Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-08-18

why did you submit to this pun
ishment. then?" he demanded.
ooh, it was comm to me, | guess. |
didn't learn the lesson, an | don't
want any partiality. / always give
what I owe an take what's due me.
Ye may tell the boys good-by to-mor-
row, an say I'd liked to have seen
more of 'em. Generally I've been kept
in recesses an at noon an night, so
we amt had much chance to git ac-
quainted. Likely shall never be out
this way any more"
And you are going away" said the
schoolmaster, with strong condemna-
ton in his voice. 81 have not had
much faith in you, Calvin Hepstead,
but | thought better than this. You
| came here for an education, and have
been with me only three months.
have never had scholar quite so weak
as you, and" throwing out his hands
with a sudden gesture OF renunciation,
81 do not wish to remember that you
have been with me. My life is teach
| ing. and | do not like failures. Now
| you may 60"
81 want few words with ye, first"
insisted Hepstead. 1--WE mustn't part in
misunderstanding"
81 do not wish to hear. Go!"
He was turning away when Hepstead
caught him suddenly in his arms, as
he might a child, and then seated him
self upon a chair with the wrathful
schoolmaster struggling upon his
knees.
Easy, easy, Mr.. Peters" he said,
soothingly. II jest want to say a few
words an then we can go. Mebbe ye
did git little ahead in that lickin' an
thisll sort o even up. Now ye say
I'm the weakest scholar ye're ever had,
an l guess likely ye're right. But it's
this way. You've been brung up in
learnin', an I've heered say your pa
an grandpa was schoolmasters. Let
ters an figgers are mixed up thick in
your blood. With me it's difrunt My
pa an grandpa didn't know their let
ters. like me. We belonged to the
woods"
why didn't you stay there?"
snapped the schoolmaster, still strug-
CLING to release himself.
We'll, ye see I'd done some good
sized things that brought me friends
an pretty big pile O. money. an I
s'pose / got to feelin' mighty friendly
toward myself When my friends said
the only thing I needed was education,
an kept on sayin' it, got to thinkin'
mebba they was right. an come here"
HIM" The schcolmaster ceased to
struggle against the impossible and sat
quietly upon the knee. And now you
are going back to show your friends
that they were mistaken in their good
opinion"
Hepstead laughed with the gleeful-
ness of boy at the approaching holi-
day.
No" he answered. GIVE lest
thought some more an found t would
De mistake to keep on maxim a mis-
take. I'm meant for the woods I've
done good work there, an can do more,
an it's a strong, hearty life. | could
study an git an education, know, for
I've never yet set out for a thing that
| didn't git; but I would take the best
part o my life. I'm slow at such
things, an would have to dig out every
letter an figger with a pickaxe, one
at time. An in the end would 1t be
wuth the trouble? All my int'rust is
back yonder in the woods, an we don't
need much learnin' there Then I've
got this"
He allowed one hand to slip down
over the schoolmaster's shoulder until
1t reached the other hand, which had
drawn small package from his pocket.
This was carefully united and opened
and then held before the schoolmas-
ter's face.
Know what t is?" he asked.
Why, | think-yes, it is a faded
rose bud. wild variety that grows
among the rocks"
That's right" with a rapturous
chuckle. THE Indian summer brought
it. There's girl back where / come
from, the prettiest an best one in all
the world, but she's like me in not
KNOWN letter or figger. When l
come here she bid me Godspeed, for
even though she believed the learnin'
would draw me away from her, she
thought It would be for my good That
rose bud was picked at our first under
standin', an her sendin' it means she
amt so strong as she thought an
can't give me up; an I, schoolmaster,"
with sudden boyish laugh that shook
his huge frame, made up my mind ten
days ago that l was payin' too big a
price for the learnin'. I'm goin' back
to her, straight. That's all. Now ye
can so. l only wanted ye to under
stand the reason. Mebbe there's been
| a girl somewhere an at some time that
you used to know"
EIe released the prisoner and rose to
his full height, stretching himself
finally from the thralldom of the