The Newtown bee., 1898-01-07
the Howe schoolhouse, he glared at me
and then be saws =


the Howe schoolhouse, he glared at me
and then be says
"'What, the old clubhouse? L had al
most fvrgotten about it's being school
house. Step into the Office there,
madam, and I'll attend to you in half
an hour"
"Wcu, he waved his hand so sort O.
pompous thot it madded me and let off
my mind to him right there. l remind
ed him that his father used to be my
grandfather hired man and that the
Healeys didn't use to Madam the Howes.
[ told him, too, that it showed what O
man he was to destroy building where
a whole g9n'ration O. Healeys had learn
I'd their 8, b, c's. The factory hands
were all listening, sort O. snickering and
sort o. scarf. But Jim he just stood and
stI oked his whiskers till was through
dAn LL4Ch LIZ 50
Madam, bought the building of
town years ago. It's blight on the
premises. l can't listen to any more
talk
"And then he went to talking 10 the
overseer about something else just as if
| want present. see twas no use to
argue with him, and [ come home"
"Why, Car'line, how did you dare?
Do you think he remembered your"
"Of course he did. We've lived West
many years, but we haven't changed al
together"
Jane munched caraway pensively, but
did not reply. 1t was only a few months
since she and Caroline had returned to
their native town. The hard struggle
of the western life had brought meager
returns. They had come back wearing
widows wells ard with a record of toll.
ing years wasted in fruitless endeavor.
There has been great changes in the
home town during their absence. The
energetic, fiery tempered young man
who had once courted Jane Harmon had
transformed hls fathers shop into a
brisk manufacturing village. The awk-
ward schoolboy had become the most
important man in the vicinity.
s!It don't seem but yesterday" unused
Caroline, ''since he went to school to me
and feruled him for using his knife on
the school benches. Now he's going to
tear down the schoolhouse itself and
dares sass his teacher. Life does have
curious ups and dows."
Her restless eyes wandered to the
cluster of buildings mile below, where
the sluggish river wound like crescent.
Standirg out from the background of a
green hill was the great factory where
Jameson Healey had made his wealth.
Near it was group of smaller build
ings, and among them the dilapidated
structure formerly known as the Howe
schoolhouse. Her old eyes burned
brightly as she looked at it. Her indig.
nation toward Jim Healey again famed
forth.
"He calls 1t an old outhouse,' she
complained shrilly. ''Why, Jane,
Grandfather Howe give the buildings to
the town himself and the town thought
it great gift. They called it the Howe
schoolhoase. Grandfather gave it 8
library once. 1 wonder what's become
o. that. Gone to kindle the factory fur
mace, suppose"
Sister Jane stopped chewing caraway.
ssCar'line, do you remember the
dictionary that used to be in the library,
the one that Tom Healey threw at me
once when / was teaching there and
| tried to whip Mirandy Healey?' And
Jane laughed softly over the recollect-
| ion.
.sHow can you laugh, Jane. over the
poor government you always had in
teaching. That's prob'ly what made
the book look SO lopsy the lsst time |
saw IL. The Healeys were always tear
ing, smashing creeters. Tom Healey
got drowned at sea and Mirandy Healey
broke her neck trying to move bureau