Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-12-01

ages OF every size, shape ana tolol
that strcwed the grass 1T her feet to
the handsome boy, who hld just tum
bled them from his bu'G!'S pockets
Mac was tho pretriGst l-acher that
ever queenc it in Il country school!
house, and sho was !A.iuG &"ay one
OF the last sweet afternUGay II gum,
mer vacation in rhe apple orchard
when Harry rIearC, her fellow board
cr at the brown farmhouse on top Of
the broezy Hill sought her with his
bulging pockets.
My exchanges he explained, sur
y6ying the packages at Macs feet
with an air of proud possession.
"You know my offer of exchange
came out in Golden Days a little
while ago--'Pctrii 4 wood from the
Indian Territory for miscellaneous
curiostes.' A start, Il caurchln,
piece Of the Atlantic cable he
continued, keeping up running com
mcntary as he unwrapped each pack
age. And here's fun" he OK
claimed, as he finished reading let
him NtommaSfhHaTwER "ff from IN" Some Ne" Of til
neighboring tribes Of Indians, and to
tell him about some OF the buEal'
tiuILs / We nau. inc ldca OF Dulialoe'
and Indians in Southeastern Kansas
haven't done with that boy yet,
he concluded, mystcrioGsly, as n
went away to arrange his Curiositie.
t., a., ,1hi ..h
late birthday present, and the motive
Of his sudden craze for cuiiositias.
Left alone, Mae took up the zeph'
that was dancing into pink foam III
der her swift fingers, and tried tt
fix her attention on the volume {
ROs%ctti; but tears came throngln}
to her Dyes, and at last she gave Il,
all attempts at se!fGontrol, and bow
ing her golden head ON her folded
arms, @obbed unrCStlainedly.
A single word IS sometimes tn
key that unloCks Il whole world CT
that word for Mac.
The past came aurging back upon
her--tho golden past of two years
ago, when she was one of the hap
piest girls in Boston, with brother
in whom she, at least, could see III
fault and a lover whom al tn" worlt
agreed in calling as manly and honor
able a fellow as ever lived.
Then the crash came. john Thorn
dyke had spotulattd with his en-
ployer's money, lest It, and on tn
eve Of exposure had cut the dark
knot of impending fate and his own
thread of life at one stroke.
1t was only enc moro item in the
lengthening list of crime and suicida,
but it changed the face Of the world
for Mae.
She slipped away seyeling all con
nection with her old life; and for
Two years had been teaching d littl-
prairie Chool near which an old
nurse of hers lived, at whose home
she boarded.
Dear old Phil. with his heart OF
gold. | am so glad he was travelling
in Egypt when went away, for
know he wouldn't nave given me up
If wild horses had been tearing me
away from him; but ] love him too
much to stain his name with my
brothers disgrace. and he shall nevci
know where | am hiding" she said
to herself, with loving resolution, as
the storm OF SObS abated.
as that boy settin' crazy. won.
icr?" said Mrs. Dean, taking an ap
pctizing pcachtalt out of the oven
one Saturday morning. and looking
from the open window at Harry
Frcarc, who lay on the grass,plot
reading letter. and bubbing over
with suppressed merrment. He
never seemed overly fond of writin'
till about n month ago and now hes
always scribblin and chucklin' away
20 himself, and rumblin' string o.
stuff about lnjuns and bufra lers, and
gals. Do you think his
She inquired. anNiously, of Mae, who
was whiskinS dozen eggs into the
iriest yellow froth.
perhaps he has been writing a
story, and has just received letter
Of acceptance from the publisher"
aughed Mac. as a wild, cNultant yell
.ang out. and Harry rolled on the
grass in paroXysm OF mysterious
lelight.
See here, now. sir. you've just got
~ foil al .,L 4
,razy, or hcv you got fit, or hev
'ou been writin story" demanded
Mrs. Dean, swooping upon Harry.
md tugging him into the kitchen.
ITS the greatest fun | ever had,
md Id have told you and Miss Mae
Ill about it, only | was afraid you'd
want me to stop. You remember the
Boston boy who wanted me to get
lin tomahawk?" Quericd the mirth-
III culprit ut the bar of Justice, as
lie faced Mae. Well" he continued,
Is she nodded Eve been writing
lin the greatest string of stuff you
'ver heard about the indians and
and of course had to have
pretty girl in my yarn, so | took
'0n, and wrote him q lot of stuff
about your riding over the prairie.
With your hair flying loose, and jump
ng siX-foot fences, and said that the
indians called You Sunshine.o fthe.
Plain. Well. the Boston fellow takes
{ all in: but the funniest of all the
hing that | was roaring so over, out
III the grass is that n bOarlnr pf hia
Mothers takes it in. too. Jim-that's
he Boston fellow--has been telling
lin about my letters, and gave him
he one to rcadhwhere | wrote all
bout you. Well. the upshot of it was
he boarder made up his mind to go
Vest in Il hurry, and Jim thinks he's
allen in love with you and is com.