The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-07-13
SOPHY CLARE'S FRIGHT.
How Plucky Little Schoolma'am
Was Frightened.

various farmhouses, log cabins and
one -storied shanties within an area of
ten miles, and consequently enjoyed
panoramic view of human nature in a
pleasing variety of aspects-this was
not the sort of a career that Sophy
Clare had looked forward to when she
graduated with SO much ecIat from the
Massachusetts state normal school
and carried off her blue-rib boned di-
plo,na! But she had come out west,
lurcd by glittering prospects and fair
promises, which had turned into mere
will-o -the-wisps on nearer view, and
now it was either work or starve with
our courageous little Yankee.
So she had taken the West Athens
district school at twelve dollars a
month and her board.
After ALL" said Sophy, valiantly,
tits rather fun to teach here in the
wilderness. One sees all sorts of char
acters boarding round And I'm sure,
if were novelist, could make my
fortune by pen-and-ink sketches of
their strong points. To be sure, it's
long walk to the schoolhouse-and
rather lonely one-but the forest
path is SO lovely, now that it is all
carpeted with the gold and crimson of
fallen leaves, and the roar of the river
in the glen below and the rush of the
wind through the treetops is grander
than any orchestra"
And involuntarily the little school
teacher broke out into the refrain of
song as she walked along with light,
elastic steps, her empty lunch-baslset
on her arm. and the scarlet-frilled
hood tied around her fresh little face.
For the western sun had dipped below
the edge of the woods, and Sophy was
on her way home to Hosea Harlsins,
the miller's, where, just at present.
she was making her home, with Mrs.
Harllins and the twelve little Har.
kinses-a seven-mile walk from the old,
red schoolhouse on the river shore.
But as the twilight darkened, and
the purple shadows began to cluster,
like spectral figures, in the silent aisles
Of the woods, Sophy Clare shranls with
in herself. and involuntarily quiekened
her footsteps.
They shot a bear in these woods,
last spring." she thought within her
self, with little apprehensive thump of
her heart. "And Charles Harkins was
quito sure he saw a panther stealing
through the underbrush in Dead Mans
glen, only week before last! ] wish
hadn't stayed in school SO late, cor
recting those compositions!'
And as Sophy fled swiftly along, her
scarlet hood cleaning like a tropic
bird, through the dark aisles of the
forest, her overstrained imagination
converted every rustllng leaf into the
stealthy tread of a wild beast.
But suddenly, as she reached copse
Of dark pines at the bend of the path.
the sound of low, nufaed voices struck
upon her ears. She paused with a curi-
Gus sensation, as if every drop of blood
in her veins were standing still.
It was two men crouching by fall
en- log which lay in the pine copse,
mantled over with go]d-green moss,
and half hidden with tall weeds Evil
IDENTIFY, they were quite unaware of the
approach of anyone and, as Sophy
shranl1 back into the shadows of a
blaek-green laurel bush, she could hear
their muttercd words quite plainly.
But to kill her!" said one "Apd
she's such a little beauty, toop'
"Pshaw!' growled the other Don't
be fool, Hal Tucker. It's only one
stroke of a sharp knife and the things
done, and can't be undone."
But it seems SO cruel!'
STUFF and nonsense! Amt it done
eveW day?"
But what will the children sayen
They'll miss her, suppose, just at
FIRST, but they'll soon get accustomed
to another nne."
''Would you do it at night?" said the
man called Hal Tucker.
Tonight will be the best time"
said the other "Harkins' folks are all
going out to singing school tonight,
and the coast will be clear. You have
the wagon at the door to carry it away,
end I'll undertake to make a clean job
of it with my new knife before she has
time to cry out"
81 never hated to do thing so in my
life," said Hal Tucker.
THE more fool you'll" gruffiy retort.
ed the other. And then the sound of
their voices, receding through the dense
underground of the forest. grew indis-
tinct, and finally died into siiepce,
while Sophy Clare stood, pale and
paralyzed, with one hand clinging to
the laurel branches and her chestnut
brown hair blowing about her fright.
cnea face, She know Hal fucker very
well-a good.natured, shiftless, ne'eF.
do,weel, who lived on the proceeds OF
any odd jobs he could get Ia the neigh
borhood, and had no more idea of pro.
viding for the future than if he had
been the grasshopper in Lafontaine's
fable. And the voice of the other man
was elso familiar to her as that of one
jeremiah SloGnW, who p4Es no eHgia.
bic reputation among the simple set.
tiers of those wild western regions
And with thrill of the heart, she re-
memebred that Jerry Slocum had been
sitting by, the night before. when Mil
Ter I1ar;iips. who was one of the school
trustees, had paid her her months sal
airy In climbing silver dollars
"ils they meanl" cried sophy, ont
aloud. They paean to murder me, ana
all for the sake of that wretohed paltry
silver! One stroke of sharp knife,
-.and the things done and cant be I'M
-N%0k4
A horse kicked II. S Shafer, of the
ffeenYer House, Middleburg, N, ", on
the kiies, which iaid h!m pp IN bed and
caused the knee joint to become stiff A
friend recommended him to use Chamber