The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-05-25
A LITTLE WHITE ARM

About twenty years ago I was the
| teacher in the village school of Marsh
brook. 1t was a lonely place, but it
| lust suited my desolate heart, for the
man who mad promised to marry me
had basely Tilted me, and married an
other.
Marshbrook was named after the
brook there that runs through marshy
land and is soaked up in it some sea
sons Of the year. The spring when L
went there it was quite high and the
land all round it was golden with cow
slips. Doctor Emmons, who had Sc
cured the place for me, didn't say a
word about the school, until he set me
down at the house where 1 was going
to board. Then he said I looked as II
l had no nonsense about me, and he
had an idea l should get along well
and like the school. Then he added,
almost as if he hated to, that l might
Just as well make up my mind not to
stay much after school at night time,
and not to keep the scholars. The
school, he earnestly declared, was in
rather a lonesome place, n then, too,
1t was rather damp there, near the
brook, after the dew fell, and he did
not think it was very healthy.
1 said, every we'll"
I began school next morning and
managed well enough. The school was
quite a large one, with about forty
pupils in 1t, and lone Of them very
old. They behavey well, however, and
I taught them as well as l knew how.
l did not stay late for the first two
weeks. not because l was afraid OF
anything, for l wasn't; but there was
no occasion to. l didn't mind what
Doctor Emmons had said at all, as far
as l was concerned, but thought it
would be wiser not to keep the chill
dren beyond the regular hours.
l went to church the next Sunday
after my move to Marshbrook. / sup.
pose some folks thought | would get
somebody to drive me home, as it was
only six miles, but l felt as If l would
rather see some new faces.
l had a pleasant home, just Mr.
Simonds and his wife, and she was as
neat as wax, and a good cook. Shf
: was reserved. and did not talk much
: and, as | didn't feel much like talking
I liked her. She used 10 have suppe
early, about as soon as | got HON
Z from school, and then l used to go VI
e stairs to my room and sit by myself
Mrs. SimOnds was not of Il soc!abl
disposition, but after l came, folk
looked in more. l could hear then
talking down stairs; l expected the,
wanted to find out how | was gettini
b along at the village school.
e Once Mrs. Simonds said if she was i
o my place she would not stay afte
y 7 L ~~y ma az
e to stay, and hadn't. l didn't reall
b have any occasion the night did stay
d but l felt rather downcast, and | didn'
a want any supper. and | Just sat Their
- on the platform behind my desk afte
the children had marched out Of tn
room.
. l don't know how long | sat there
Il quite a long time, l suppose, for it be
l. gan to grow dusk. The frogs crOake
a as If they were in the room, and
" damp wind blew through the windov
=, Suddenly, as | sat there, | had
y queer feeling, as if there was SOM
10 body in the room. and | looked up.
n. saw down the middle of the room a Ii
tie white arm raised in the dusk.
- was the way the children raised the
arms when they wanted to ask an.
thing. and / thought for a second TIL
one had staid or come back, unb
=, known to me. and was raising an arl
u OF course, that was queer. but it W;
lie the only reason | could think of, al
to 1t flashed through my head.
v What is it," said |. and then
heard a little girls voice pipe up:
please. teacher. find my doll f
le me, and hear my next lesson in Il
primer
On "What?" said |. for it seemed TO Il
10 could not have heard rightly. Al
-, then the voice said it over again, a
III that little white I'm crooked out of t
gloom.
| got up and went dow the aisles
tween the desks, and when | en-
or close enough l saw a little girl in
in queer. straight. white dress. like
m night-dresS. sitting there. Her lit
- face was so white in the gloom that
"' made my flesh creep, II her f2atul
Nv were set: ever her mouth did not me
to when she spoke. 1t was open a lit
III and the words lust seemed to flow
u between her lips.
C" please, teacher, n my doll
an me and hear me say my next lesson
nd the primer she said again.
| put my hand on her shoulder. q
then | jumped back and snatched
AWAY, for l never 1elt anything so Z
IAN as her shoulder was. 1t seemed as
1 a the cold struck to my heart from
and had to catch my breath.
what is your nameT"
MARY Williams, aged six yef
three months and five days" says
ave Then my blood ran cold. but l tt
ina 20 reason with myself again. She
ron some child whom | hadn't seen v
had rim in there. and DprhaDS was
ia" quite right in her mind.
"Well." says l. you had better
on home now. If o want to come
mr. school. you can come at nine o'cl
t-mesrow morning. If your mothel
'he wiling. Then l viii hear your less
vii ans maybe you will find your doll,
you m,istn't bring it to school; l G
have any dolls brought to school,"