Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-05-21
CHApTER V


u CHAPTER V.
Ere long. exaggerated rumors reached
Sunny Bank Of the very creditahle man
ner in which | had acquitted myself at
the examination, whereupon Aunt Sally
Wright was quite taken aback. Soon
rallying, however, she had recourse to
her second prediction, which was that II
should not teach more than half the sum
Iner out" Perhaps ! wrong the old lady,
but ] cannot help thinking that the ill
natured stories concerning myself, which
she set ahoat at Pine Hill, were in
great measure the cause of her prophecy
being fulfilled. Never before, to my
knowledge, had she visited at Captain
Thompson's, but now she spent an entire
day there, bringing back to us the intel
ligence that John Thompson n boy just
one year my senior was going to stay at
home that summer, as Miss Cap'n
Thampson hadn't no idee l could teach
him.
Added to this was the comforting rs
surance that "Cap'n Thompson was hop
pin mad because Mr. Randall had hired
me in preference to his sister Dell, who
had herself applied for the school," This
as ! afterwar6 learned, was the secret of
the dislike which, from the first, the
Thompsons entertained for me. They
had no daughter, but the captains half
sister Dell had lived with him ever since
his marriage and between her and their
hopeful son John the affections of him
self and wife were nearly equally Ovid
ed,
Dell Thompson was a proud, overbear-
Ing girl, about eighteen years Of age who
esteemed herself far better than her
neighbors, with whom she seldom asso-
ciated, her acquaintances living mostly
at what was called ''the center" of the
town. 1t seems that she had applied for
the summer school. but remembering that
she had once called him Country clown
and his wife ignorant and vulgar" Mr.
Randall had refused her and accepted
me, Notwithstanding that the people of
Pine Hill generally disliked the Thomp-
Sons, there was among them feeling of
dissatisfaction when it became known
that ! was preferred to Dell for ut
wasn't every big bug who would stoop
to teach"
OF this state of affairs | was fortu-
nately ignorant, and never do | renlem-
her happier morning than that on
which | first took upon myself the re-
Bponsihiities of a teacher. BY sunrise
the little hair trunk, which grandma lent
me, was packed and stood waiting on
the doorstep. Grandma had suggested
the propriety of letting down my dresses
Ia movement which | warmly seconded
but mother said No" she didn't like
TO see little girls dressed like grown up
women so, in my new plaid gingham
] waited impatienty until the clock
struck seven, at which time father an
nounced himself ready.
when will you come homer" asked
mother, as she followed me to the gate
I'm three weeks" was my reply, as !
bounded into the buggy, which soor
moved away.
Pine Hill is not at all remark BILE fol-
it's beautiful scenery, and as old Sorre
trotted leisurely along, down one steer
hill and up another through haunted
swamp, and over a piece of road wher,
the little grassy ridges said as plain a,
grassy ridges could say, that the travel
ers there were few and far between. IN,
spirits lowered little. But, anon, III,
prospect frightened, and In the distanc,
we saw the white walls of Captain
Thompson's residence cleaning through
the mass of evergreens which surrounde,
II. Suddenly turning a corner, we cam
TO halt before one of those slantins
rooted houses so common in New Eng
land. 1t was the home of Mr.. Randall
and il was there that | was to board tn
FIRST week. In the doorway, eating brea
and molasses were his three children
who, the moment they saw us, set up
shout of somebody's come. | guess it
the schoolma' amp and straightway the
took to their heels.
After a moment the largest of theI
ventured to return, and his example We
soon followed by the other two, IL
younger of whom, after eying me n
kance, lsped out Den Thompson they
he amt afraid of you; he can lick you.
Father inquired for Mrs. Randall, VIII
we learned, was sweeping the scho,
house. We set forward. and soon reacl
ed our place of destination, which, witt
out shade tree or ornament of any kin,
stood half way up long, sunny hill. W
found Mrs. Randall enveloped in clou
Of dust her sleeves rolled up, and h,
head covered by black silk handke
chief
The room wasn't fit for the pigs," 81
said, land ought to have been cleane
hut somehow nobody took any lntere
m school this summer, and ia have
make il answer"
4 / didn't care particularly for the ROOF
which. in truth. was dirty and disagree
able enough. but the words nobody to,
any interest this summer" affected 4