The morning call., 1894-03-25

ing. Then l will hear your lesson. and
maybe you will find your doll. but you
mustn't bring Il 10 school. L can't have
any dolls brought to school,"
with that she rose up and dropped
queer little courtesy that made puff of
icy cold wind in my face. and was out of
the room, very fast. as If she slid OF
1oated, without taking any steps at all.
l put on my bonnet and locked up the
schoolhOuse and went home Looking
at all. l know | didn't walk mite faster
when l went past the old graveyard.
There was aD old graveyard near the
schoolhouse, and the children used TO
play there al recess.
When ] got home Mrs. Simonds asked
why L hadn't been home, and il | didn't
want any supper, but she didn't act sur
prised nor curious. She never seemed
surprised or curious at anything
l went upstairs 10 my chamber and sat
down and thought it over 1t seemed TO
me there must be some above board reason
for 1t. As L thought it over l remembered
that there had been a strange, faint. chok-
ing smell about the child, and then l put
my own dresS-sklrt up to my face, and l
smelled it there. Ihung my dress out of
the window to air when l took ii OF.
The next morning when the scholars
filed into school l tried TO think that
strange little girl might be among them.
but she wasn't. and she didn't come in the
afternoon.
That night staid after school again. l
had made up my mind | would. / waited.
aud after while that little white arm
showed out of the dusk, but had not seen
the child come into the room.
| asked her again what she wanted. and
she piped up. just as she did before,
Please, teacher, md my doll for me, and
hear me say the next lesson in the primer"
got up and went 10 her just as l had
l..F =N,r.
and the faint smell came in my face.
When did you lose your doll?" says /.
But she wouldn't say.
"Please, teacher, find my doll for me and
hear me say my lesson in the primer" says
she, with kind of wall / never heard
anything so pitiful as il was. 1t seemed to
me. somehow,'a as il all the wants Ihad ever
had myself sounded in that chilG's voice,
and as if she was begging for something l
had lost myself.
But spoke decided. 1t was always my
way with children. l found it worked
better. Now you come right home" says
/, land you come tomorrow and FL give
you your doll and hear your lesson in the
primer"
Aud then she rose up and curtsied, Just
as she had before. and was gone.
l did not try to follow her.
That evening went round to old DIR.
EmmOns' and asked Mrs. Emmons il /
l guess she suspected what had hap
pened, for she looked al me real sharp and
said she hoped | wasn't getting nervous
and overwrought with schoOteaching. [
said l wasn't. | just wanted to see the
doctor about new scholar, and she left
me in the sitting-rOOm and called him in
l asked him point blank if anything had
ever happened there in MarshbrOok and he
wouldn't tell me at first.
Il suppose YOU want to give the school
UP. thought You were old enough to be-
have YOURSELF" says he. He was pretty
short sometimes. but he meant well.
"Pve done the best / could by tie
school," says /.
why couldn't you come home when
school was done, as you was told to, in
stead of staying there In that lonesome
place and getting hysterlcky ?" says ne.
II don't know as / can get another teacher
this term. The scboolhouse will have TO
be shut up. IT'S pity all the female
schoolteachers in creation couldn't be
ducked few times and get the 1idgets out
OF them: I'll get man for the place next
time. I've had enough of women"
81 don't want to give up the school,"
says l.
What are you talking about, then?"
saws he.
Il want to know IL anything has ever
happened here in Marshbro0k, says l.
Il don't want TO give up the school if any,
thing has happened"
He finally 20 me how a little girl had
been murdered. some fifty or sixty years
ago, on her way to school, on the brook
road. They found her lying dead beside a
clump of swamp pinks. with a great bruise
on the back of ber neck. as if she'd been
hit by stone. and her doll and her primer