Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-01-11

NII-tContinueO.)
Mrs. Jacks first experiment Mt i'm
parting the rudimentS of the Engllsh
grammar to Miss and Master Bedding
ton did not go off with the smooth
ness which might have been wished.
Jimmy md Jenny were exceedingly un-
peasant children. with utterly untamed
Wills, and ~tyrannOuS as only spoiled
children can be tyrannOus. They were
dull. too, and altogether reduced Mrs.
Jack to n state bordering on despair
within the first hour.
we don't like grammar" cried Miss
Jenny; teach us something else;' While
Master Jimmy announced that as for
his part he did not intend to be teached
ut all, and forthwith got under the
table and became "a lion in his den,"
with the painful popularity of snap
ping at the legs and feet Of all who
approached him.
Poor Bel found herself terribly IN
able to cope with this unruly couple;
and after having tried e~ntreaties and
kird woIdS-at which the young Bod
diLStons became more violently ungOv-
ernable than ever, and then threats and
sharp words, at which they laughed and
made faceS-she was reduced to the
necessity Of declaring that she would
appeal to their papa, and left the room
for that purpose. Instinctively she had
come to the conclusion that an appeal
to Mrs. Boddington would be Of no
avail, but she thought that stern-look-
ing father would probably make him
self Obeyed. AS she crossed the hall,
she met him face to face. He had
just come in, apparently. He wore rid
ing boots and carried a whip in his
hand, and a fine Newfoundland dog
followed at his heels. He took his
hat off and bowed to Bell. but without
offering to shake hands with her.
You are not afraid Of my dog?' he
asked. Down, N~eptune!'
Bell bent down and patted the dog,
who had come close up to her confiding-
ly.
Afraid" she said. "Oh, no! l love
dogs, and this is a very fine fellow"
The next minute she looked UP again
and found the eyes of Neptune's mas
ter fixed on her anXiuuSly.
what is the matterT" he asked. You
look disturbed"
His voice and his face grew so kind
as he spoke, and softened into such e
preston of sweetness that the tears
brimmed up in Bells eyes, and she be
gan to say that she feared-she greatly
feared-that she should not be able to
manage the children. They were terri.
bly, unruly. She was so anxious to do
her duty, and she had tried every meth,
cd she could think of, but they would
not obey, and she was forced reluctant.
ly to appeal to him.
ITO meT" he said, hesitatingly. But
I don't know that l ought TO inter.
fere."
"Oh! l thought was afraid did
not think it would be Of any use to
trouble Mrs. Boddington," said Bell
hurting out the truth.
'Of no use at all, l should say. And
besides, Mrs. Boddington is not out OF
bed yet. l will come with you and try
what I can do to put these i'll managed
children to rights"
The appearance of his bronzed face
and white hair rising up behind Bells
shoulder had the effect of silencing jim
my and Jenny at ice They had been
making a great noise, and had strewed
the floor with grammars, Biographies
and copybooks scattered in wild confu'
sioC.
Pick up all that, at once. Sit down
there, Jimmy, opposite to your sister
He was obeyed in silence, the children
looking half frightened, half sulky,
Now, Mrs. Lilly. il you will be so very
kind as to give these children n more
trial, we shall all be very much Obliged
to you. 1t will be very kind of you,
because, unless they learn to behave
with decency. and respect their superi.
ors, they will have to go away from
this house. l can't allow untamed saw.
ages to live here"
Mrs. Jack resumed her seat and pro.
ceeded with Der lesson, her new ally
sitting In the room with a newspaper III
his hands and his dog crouched at his
feet. And so the rest Of the morning
passed away in comparative peace.
How very good of you to help me!'
said Bell, when she rose to 90 away.
Il am so very, very grateful to you.
I dare say, by degrees we shall get to
understand each other better, shan't
we..' turning to the children. who, how
ever. only stared at her In glum Sur
prise.
IF they don't learn to behave better.
] should advise you to give them up,
Mrs. Lilly"
oh. / don't want to give them up
cried Bell, earnestly. And then. as she
walked down the drive toward the gate
V nittler her new friend ACCOMPANIED
her. she opened her heart In her i'm
pulSive, c%onfidins way, and told him
all the circumstances which made 1t
so important to her not to lose her
pupils.
'.Ahd l hope you don't think me very
incompetent because ! failed to make
myself obeyed just nj first she pro-
ceeded, looking pleadingly into his face.
II will strive my uttermost to do my
duty to your children, Mr.. Bedding
ton"
He started back, and n deep crimson
blush spread itself over his brown face
as he answered hastily, "Oh, I'm afraid
there's some misrepresentation here. /
have been obtaining your confidence un-
der false pretenses. I am Mrs. Bod
dlngton's brother, and my name is
Warren"
Bell blushed almost as deeply as he
had done and stammercd out an apol-
ogy. Then their eyes met and they
b0th began 10 laugh. You must have
thought 1t very cool uf me 10 trouble
you about the children" said Bell.
well. no; In cou. mcasdr, irIt re-.
gnonSihIa for tbai. Al, r,.Jt n1,axtor 60