The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-29
THE CHILDREN'S WORLD.
WHAT HAPPENED IN Il Loo CABIN
SCHOOL HOUSE.
A Story by One Of Father Times Little
Tolks-Other Reading for Them-More
Puzzles-The Questions.

'Hetty Cummings, you may come out
here to me-"
A black-eyed girl in the third seat in
the second row of the little log school
house arose promptly and walked to the
teachers desk.
The teacher stood up. She stepped
around to the side of the desk the better
to fix Hettys eyes with her own.
'Hetty, what did you do to Annie Jen-
kins just now?"
Before the question was well out Of her
mouth the answer flashed back:
Put some cold shot down her back.
brought 1t purpose"
The teachers white fingers frightened on
the desk and she opened her lips twice
before she spoke.
"Oh, you did, did your"
She felt this to be an utterly inane re-
mark, but TO save herself she could not
think Of anything else. No need TO have
fixed those eyes OF Hettys-they were re-
ientlessly and unflinchingly fastened on
her face. To get them off she remarked:
You may go TO your seat and l will at
tend to you later"
She sat down again at the rough red
wood desk. 1t was near the close of the
school. 1t had been a hard day and
Eetty was about the last straw. She
tried to reason, and finally without rea-
soning she breathed to herself: IN give
II up. j simply can not stand it,"
For one moment she sat very still, try
Ing to stop the quivering of her nerves
Then, taking a large, shaky-looking let
ter In her hand, she arose and stood be-
fore the school. Children" she began,
I'VE can not have our picnic on the 9th of
September. / received a letter from Mr.
Johnson this morning and-I will read
you what he says" Then she read the
letter aloud:
II heered you wer a-comin' up to my
reservore next week TO hav a grand time
an want to say that / don't want you
an your tribe runnin' through my
medows. an scarin' my fish and smashin'
my strawberries, so you'll hav to look
out for some other place, an there amt
none. II. JOHNSON"
1t was a horrible unkindness in that
last phrase which had hurt the young
teacher when she received that letter
and now as she read it again her lip trem-
bled so that she could scarcely continue:
Children, 1 am"-the white fingers tight
ened again-"the picnic will have to be
given up Decause-We might find another
place-but / shall only be with you three
more days. I'm going home--East
At the word East a tremulous smile
broke over her lips and ended in sasp.
She sat down ad laid her head on ,er
desk with a moan of physical pain while
the scsbs came thick and fast The little
clock iviid IL was time to dismiss school.
For a moment the children We're held
quiet by the spectacle of their teacher in
tears. then, with faces half frightened
half ash imed. they gathered up Sheir
elmer bu ckets and stole out, disappear
Ing behind a rise in the road. The young
teacher stin sat there. Every now and
then she aid over and over to herself
"1've given it up! I've given it up!-with
every time a fresh sob" Everybody East
said would"-here great gasp-"and /
havoi People are so ignorant here-stocks
and stones. IGs no use to try to do any,
thing. Even the children are little
brutosl'
bhe was half blind with tears but she
became conscious of a red calico dress
just then--a skirt blowing in at the door
end curling around the jaTnb. 1t was tur-
key red-yes. it was Hettys dress and her
ffeekled nose and great black eyes. 1t
was Hetty iuingS-bold hard, brutal
little Hetty. She stood full in the door
and gazed at the teacher. Her eyes were
Slacker than ever, but a soft black now.
The red mouth was very gentle, and that
hssravating curve around her nose was
Eone.
as the little girl met the teachers
glance all the ugly lines came back.
MEAN old thing" she said through her
teeth. 'Ill fix him."
Down the school-house hill Hetty few
and out upon the main road, where she
Struck into steady and determined walk
Her black eyes were blazing She de-
livered kicks TO sundry punches of sage
brush without cnce taking her gaze off
the distant road ahead. This road stretch
ed down the valley into one of these vast
sage brush plains lying on tho border
Of Nevada.
Where was Hetty going? She evidently
knew. There was something 10 reach at
the end of that road. 1t was II. johnson,
tbe writer Of the teachers letter, and in
her heart she was kicking him instead OF
the sage-brush.
This III. Johnson was a man who lived
q hermits-not to say dogs life-in a
Jog cabin away on the edge OF the plain
81 the foot OF the Sierra Nevada ridge !
he had turned mountain stream upon |
his land. and by sixteen years OF back |
breaking labor had transformed it into q
paradise compared TO the arid waste |
around It, lie had founded a reservoir
We s4oH- PcAd ahA VII ais uOiildlu lilO the
cool forest.
"Oh! won't / fix him. thought
Hetty was getting tired and she said |
this. l think, 10 keep up her indignation.
She had never been TO II. Johnson's cabin,
and she didn't know low much further
II might be, but she had no intention Of
owning that she was tired
She had walked three miles already;
just here the road turned sharply 10 the
leit and she began TO 20 toward the noun
tain. Soon she came in sight Of the green
pleasant plantation.
NOW. how should she proceed 20 "hx"
nimf Hefty had had several horribly
oark schemes in her mind when she
started out. But as he drew nearer they
al seemed tame ana foolish.
III Just sneak up and get the lay of
tns land she said. 'and then can tell
what I'll do"
she slid from one tree to another as
ghs Grew nearer and nearer the cabin. a
|ow structure near the edge OF stream.
IL he's In the house I'll lay low Till