The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-31
SOPHY CLARE'S FRIGHT.
How a Plucky Little Schoolma'am
Was Frightened.

schoolma'am i'm the far west-a
hardworked, scantily paid little
drudge, " lao ''boarded round at the
Various farmhOuses, log cabins and
one =; Dried shanties within an area of
ten miles, aud consequently enjoyed a
panoramic view of human nature in a
pleasing variety of aspects-this was
not the sort of career that Sophy
Clare had looked forward IL when she
graduated with 50 much eriU from the
Massachusetts state normal school
and carried off her biue-r1hboned di-
ploma! But she had com. out west
iured by glittcring prospects and fair
promises. which had t.-rnei into mere
wIll-o'-the-wisps ON nearer view, and
now IL 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. vaIiantIy,
its rather fun to teach here in the
wilderness One secs all sorts of char
acters boarding round And I'm sure.
If | were "A novelist, | couli make NV
fortune by pen-and-inll sketches of
their strong points To be sure, it'S a
long walk To the schoolhouse-and
path is SO lovely, now that it Il ala
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 lsrander
than any orchestra"
And involuutariIv the little school
teacher broke out into the refrain of a
song she walked along with light.
elastic steps, her empty lunch-has 1T
on her arm. and the srarlet-frillrd
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.
Harkins and the twelve little Har-
kinscs-a seven-mile walk from the old.
red schoolhouse on the river shore.
Eut the twilight darkenei. and
the purple shadows began to clu- -t,-r.
like spectral ii cureS, in the silent aisles
of the woods. Sophv Glare. shrsin.- with
in herself, and invoiuutarily quickened
her footsteps.
They shot bear in these woods.
last spring" she thought within her
self, with little apprehens We thumpof
her heart And Charles HarIlins was
quite sure he saw panther stealing
through the underbrush IN Dead Mans
glen, only week before last, ! wish l
hadn't stayed in school 80 late, cor
recting those comPositions,''
And Sophy He'd swiftly along. her
scarlet hood cleaning like tropic
bird, through the dark aisles of the
forest. her overStrained imagination
converted every ruStlIng leaf into the
stealthy tread of a wild beast
hut suddenly, as she reached a copse
of darl pines at the bend of the path.
the sound of low, muffied voices struck
upon her ears She paused with a curl
ous sensation. as if every drop oi blood
in her veins were standin" still
1t was two men crouching 10y fall
en- log which Law in the pine copse,
mantled over with goII-rreen moss.
and half hidden with tall weeds Eyi-
IDENTIFY. they were quite unaware of the
approach of anyone and. as Soply
shrauk back into the shadows of
blac green laurel bush. She could hear
their muttered words quite plainly.
But - kill her said one. And
she's such a little beauty. tooI'
''P>hawr' growled the other Don't
be fool, Hal Tucker. Its only one
stroke of sharp knife and the things
done. and can't b- uudone"
''But it se-ms 50 cruel!'
stuff and nonsensel Amt it done
every day.
But " hat will the children say?"
They'll miss her. suppose, just at
first, but they'll. soon get accustomed
to another one"
Would YOU do IL at night?" said the
man called Hal Tucker.
Tonight will be the best time"
said the other ''HarLins' folks are all
going out to- singing school to-ni-'ht.
and the coast will Toe clear Nou have
the wagon at the door To- carry 1t away.
and I'll undertake to- make "a clean job
of it with my new knife before she has
time to cry ont"
II never hated to do thing so in my
life" said Hal Tucker.
The more fool you,'' gruffly retort-
ed the other. Aud then the s"und Of
their voices, receding through The dense
undergroN> tn of the forest. grew indis-
tinct. and finally dieI into silence.
while Sophy Clare stood, pale and
paralyzed, with one hand clinring To
the laurel branches and her chestnut
brown hair blowing about her fright
ened face. She knew Hal Tucker very
well-a gooi-natured. shi tiess, ne. r
dO-weel. who lived on the proceeds OF
any odd jobs he could get in the neigh
borhood. and had no more idea of pro-
viding for the future than if he had
been the grasshopper in Lafoniaine's
fable And the voice of he other man
was also f. miliar To her as that of one
jeremiah Slocum, who bore no euvIa-
BILE reputation among the simple set
tiers of those wild western regions
And. with a thrill of the heart, she re-
memebrcd that Jerry Slocum had been
sitting by. the night before when Mil
Ter Har.Sins, who was one of the school
trustees. had paid her her months sal
airy in clinl.ing silver dollars
Its / they mean!' cried SoPhy, out
aloud They mean to murder me, and
all for the sake OF that wretched paltry
silver, One stroke of a sharp knife,
and the things done and can't re I'M
doner o merciful heaven. Can II De
that there are such brutes in the
world? 'Harkins' folks going To sing
ing-school tonight, and the coast VIII
be clear,' Oh, the peril should have
been in II had not been fortunate
enough to overhear those horr'bl'
words! must hasten home at once
and tell Mr.. Harkins But. Oh, II
.bo,,la -hln..s IN meet these rufiiaus on