Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-05-29

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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 u 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 shan 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 q
| stranger on the step.
I'm going to bring the milk for
WHILE" he explained. sMr. Peck
asked me. He isn't well enough to
come every day"
"Oh" said the girl, and 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 most
common expression, as he knew very
we'll, but the ''sir" was as balm to
his wounded spirit. 1t was something
to be regarded respectfully even by a
girl who lived in q 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's 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 the 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.
\ 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
q path, when another fall of snow and
q following snap OF bitter cold weather
ut once undii his work, and made the
tramp harder than ever. One day he
returned with q frost bitten ear; the
next the other ear was similarly af-
fected. Tnen came the great stolra 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 q long time to reach
the cottage, and it was half-frozen
, boy wnom the girl greeted as she
a opened the door. This time she in
vited him to enter the house, and sat
) in open-eyed silence, watching him as
I he underwent the paiuful process oi
thawing out before the kitchen stove
| How, h, 10 hA |,
hardly knew, but made it he did
stumbling and falling, with achinl
!. limbs aad benumbed hands and feet
e He was badly frost bitten, of course
= The next days task was torture
q and so was the next. A fall lamet
d him so that he hobbled as clumsily as
Mr.. Peek, but he did not give in. Ii
e some vague fashion he seemed to b.
q proving something to himself, ant
e with equal vagueness he thought tina
k something would be worth all hi.
t. pains.
10 A fortnight after the big storm Boil
of found his occupation gone. TIL
if family had left the cottage. and Eas
d Village was again deserted. SO Ii
% was told one morning by Mr.. Peek
who in return had his informatio,
7, from Squire Beecher, tae Oldest law
If yer i'll the town, who in some way ha
gained knowledge OF the stranger
ee existence. Their departure was sud
as den, but they paid their bills; tia
a was the limit of Mr.. Peek's acquaint
IN anca with the incident. Bob hear
le the news with genuine regret.
MS Al the academy his existence wa
ne no pleasanter, and the weeks wor
y away with dismal slowness. Th
ct boys isolation preyed upon him
re There was less, perhaps, of ope
a hostility displayed, but cool and care
O. fully studied neglect was quite a
ly marked as ever.
of In Blyville Academy "the Fourth
does not necsssarily imply Indepent
wv ence Day. 1t may mean March tn
n. fourth, fer every year upon that da
pit the pupils march in parade to til
ad Town Hall, and recitations are give