The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-29

dark and then I'll do something fearful"
| CRASHED Hetty.
There was no sign Of life about the
| place; nothing but the silence OF the late
| afternoon. The golden light lay over the
| rough logs, the low chimney and glittered
on a heap Of tin cans just outside the
door. The stream rippled softly. The
shadows of the reed grasses lay on the
doorstep. The wrathful little girl stood
there just thrilling: with interest. She
expected every minute to see the grabbed.
selfish old man emerge from the open
door. She moved slowly toward 1t.
There she waited. Not a sound, not n
breath.
Slowly she crept to the door and peeped
around the jamb with eyes of startled ex-
pectancy. No one was there She stepped
on the doorlog with an air Of possession
and gazed boldly into the room.
well. sho-o-t the house, was her
slow comment. Vas She contemplated
with childish disgust the dirt and con-
fusion
Now was Hetty's chance-the old man
gone and his possessions were at her
disposal. She could tear rend, destroy
burn.
But she stood in the same position.
looking intently into the room.
Suddenly she turned around and
gazed into the stream. Her face was
thoughtful.
"Suppose"-she began Then stopped
with dreamy eyes and sat down Oh the
doorsteps with her chin in her hand.
Just supposing," she began again, and
then fell to digging the toe OF her shoe
into the soft earth.
Suddenly she jumped up and disap-
peared inside an hour passed with little
more sound than before.
Then Hetty came hurriedly out with a
queer expression on her face, and almost
flew from the cabin straight TO her home.
She was in her place at school as usual
next morning, So was the teacher.
There was a subdued and painful atmOs-
phere in the room. The classes moved TO
and from their seats seeming to keep a
watchful eye upon the teacher. as
though she might do something strange
at any moment.
Suddenly every head turned at ire
mendous knock at the door.
Hetty Cummings heart gave one leap
and then she commenced to work arith-
metic as she never worked It before.
AT a look from the teacher one Of the
boys opened the door. A tall man edged
in and made his way to the desk where
the teacher stood. He had bent Shout
tain. light eyes If Hetty had looked
up she would have seen scared express
sion in them to match that in her own
The teacher waited, standing. The chill
dren dropped everything to listen.
MON" he began, one big hand on the
desk and his eyes looking out of the win
dow, Il come down t thank We for what
We did to my cabin 'Taint had a
woman's hand ont since 1t was built,
I
n fOun' that room a-lookin like my
mothers sittin'-room at home, tn cup
bo3rd Strengthened out, n the store
swept up, n the bed made like a white
mans. n the sugar bowl clean-why, /
just darsent stay in. An | sat down on
the doorstep, an the crickets or suthin'
KEEP a talkin. an it got to seemin' like
was sttin' on the doorstep I home, n
the Sunday-school teacher / had when ]
was a boy-why, she KEEP a-comn' up,
an suthin' run through my mind about
Goals O. fire bein' heaped on peoples heads,
an 1 says, ITS that school-teacher. that 5
who ii is! She's been a-heapin Goals O.
fire onto my head An then the crickets
or suthin seemed TO say, 'SuppOsin II
was that Sunday-school teacher that
was a-tryin' to teach way out here I'm
the wilds 'thout nobody to care whether
she lived or died-just supposin some
body sent her a letter like that'-here the
old man Strengthened ana turned
steadier eye on the teacher-'n so / thank
you, young woman, n the hull OF you kin
come to my ranch n if l dent give you
the rastlinest good time ever you mad
then I'm not q better man.
He turned at the last words. and
with two shaky strides. was out OF the
door, before the 3stonished teacher could
say word.
She looked dazed until her eye rested
on Hetty Cummings-onc look was suli-
Client TO tell her that with Hetty lay some
part of the mystery. Just what Hettys
look was like could never tell you-how
astonished and delighted. how wide-eyed
and glowing with Intelligence Anyway
that lock enabled the teacher 10 say
calmly: The third class In arithmetic
will please step 20 the front"
1t was hard for Hetty 10 wait until
noon. Yet when noon came and sre
was called To the desk she fe't IT,
comfortable. The teacher looked into
her flushed face and dowlcast EYES az
a half smile came to her lips. "Eetty."
she said, what do you know about 2ir
Johnson's house The Ii. 'e tou %
demand In the teachers tone brOueh
Hety's fire to a glow She threw tack
her head. "Whv. | was goir' 10 nv a. |
Johnson for writin' that mean letter 10
you. that's all-and I'd a-done r. too
only say. wasn't IL funny. teacher !
Drawing closer in an awed way-"thats
Just what ! said about him ITis .ho~ec |
was just awful, teacher. an so lone
some, an l got TO thinking now jis. |
'posin' 1t was my father livin' like |
hiatt an just couldn't help hxin IL UT |
md say-you won't tell him who 1t was. |
will you? Cause IL Will be all the same
% him. Wasn't IL funny that he said |
'upposin' about you? 1t must be a good
hing to suppose about people, don't you
hink? Cause / felt fearful happy after
wards 1t must be a fearful good way"
'he added dreamily remembering the
I'D mans face as he went out.
The teacher stood quite still a little
while. Then she put both hands on
ietty's shoulders and looked down into
he brave black eyes and said. 'Hetty.
IN not going home; I'm going to try
upposin' about every one here. I'm GO
ng TO stay. Hetty." The teacher and
ohnson and the whole school silently
greed In their minds on the day of the
chic that Just supposn' was a fear
I'll good way" Of looking at things.
Open Eyes and Ears.
1t Is safe for all boys, as they mingie
'ith the world, or roam about In the