Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-11-09
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GY~~csy GKElcplEx, SNOwDsS~


school at Craigside, extended the pat
ronage of his friendship to. Dick Dem
holme, drunkard and law breaker.
He was a handsome, pale. intellectual
youth of twenty-five years, with
taste for botanising and geological
speculation; while Dick, fifteen years
his senior, was a man of no taste what
ever, unless the taste for ale be counted
"a being whose rough and dissolute
aspect spoke with such unblushlng eff
frontery of his fragrant knavishness
that little dissimulation might have
passed, in him, for kind of negative
virtue.
Yet the relationship which su bsis ted
between them was that of the most
intimate comrades They lived in the
same cottage: they spent their Satur-
days in long excursions; and it was un-
stood that those who wished to quarrel
with the young teacher might also
hope to indulge themselves in the hos
tility of Dick The opinion was
boldly hazarded by some that. if the
truth could be told, George Oakworth
was no better than he ought to be, be-
cause man is known by the company
he keeps. There were othsrs who
pointed out that the schoolmaster, out
of motives of personal timidity, had
merely possessed himself of a stout de-
fender. Not only were both these
views mistaken ones, but when the
friendship was struck up 1t was Dick
who took the initiative.
Abandoning hopeful career and the
at,.in Two t,o nfa hirr oif
George Oakworth had sought oblivion
and honest dealing in village COM
munity. The first week of his duties
at the national school was disturbed
by an incident, which, trivial in it.
self, sufficed to shape for while his
course of life. He had begun with a
gentle hand, hoping to interest the
boys rather than to govern them; and
although some at times had fallen
happily asleep, and others, on the
back benches, had exhibited morti-
flying preference for the furtive game
called thoughts and crosse s." he had
persevered with heroic good temper
But one restless morning the sharp
crack of an explosive paper pellet
sounded on the wall behind him, and
the school burst out laughing His
face flushed, and his practised eye
travelled at once 20 the delinquent
an overgrown and lubberly youth
named Puggy Cullingworth, who was
accustomed to SLAYER on his copy book,
and whose father had sent him to school
at an age when it was no longer pos
sible to teach him any thing,
Puggy sat at the end of bench.
Advancing upon him slowly the teacher
administered box on the ear which
smote, as the lightning smites, before
it was seen, and which set big bell
booming in his head
The school felt that the incident
had only commenced and was thrilled
with gleeful expectancy. Puggy
had long been admired for his amazing
effrontery and unmanagea BILE du.lness.
He could fight any three small boys of
the normal school age, and it was
well known that old Scaife, who kept
the school when he first came to it,
did not dare to frown at him. Conse-
quently when the etfeminate new mas
ter. pale and unsuspecting, advanced
upon the raw boned hero and struck
him an impressive silence brooded in
the room. And the wide-eyed on
lockers were right The incident had
not terminated. When the young
boor sprang to his feet with a cry of
J.. rage the dominic gripped him by the
slack of his waistcoat, kneading his
fists into the re bells abdomen, and
rushed him down the schoolroom till
his lack struck the wall with a crash
that knocked all the breath out of his
body and all the expression out of his
face.
You big baby" he cried hoarsely.
"Go to your seat. If you had been
more of man I'd have thrashed you!"
And, turning to the rest, he added,
with quietness of manner that was
equally appalling with fury: Il wish
to treat this school as a seminary of
gentlemen; but / will be treated as
gentleman myself
Which was rather fine, but rather
above the heads of his juvenile audi
ence, whose hearts were beating fast
at the spectacle of this vivid and awful
example. Moreover, a clamorous bell
lowing of inarticulate threats and pro-
tests burst the next moment from the
hum bled BOBBY, and could not be SUBJ
dued. Master Puggy Cullingworth was
put out of doors, and drifted home.
wards while blessed state of recep-
tivity came upon the smaller fry, and
his dismal uluations died away grue-
30 ne into the far distance.
Nevertheless, when the school as
sem oled the next day, the master
noted certain restlessness among his
pupils, the symptom of suppressed
anxiety. He got more stupid answers
than usual and on several occasions,
at the sound of passing footsteps in the
road, all eyes were turned towards the
door. In vain he ratified on the desk
with his ruler; he only made the little
wretches nervous
At last curiosity got the better of
him Does any one know he asked,
''why Cullingworth is not at school
this morning?"
All hands went up
''Well'" he said, pointing to the
youngest volunteer, a dumpy red
headed child with honest big blue