The Forrest City times., 1897-11-26
SIX RUNAWAYS.
BY H. II. Ho1diet.

w They say boys never like school,
anyhow. Maybe that's so, and maybe it
isn't. All L know is, we did't like it.
Why? Well, 1 can hardly tell you.
There was plenty to eat--such as it was
and we didn't have to study over
hard, but then, you see, it was school,
and that's all about it!
Watched all the time, you know, TAX
ing walks two by two, trunks gone over
every now and then, and the things you
like must be taken away-especially
books and papers. Some of us had
taken books and papers to school
Cooper's and Marryatt's novels, and
story papers, no end. They took them
all away as soon as they found them;
but we'd had time to read them all first,
and pretty well learn them by heart,
too.
We were mad enough when we found
that they were all gone, you'd better
believe! We knew there was no use ask
ing for them back, so we didn't do il,
but we held an indignation meeting in
stead
There was lots of talk and fellows say
ing what they would like to do, but
when we came down to the point, we
couldn't see but one thing to be done,
and that was to run away.
Of course, we meant to go to sea-
Dedham was not seaport town, and
we'd have TO walk 30 miles to find any
sea to go to, but we thought that would
be easy enough. Only we ought to get
some provisions together first, and we
had to wait bit for that.
There was one little chap that didn't
seem much set up at the idea-Ralph
Wayland his name was. He didn't want
to go-up and said he liked the school
well enough, and didn't like the sea at
all. Said he'd been on it once, and it
made him awful seasick.
But we told him we wouldn't leave
him behind. for they'd be sure to worm
out of him where we'd gone. We told
him he'd be sneak II he didn't go, after
hearing our plans and all. We shamed
him so that at last he said he'd start
with us, but he wouldn't go to sea, he'd
20 home. So we said that would do,
only we called him a coward. He
laughed, and said maybe he was; he was
afraid Of being seasick, anyway.
We waited a long while before good
time came. At last we'd got quite lot
of things together that we'd saved from
our meals-bread and cheese and meat
and such. TO be sure, the bread was
pretty dry and crumbly, and the cheese
hard, and the meat-well, we should
have made an awful row about eating
ii at table, bat we thought when we got
hungry we shouldn't mind it-much.
Then there came a night when the
principal and most of the teachers were
to 60 to- party in the town, and we
thought that would be the best time to
go.
We didn't have very hard work to get
off. So many Of the teachers were
away that the rest couldn't keep a very
strict watch. There were six of us, and
first one and then another slipped away,
till Ralph and l were left.
"Now's our time. Ralph" / said, at
last.
And Ralph got up with kind of sigh
and came along.
I'm not going to sea with you, Jerry,
you know" said Ralph, when we were
safe outside. I'm only just going
Hello!" exclaimed he, stopping short
all of a sudden. whats that?"
We were just passing the house of the
principal. 1t stood quite near the school
building; but the trees were so thick
all around it that, little way off, you
couldn't see it at all.
Ralph was staring up at the windows
SO hard that l stared too; but l didn't
see much-only lights moving about up
stairs, and now and then a shadow pass
ing between them and the window.
Come along, Ralph" I said. "It's
only the servants having frolic while
their masters and mistress are away.
"They don't keep any servants" said
Ralph, in kind of whisper. Mrs.
Minors New England woman, and
she does her own work. Besides, Jerry,
saw the shadow of a man cross the win
dow. What does il mean?"
Mean? Well, felt sort of cold; but l
put on big air, and replied:
Il don't know what 1t means, Ralph;