The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-04-19

Half the distance could be saved by
short cut across the fields and
through a neighboring bog, which
was frozen hard the first time Bob
crossed it.
Perhaps the walk in the clear, cold
mir, and the climb IL p the little hill on
which the cottage stood, did him
good; perhaps the mere fact of having
something to do was q mental tonic.
At any rate, when he knocked at the
door of the shabby house his spirits
were better than they had been for
hours. The girl responded to his
summons.
She was thin, almost weazened
bit of humanity; very timid, Bob de-
cided, for she opened the door but a
few inches, and seemed ON the point
of shutting it hastily when she saw a
stranger on the step.
I'm going to bring the milk for a
while," he explained. "Mr. Peck
asked me. He isn't we'll enough to
come every day."
"Oh!" said the girl, aud then she
added, "Thank you, sir" as she took
the can which he held out.
AS Bob trudged homeward the
words came to him over and over
again. "Thank you, sir" was a most
common expression, as he knew very
well, but the "sir" was as balm to
his wounded spirit. 1t was something
to be regarded respectfully even by a
girl who lived in a ramshackle cottage
and looked as if she had not enough to
eat.
While the cold, clear weather con-
tinued, Bob made his daily trips to
the East Village with something like
alacrity. With his schoolfellows
things we're going worse than ever,
and he was snubbed more Extensively.
There had been great excitement on
the mill-pond while the Saturdays
game of hockey was in progress. A
boy had broken through the ice and
been gallantly rescued; and the school
had hero. Everybody was talking
of Tad Reynolds GOODNESS and bray
cry.
AS Tad rose in public esteem, Bob,
who was supposed to hate him, natur-
ally lost the little favor that had been
left to him. No wonder he was glad
of the excuse which the daily errand
to the cottage gave him for being out
of the way. Every day toe little girl
thanked him for the can Of milk, and
called him "sir." Poor Bob began to
get most of his comfort in life from
that little word.
A heavy snow-storm increased the
difficulties of his journey, but he res
olutely crossed the marsh to the cot
tage. Indeed, he had almost broken
a path, when another fall of snow and
a following snap of bitter cold weather
ct once undid his work, and made the
tramp harder than ever. One day he
returned with frost-bitten ear; the
next the other ear was similarly af-
fected. Tnen came the great storm of
the winter, when the snow was heaped
up in enormous drifts, when all the
roads were blocked and disappeared,
when people tunneled passages from
house to barn, and nobody thought of
going for the mail. Yet even when
storm was raging, Bob went to the
East Village.
1t took him long time to reach
the cottage, and it was a half-frozen
boy whom the girl greeted as she
opened the door. This time she in
vited him to enter the house, and sat
in open-eyed silence, watching him as
he underwent the painful process of
thawing out before the kitchen stove.
How he made the return journey he
hardly knew, but made it he did,
stumbling and falling, with aching
limbs and benumbed hands and feet.
He was badly frost-bitten. of course.
The next days task was torture,
and so was the next. A fall lamed
him so that he hobbled as clumsily as
Mr. Peek, but he did not give in. In
some vague fashion he seemed to be
proving something TO himself, and
with equal vagueness he thought that
something would be worth all his
pains.
A fortnight after the big storm Bob
found his occupation gone. The
family had left the cottage, and East
Village was again deserted So he
was told one morning by Mr.. Peek,
who in return had his information
from Squire Beecher, tae oldest law
yer in the town, who in some way had |
gained knowledge of the strangers |
existence. Their departure was sud
den, but they paid their bills; that
was the limit of Mr.. Peek's acquaint-
ance with the incident. Bob heard
the news with genuine regret.
At the academy his existence was
no pleasanter, and the weeks wore
away with dismal slowness. The
boys isolation preyed upon him.
There was less, perhaps, of open
hostility displayed, but cool aud care
fully studied neglect was quite as
marked as ever.
In Blyville Academy "the Fourth"
does not necessarily imply Independ-
ence Day. 1t may mean March the
fourth, fer every year upon that day
the pupils march in parade to the
Town Hall. and recitations are given
and compositions read and bouquets
bestowed all the wise men of the
town make wise speeches. and some