Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-11-30
2 BIGGEST PUPIL.

Is.
lin Thrasher nervously await
her, bis stalwart form perched ON
Idge Of an easy chair.
che enters his eye brightens, ne
Is and dropping his broad br1m-
4 hat on the floor he rises.
Srv-You wished to see me!
h-Yes. Miss Mary. (He eagerly
out his hand. She takes it in a
ting manner.) You don't know
was afraid you wouldn't. Fiji
srasrs and a beard, and any num-
II hard knocks do change a man.
Eou-why, you've scarcely altered
fticIe Can't you guess who it is?
v-You remind me-something in
yoice-in your smile-reminds me
4 boy | once knew.
delightedly-Tm the boy.
5ry-Not-not Jim Thrasher?
Milne very identical.
ry-Tm so glad to see you. (She
his hand impulsively) Sit down,
1t is so kind Of you to hunt
b. I've thought about you many
and tried to wonder what you
doing and what you had become.
That's very good of you, Miss
hardly supposed you'd cher
Inch pleasant remembrances for
biggest pupil. What a gawk |
| can't imagine how you had any
hce with me. Let me see. l.
lust 20 that last winter in the old
chool house and a head taller than
and two years older, wasn't I?
an awkward problem l must
been for y0u Too old to learn
100 big to whip.
ry-Ah, but you never needed
ping, You were my right hand
my prop. my encouragement. l
know what | would have done
those big boys from down the
if 1t hadn't been for your strong
lies.
do you remember how you talk
me the first day | came to school?
come with those very creek boys
ike trouble. My mother died when
very young, and no other woman
ever talked kindly to me. When
ppealed to my honor, and putting
hand on my shoulder begged me
b bury the good that was in me,
thing seemed to swell in my
i, and from that moment 1 re-
d to be a mana man whom you
q one day be proud to say you
y-You make me very happy. It
Wonderful pleasure to feel that my
efforts were not all wasted. It
S life worth living.
life, then, hasn't always-but
pc something about yourself.
ry-There is very little to tell. My
ef died the summer after you went
and | had to return home and
house for father. In a year or
PTS health failed, and after a long,
SICKNESS he died. My brother and
re alone, and after he found a sit
'n On the railroad we moved here.
The war broke out brother en-
and died at Tampa of a fever.
after pause-And so you have
IS to keep YOU here?
ry-None.
land may | ask
r'-hoW ! support myself? l have
Nlue pupils whom | am teaching
uuiments, and l do some fine sew
get along very well-only there
"'SS The fear Of sickness. Now
ue about Yourself.
-one moment. l want to saw to
~ Mss Mary, that I've been trying
you out for a long time. l
" The old neighborhood, asking
w. out they answered that nobody
"uere You had gone. 1 wouldn't
s'Veu You down here If it hadn't
'Ot Joe Slater. You remember
Ms Uneaued Joe, the scamp Of the
Nei' he came out to Montana,
IS vs. lOr work, and 1 gave him a Job
NV n' uav' IN recalling old times, he
Nv "'s sure he saw you in this
!, 1Nal how l came to be here
l., | ~ Wen, whatever I am
Nv 'aat gave me the start. | fancy
MI. pretty Well. I'm something
tapa. oWher and something of 8
p,a sH and I've served a term In
%, "Na could have gone back
H. " Nice house in Helena anf
b,b' Enough idle cash lying around
a. y ue to travel as much and al
bIoa.; Please. You understand Tn
p,al.s my trumpet for the per
h s,S,lncation there is in it-ani
efora personal qualification to blow
ia, YOU 90 I'm accounting, as +
hs ro, Tue use I've made of thos,
yeo Tvu called my attention to flf
rs N Very glad to hear of you,
lsva ! Knew you had it in YOU
D, S made the day very bright
b b. an not yet quite sure whethe,
tae Ct !, bright day for me or not
+ Miss - :, II want to ask YOU :
IA favor, JIM
Four ID great favor. II wan,
q%- biggest g pupil again.