Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-05-27
THE CONQUEROR.
Helen Rollins in wellesley Magazine.

| esyfuBs - sue pOufe0 thtuef SonDof pes
/ hear they're very nice people. The little
girl is just about sons age, you know"
''Son's agei" laughed father, ''exactly
how old is the. son of yours, ANNEX Old
enough to be better than he is. An imp
Off,
| "But-" mother objected.
"Yes, / know. A sure enough rogue,
smile while / scold, nearly give up.
We've got to be stern. He'll be late again
this morning"
"His favorite mullins are all cold" MUIR
INJURED mother.
"And not q sign OF him yet. III give
him just one more"
"He's coming now piped up little
Pitchers, who had been absorbed in her
| oatmeal and biscuits until now.
There was a sudden bang Of doors, few
short barks from Toms pup, and rush
and scurry down the banisters before son
burst into the room. A quick smiling
glance passed between the two at the table,
and mothers eyes were on her plate-but
not before she had seen the brown curls
plastered vigorously back from the freshly
| scrubbed face, and the beaming smile that
showed spaces OF missing teeth.
Toms smile was consciously q little
broader than usual. He wanted to relieve
the atmosphere OF its charge OF disgrace
but only polite and chilly good-morning
met him. Mother and father went on
talking He felt his powerlessness, and was
silent. Just at this most absurd time, up
spoke that silly sister
"Aren't you going to give Tom his
money now?" and her glance at him was
all sympathy.
Tom kicked something, and glared hard
at his corduroy trousers.
~ told Tom yesterday that be must earn
now all he gets-five cents every morning
he is at breakfast on time," father an
swered, quietly looking at his son; "but
he's late to-day. He probably doesn't
want money"
Tom made no reply, and the breakfast
went on In silence. That was more than
he could stand. He twifled around In his
chair toward the clock. Five minutes of
nine! A sudden idea seized him, he
grabbed his books and dashed out. His
fat legs flew. One minute Of ninei and he
was in his seat on time.
When it was time to go back to class
rooms after morning exercises, 1t occurred
to him what really quite short and inter
esting performances they were. That girl
with the long. light pig-tails, was the one
that had just moved into the house
opposite him.
"Il bet she's fun, II she does play with
dolls," unused Tom.
As luck would have it, she was put In
the girls aisle in seat directly next to
him-the one that had been vacant, and
where he used to store his marbl and
basebails. But he didn't mind giving 1t
up-she was very pretty little girl,
flushed bit by the gaze OF so many pairs
Of strange eyes.
II Tom thought OF her prettiness at all,
1t was only to know that she looked more
jolly than she did when he had seen her
first. 1t was one day last week, before she
came to school when she was wheeling her
doll carriage demurely up and down the
sidewalk in front of her house. 1t occa-
sionally would run off the curbstone, and
then she switched her short skirts and
bobbed her head until the sunbonnet fell
back from dainty and mischieyous face.
Tom had seen all this from the window OF
his "den" up under the caves.
So now he felt quite well acquainted, and
when she dropped her lead pencil he picked
II mp, and very politely put long spear
like point on 1t which broke the first time
1t wrote word. She went right on with |
her work, only blu-hing a delicate pink.
Tom wished it would fail again.
His own pencil he chewed cheerfully all
the morning, and smiled in his recess way.
The curls Of the girl ahead of him had no
attraction, and the hard, round notes that
came flying down the aisle received no
answer, for the instlgator Of deep, mys-
terious plots was otherwise engaged. He
proved 1t at recess. He was the fastest
runner in the school, in spite OF his avoir-
dupois, or perhaps his skill consisted In
lodging. Anyway, the person who could
catch him was always rewarded by a burnt
almond or two, which he extracted from
an inner coat pocket. He lodged and
lodged this morning, until he lodged
right in the way OF the new girl.
"Ellen's caught him." they all yelled
and be was Obliged to give the reward to
her.
At the end of the week Tom told Ellen
that he went right by her house on his
way home, so they might as well 60 long
together. She agreed, and his small band
OF followers sat on the fence and in awe
struck silence, watched them go by. One
opened bis mouth to shout.
shut up, you. She Amt sissy. Not II
Tom likes her."
And that was the general verdict. Her
position was assured.
.Do knives cost mucb7" Tom asked
care .essly of his father one night, and he
held up some magazine pictures.
"Well, that depends. Anywhere from a
dollar to dollar and half for the kind
you,d uyopt I uueaa ~ and he uaxt hanIr e.