Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-27

| oeo"At4' tACIt COulh 10 III
mistake! 1t con tained the words for
to-morrow's trial
| 'I'll have them, every one, before !
go to sleepr' he exclaimed, half aloud.
He hastily glanced down the list of
words - 'scoundrel," dishonest, {"
"thief," met his gaze. He stopped;
he could read no more. That last
word seemed to whisper, so all who
passed might hear: You're one! Yes
you are Bennie Norcross!"
He hurriedly turned into his own
street, and in a moment more threw
down the mail sE the sitting-room
table.
I'm afraid you're worrying too
much about the prize" remarked
Mrs. Norcross at tea table that even.
ing; for Bennie had left the warm
rolls and fresh honey almost untastedl
"Oh, [ guess not, replied Bennie,
lightly.
That night when he got to his room
he sat down on the bed and placed
the spelling-test paper before him.
Sou d-r-e-l; 1 can spell that.
D-e-f-a-u-l-t-e-r. That's easy enough.
D-i-s-h-o- st"
"You are, you are!" seemingly in.
terrupted the wind, as it went moan.
ing down the chimney.
"Oh, bother!" exclaimed Bennie,
furtively looking around the room.
'T-h-i-e-f," he spelled, and on
through the entire list, and then
noiselessly crept into bed.
"Good luck to you, Benniel" called
Mrs. Norcross, merrily, the next
morning, as Bennie, with a happy
heart, took up his books, tightly
strapped together, and prepared to
leave the house.
''Thank you, mother, he answered,
quietly. The next moment the dooi
closed and he was gone. Ted met
him block away. "Why, what's the
matter, old MANI" she exclaimed, Civ.
ing him friendly slap on the shoul.
der. "Cheer upl You'll come in
ahead with flying colors this time
There's no DR.. Downing in this easel"
Bennie tried to smile, but his at
tempt was miserable failure.
''I've good mind not to take it,
he said to himself, as his chum left
him to do an errand across the street.
"But then / must beat Dick Atkins
and L can do it this timer'
Just after the opening exercises DIR.
Conant entered the schoolroom, car.
rying under his arm neatly done up
paper parcel.
All eyes turned to Bennie and Dick.
Bennie's heart beat wildly, while to
its throbbing voice within seemed to
be keeping time with: "Can't-you
-spell-thief? Course you can; for
that's you. You can spell yourself,
can't you?"
Slowly DR.. Conant pronounced the
first word-how anxiously Bennie was
listening for t!-''business.
"He's got another list" happily
thought Bennie to himself. "Oh
good!"
But no. The next word was "scoun-
drel," and from that on the list was
exactly the same as the one Bennie
had found and studied.
After he had written the fifth word,
he looked up from his paper. Ted
met his gaze with an assuring smile.
Bennie's face flushed. "What if he
knew" he thought
When the test was over, with q
sigh of relief, Bennie folded his paper
and hurried from the room.
How'd you make it?" asked the
boys, quickly, as they gathered
around him. "Wasn't it q sticker,
thought
"Was it?" answered Bennie, eva
sively. 81 think, perhaps, 1 got most
of them right.
AT the close the afternoon session
DR.. Conant was to award the prize.
How slowly the hours seemed to pass!
At length, however, the exercises for
the day were over, and DIR. Conant
entered. An air of expectancy filled
the room. Bennie's face paled
slightly.
"Spelling Gas become nearly lost
art among the boys and girls of the
present generation" began DIR. Con-
ant, 'and 1 assure you it gives me o
pleasurable surprise to find among the
X-grade boys of the Wallace High
School marked exception to this
condition. Nearly every boy in the
grade has done himself credit-some,
of course, more than others, and one
especially more than all the rest.
The boy referred to, who has splendid
ly conquered in the contest" all eyes
were Immediately turned to Bennie
and then to Dick-''is Bennie Nor
cross. Will the young man, who did
not fail in single word, please come
forward?"
Bennie arose, pale but resolute, and
walked out to the desk before which
DIR. Conant vas standing.
''Will you please tell me, sir, who
stands second in the contest?" asked
Bennie, as the doctor took the parcel
from the desk.
Certainly, my boy. Let me see:
It's Dick Atkins"
"Then," said Bennie, "to him be.
longs the prize" And, turning, he
faced the school, and confessed the