew who threw the bark and
said SO, but Laura had seen the boy throw
it, and would not lie. The angry teacher
asked the school in turn who threw the
missile. All denied doing il, and he grew
more and more wrathiul; at last he
reached Laura. The girl rose, pale and
with her eyes cast down.
Laura Warren, do you know what
scholars were making all this bedlam, and
who threw that piece OF barkW
'Hes, sir"
"Well, who was it?'
81 cannot tell you, Eli"
"Do you mean to stand there and tell
me you refuse TO say who hit me2" said
the teacher growing more tigerish.
1T wasn't meant TO hit you, Mr.. Scho-
field, and | cannot be- mean enough TO tell
who threw It."
perhaps you were Iadylike enough to
have thrown it yourself"
"Sirw Those large blue ewes flashed at
the teacher in a way that made his own
little sharp brown ones twinkle and turn
uneasily. She was no longer yielding or
timid-she was every inch Warren, and
he had insulted the pride OF descendant
of the spirit of rs. Squire Warren, who
was the president of the board of educa
ton, was sent for; the board was TT once
called together. In his anger the princi-
pal declared that he would resign forth
with if this rebellious spirit was not
quelled; the b!ood-tha is, the expulsion
of the culprit who threw the bit of bark
wonld alone satisfy him.
None OF the scholars ever knew how
much pressure was brought to bear on
Laura that day; but she was as firm as hel
father could be on occasions. He had
never seen his daughter so obstinate. II
| would be mean to tell, and tell she
wouldn't. The situation had grown quite
| embarrassing when the real offender a
last went, sobbing. before the board anc
confessed his guilt.
This was what Stubby referred TO.
You do ask such funny questi ons some
times. Laura, that fellow can't help teas
ing you," said Arthur.
How so?"
"Well, for instance, one day last fall Iri
and / wanted TO go hunting. but Aunt,
| Davies said he must finish painting tht
| fence first. so we both went at ii. YoT
came along when we were putting in on
best licks, and said; why, bows, are yol
painting the fence?' Now, what a ques
| ton that was
~ believe you think Pm al idiot"