The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-16
CHAPTER ".

lieve that the ring was gone, but she
certainly could not feel it. She was
quite pale and shook as If she had u
chill She was too frightened to cry.
Had she lost Aunt Comfort 5, s,ring?-the
real gold ring she had given her for her
name? She looked at the pin which
Miss Tabitha had quilted into the top
of her pocket, but she dared not take II
out. Suppose Miss Tabitha should ask
If she had, and she had to tell her
and be whipped! That would be al
most worse than losing the ring.
Comfort had never been whipped in
her life. and her blood ran cold at the
thought of IT,
She kept feeling wildly of the pocket.
There was u little roll of writing paper
in it, some leaves of an old account
book which her mother had given her To
write on. All the hope she had was
that the ring had slipped inside that,
and that was the reason why she couiu
not feel it, She longed 50 to take out
that pin and make sure, but she hao 10
wait for that until she got home ~
night.
Comfort began to search all over the
schoolroom floor. but all she FOUND
were wads of paper and apple cores
slate-pencils' stumps. and pins. Then
she went out in the yard and looked
carefully. then she went down the road
10 the old Loomis place, where she ana
Matilda had walked at recess, MISS
Tabitha Hanks went home that way.
but no sign of the ring could she lind.
The road was as smooth as whlte uoor
too. for the snow was old, and well
trodden.
Comfort Pease went back to the
schoolhouse, ana opened her dinner
pail. She looked miserably at the pam
sakes, the bread and butter, ana the
apple pie and cheese, and tried TO eat
but she could not. She put the cover
on the pail, leaned her head on the desk
in front, and sat quite still until the
scholars began to return. Then she
lifted her head. got out her spelling
book and tried TO study. Miss Taoltha
came back early, SO nobody dared tease
her. and the cold was SO bitter, and the
sky so overcast, that they We're not
obliged to go out At recess. Comfort
studied and recited, and never smile
came on her pale sober little face.
Matilda whispered to know il she were
sick. but Comfort only shook her head.
Sometimes Comfort saw Miss Tabitha
watching her with an odd expression
and she wondered forlornly what II
meant. She did not dream of going to
Miss Tabitha with her trouble. She
felt quite sure she would get no SYM
pathy in that quarter.
All the solace Comfort had was that
one little forlorn hope that the ring
might be in that roll of paper. and she
should find il when she got home.
Ii seemed to her that school never
would be done She thought wildly
Of asking Miss Tabitha if she could not
go home. because she had the tooth
ache. Indeed, her tooth did begin to
ache. and her head. too. but she wait
ed and sped home like a rabbit when
she was let out at last. She did not
wait even to say a word TO Matilda.
Comfort. when she got home, went
right through the sitting-room and up
stairs to her own chamber. Where
are you going. Comfort" her mother
called after her. What ails the child?'
said Grandmother Atkins
I'm coming right back Comfort
ranted as she fled.
-he minute she was in her own little
cold chamber she took the pin from her
pocket, drew forth the roll Of paper
and smoother it out-the ring was not
there. Then she turned the pocket
and examined Il, There was little
rip in the seam.
Comfort, Comfort" called her
mother from the foot of the stairs.
You'll get your death of cold up
there" chimed in her grandmother
from the room be! !ond.
I'm coming" Comfort gasped in re-
ply. She turned the pocket back and
went downstairs.
1t was odd that, although Comfort
looked so disturbed, neither her mother
nor grandmother asked her what was
the matter. They looked at her. then
exchanged a meaning look with each
other. And all her mother said was to
bid her go and sit down by the fire and
toast her feet. She also mixed a bowl
of hot ginger tea, plentifully sweetened
with molasses, and bade her drink that
so she could not catch cold, and yet
there was something strange in her
manner all the time. She made no re-
mark, either when she opened Com
forts dinner pail and saw how little
had been eaten. She merely showed 1t
silently to Grandmother Atkins behind
Comforts back, and they nodded to
each other with solemn meaning.
However, Mrs. Pease made the cream
toast that Comfort loved for supper,
and obliged her to eat a whole plate of
it.
Il can't have her get sick" she said
to Grandmother Atkins. after Comfort
had gone to bed that night.
"She amt got enough constitution,
poor child" assented Grandmother At
kns.
Mrs. Pease opened the door and list
ened. 81 believe she's crying now,"
said she. ~ guess I'll go up there"
IL would II l was YOU" said Grand
mother Atkins.
Comforts sobs sounded louder and
louder all the way, as her mother went
upstairs.
Whats the matter. child?" she
asked when she opened the door. and
there was still something strange in her
tone. While there was concern, there
was certainly no surprise.
MY tooth aches dreadfully," sobbed
Comfort.
you had better have some cotton
wool and paregoric on 1t, then" said
her mother. Then she went downstairs
for cotton wool and paregoric, and she
ministered to Comforts aching tooth,
but no cotton wool nor paregoric was
there for Comforts aching heart.
She sobbed 50 bitterly that her
mother looked alarmed. Comfort, look
here, is there anything else the mat
ter?" she asked, suddenly, and she put
her hand on Comforts shoulder.
my tooth aches dreadfully, ohw
Comfort walled. ~.
III your tooth aches so bad as all