The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-04-29


When quite near the schuolhouse
Winnie overlook one of her classmates,
There was cloud on mis- face, but the
instant she spoke TO him it disappeared,
and he actually smiled as he turued to-
ward her, though the tone of his voice
was still somewhat lugubrious.
Have you done those two problems
In algebra ?" he asked.
No" laughed, Winnie, "have yon?'
81 sat up half the night trying and
don't believe they can be done" said
the boy, bitterly.
''Oh, yes," answered Winnie. Wi,
Bailey told me last night that ne had
done one of them and | mean to get at
them In good earnest MS soon us l get
the history lesson off my mind. l think
we can do them"
Perhaps we can," said the boy, more
hopefully, and by the time they reach
ed the schoolhouse steps lie was not
only convinced that he could but resolv-
ed that he would do them, and was
quite cheerful in consequences.
AS / said before, 1t was cold morn
ing, and the schoolroom felt the effect
of it The heat didn't come as 1t should.
and the teacher and all the scholars
had blue noses and their shoulders
were drawn up.
Winnie and the boy were two sec.
onds late and Miss Miller frowned as
sh> heard their footsteps in the hall,
but when she saw Winnie her frown
faded out. Moreover, as Winnie walk
ed to her seat nearly every pair of
shoulders in the room went down a
trif1e, as though her coming had. In
some mysterious way, tempered the
prevailing frigidity.
Nothing of particular moment hap
pened during the forenoon. unless 1t
was the falling out of Nellie Patterson
and Julia Davis at recess. Their eyes
We're flashing and they were making
the most ill-natured remarks to each
other. when Winnie CHANGED their way.
l don't know whether she said any
thing or only looked in their eyes till
they couldn't help laughing, but l do
know that two minutes later Nellie and
Julia were pacing the hall arm in arm
and on the best of terms.
There were seven scholars who lived
so far away that they always brought
their dinner, excepting when they for
got it. as did Annie and Frank Carroll
on this particular day Winnie spied
them standing apart from the others.
staring dlsconsolately out of a window.
and Immediately OWNED the trouble
Almost before you could say Jack
Robinson" she had gone to them and
before you could count fifty the three
were seated, with Winnie's lunch bas-
ket in their midst, making merry over
the shortness of their commons. Then
the other four Joined the group and di-
vided their lunch also, and as the moth
ers of some of them had been particu-
larly bountiful in the matter of food
that day the whole seven Jared we'll
enough, and l dare say ate all that was
good for them.
On the way home from school at
night Winnie saw two boys on the side |
walk ahead of her sIyly upset fruit |
stand, behind which sat an old Irish |
woman. A policeman who had come |
up unperceived seized one of the boys. |
the other took to his heels, and the old |
woman gesticulated and stormed with |
rage and righteous Indignation.
Winnie FASTENED her steps, and, lay
ing her hand on the poIiceman's sleeve, |
asked him very earnestly if he would |
not please let the boys go. just long /
enough to help pick up the fruit, which |
was rolling about the sidewalk and out |
into the street
In an Incredibly short time, If you
had been there, you would have seen
the policeman walking serenely down
the street, a strange gentleman right
ing the fruit stand, Winnie and the
two boys picking up apples, oranges,
bananas and peanuts, as 4 If for a
wager, while the old woman was
laughing to see so many working for
her while she sat still, and saving
leniently, that ''b'ys' would be ''b'ys"
she supposed, as long as the ''wurruld"
held together.
The boy the policeman had let go
came running after Winnie when she
had started on her way again, and
thrust a tremendous big apple. which
he had just bought of the woman. into |
her hand, and then sped away with an
whoop to join the other
boy.
When Winnie came within three
doors of her own door she saw the tel
egraph messenger leave a message
with Mrs. Alden. Mrs. Alden stood
in the doorway after reading it, with
a perplexed and troubled expression,
and glanced at Winnie as if she had
half a mind to say something to her
rs it bad news, Mrs. Alden?" ven
tured Winnie, sympathetically.
Then Mrs. Alden spoke quickly
enough. Yes" she said, my sister is
i'll, and ought to go to her on the very
next car, but let my girl go away for
the afternoon and evening, and father
isn't feeling we'll and l don't dare
leave him alone"
"Why, I will come in ana stay with
him. said Winnie heartily. I'D just
as lief as not-I'd like to-
Would your said Mrs. Alden, the
look vanishing. 81 should be
so much obliged"
"I'll run home and tell mother, and
be hack in a minnie >, said TNinnin hnr-