The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-15


desks.
"'My! how you must have fet!' said
Norman, sympathetically.
~ should say so! That was dread
full day. ] studied as never studied
before for l didn't dare to do any
thinking. and / recited my lessons so
well that the teacher was almost sure
/ must have told the truth My heart
was heavy as lead all the time. and the
hands of the clock didn't seem to move
at all. At last IL o'clock came, all the
other children went out, and / was
alone with my teacher, Miss Smith.
Was she a nice teacher?' asked
Dorothy.
YES, very. | had loved her dearly
before, but this day pretty near hated
her, because ] had done wrong and
wanted to forget it, and she wouldn't
let me. AS she came down the aisle
toward me l thought all kinds of wick
ed things about her. shut my little
teeth together hard, and stared straight
at her, to show I wasn't afraid. She
smiled at me kindly, and sat down in
the next seat in front of me, facing me,
and put her hand on mine.
Mary said she, softly, you have
been so good all day l cannot think
you would tell me an untruth now.
Was that candy or blood on your
mouth?
4" Blood said !, between my shut
teeth, relieved to think that she didn't
know
Mary' she cried, reproachfully.
Well if you don't believe me what's
the use of asking me?' / said.
''Sha lpOlxp6 af mo M r1 onl I lnolad
back without a wink. 1 got quite in
terested in seeing how long I could
keep from winking. l suppose she saw
I wasn't soft and loving and good, for
she got up and went to the close: where
she kept her hat and cloak.
" You may get on your things, Mary,
and wait for me- she said. SO | got
| ready and waited for her. She went
beside me. and when we came to the
| school store where we children bought
candy and books knew she would soon
know the truth. Sure enough the shop
woman promptly told her that / had
| bought caramels of her that very morn
ing, and so late she had warned me
would be tardy. Miss Smith never said
word; only went out and walked
| silently along with a sad face. | guessed
| prised when she went up the steps OF
my mothers house and rang the bell.
oh, mamma. cried Norman, did
| she tell your mother?'
Yes
And what did she say? oh. what
did she say
MY dear, don't know. They had
| a very long. sorry sounding sort of talk,
agly
| tions, but l was too miserable to notice
much.
What's miserable" asked Carleton.
The way you felt while ago. only
worse. AS if nothing would ever he
nice again. ] felt like crying, only l
| didn't think crying would do any good.
| Neither would it..
| Poor mamma murmured Dorrv.
half asleep. Did 90 want to ky?
by and by my teacher went away
and my mother and ! sat there in the
twilight; that means just as it was be-
ginning TO grow dark; and pretty soon
| found my dear mother was CRYING.
That melted me. and | began to cry,
| too, and presently crept up into her
lap and whispered into her ear:
Oh mamma, I'm so sorry
=
mother, how many times have you sal
that before? DO YOU think Just saving
you are sorry makes you good? Do YOU
think sorriness win make people forget
that you told an untruth and will make
them believe YOU again when Won
| speak? How many times have you said
To me, Pm sorry and won't do it any
more?' And Yet that promise too. YOU
| hrnllan n I L..
lieve what YOU say any longer YouI
words are crooked. You will have tc
show that YOU mean to keep your prom,
| ise.'
How" | asked. eagerly to get bach
the old happiness into my mother,
face and my own wretChed little heart
BY doing it, said my mother.
Well | wil.' | cried, jumping up
But she sat silent and there was n,
smile ON her face.
| What's the matter" | cried in dis,
tress. Why don't you look happy Al,
| ] not doing right"
Yes said my mother. getting uy
slowly and putting her hand up to hel
head, as if it ached. i suppose Vol
are doing as right as you can now
But I'm going to always / cried
!
put her arms about me and smile
brightly as she used to do. but stoo,
quietly and let me hug her.
II am I said. with "A big sob. q
truly, truly, truly win never tell an
other story
" I hope So said my mother. hui Il
will take good while to make me he
lieve it.
" But | said truly | cried in despair
" i told you l could not believe Whar
you said any more she answered
Your lias have forgotten the way /,
speak true. You will have to prov
your truly" Don't talk any more. O
try to hurry me into smiling. I viii
smile and laugh with gladness when
find YOU are once more my truthful
daughter of whom / once was so proud
Until you do prove it, if | smile it vii
be because ! forget you for a littl
while. When I think Of you canno
help but be sad
Then my father came In and
rushed away to wash my swollen eyes
I heard my mother talking to him soft
ly as | smOothed my hair, and tried I,
feel that dinner time was going to b
bright and happy as it always was. NJ,
little brother came in to watch me, an,
was near GROSSLY ordering him out o
the room, but | remembered ] was go
ing to be good, and didn't say anything
Pretty soon he got to talking, and whel
the diner bell rang we went down to
gether quite happily
AT first | didn't notice anythln,
wrong, but pretty soon. just as / wa
eagerly telling about a little girl a
school who was going to have a party
! thought both papa and mamma acte,
queerly. They didn't seem TO care any