The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1893-06-29

responded to the name in a sort OF dull
fashion, yet with so'nc faint g!immer IT
Intelligence. What his surname was no
one learned; for the man abandoned
him and disappeared before anyone
had become interested in the question,
and the boy appeared wholly unable, or
sulkily unwilling, to answer any In
quiries nbont himself. There was no
police or detective force in this little
hamlet md the ene constable 'Sho was
expected to solve all dark mysteries and
make all arrests in Ammoniaville never
learned anything about the past his
tory of this child. Owing to some pc
culiaritv discovered in his dispositiou.
the boy was niclinamed 'Sullss;' and as
"Simcon Sulis' he was known forever
after
lie was about five years old when he
was brought to Ammoniaville, and he
was plain, dejcctcd-looliing child, not
particularly bright Life must have
already hccor,c serious TO him; for hi
shrunls astrualfully from everybody
who approa ched him. He never con-
tidcd in anyone, nor became attached
to any human creature. No one thought
of adopting hiIa; but he lived On ut the
tavern because no. one was sufficiently
Interested in his presence to drive him
away. lla elcpt somewhere in the
buildihs GENERALLY curled up in
corner of the kitchen-and he ate such
scraps as the servants chose to give
him. His wardrobe consisted of odd
pieces of clothing which the guests of
the inn CHANGED to give him in payment
for thr small services he rendered
them. He WAS not apt at Anything,
but III time he learned boot blacking,
hnd he could hold horse long before
he could hold a fork. nd cotirac of time
he had the oldest collection of old
clothes that ever disgraccd garrct.
However, when he was twelve years
old lie had managed to collect what
answss'ed for suit of boys clothing,
and, clothed in these habiliments, he
driftcd into the Ammopiaville district
school
Anmonavillc was not a prosperous
place; indeed, it was rich In nothing but
endless, nnceasing gossip and nick
i,ames. 1t had at first been named
Hartshornville, in honor of n certain
Mr.. Hartshorn, who had founded the
village and who owned the only factory
1t contained; but the townspeople could
not leave the name alone; they changed
it to Ammoniaville, and so it remained,
1t had one school where the sternest
OF schoolmasters made life miserable
to his scholars from nine until four
o'clock five days of every week, and
succeeded in making them hate learn
ing as much as they were taught to
hate the scribes and Pharisees. And
1t was into this school that Simon Suiks
drifted and enrolled his remarka BILE
name.
Mr. Horace Carver was the school
master. He had white, cold face,
pair of appalling spectacles which did
not hide his stcel-gray eyes, and
mouth that closed like trap. Simeon
shot glance at him when he entered
the school for the first time, and was
never known to look at him again.
This man and child were natural enc
mics. Mr. Carver had no patience with
the boys dullness, and he ridiculed
Simeon's ignorance. A boy of twelve
years only beginning to learn his let
tiers, and muttering and stumbling be-
cause he could not tell ID from G. All
this seemed inexcusable to Mr., Carver.
He did not reflect that this waif had
never had a chance to learn, and 1t new
er dawned upon his superior intelli-
gence that this friendless child could
have any pride or any feelings which
he should respect.
Mr.. Horace Carver had a little daugh-
ter at home. Every day she played
school with a dozen dolls of high and
low degree. Some of them were made
OF WAX, had pointed faces, and curly,
blonde wigs Ihese were the aristo-
Gratis OF the school Then there were
china dolls, and one gray rubber doll
thsA was considered tho dunce, and