Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-03-26

100 young 10 ne teacnlng schOOl, as III,
reader of this story will prObabl,
think. Shamus ODay, Losen Vince
lock and WheelOck's brother Webster
We're the three trials that had to con
tend with daily for ten weeks.
Shamus was year and I.Osen two
years older than |, and each was "hall
head" taller. Little Web too. a,
lie was called, was little only in size
not in guile or years.
l was told lie was twenty-three. III
looked old, indeed, but was not larger
than the average boy at twelve oil
thirteen, being what the people oI
Ararat inel"gantly termed 1.-The run
of the Wheelock family"
Whatever had checked his physica
growth may also have dwarfed his
mind and held back the development
of manly traits. for the little rasca
was a veritable monkey in school. Oh
the first day he took his seat in the
back row, between his brother l.Oser
and Shamus ODay. Thus sheltered
this aged. abnormal rogue began his
career of mischief. On the second af
ternOon caught him under the desks
sticking pins in Il boys leg three rows
beyond his seat. Thereupon | gave
him a birchiug.
That fioGginS was the beginning of
my troubles with Little Web. After
week l sent for the committee to
come and turn the little scamp out of
school. representing to them, truth
fully enough. that | could No nothing
with him. by this I incurred the bit.
ter enmity of the WheelOcEs and two
other families, relatives OF theirs. and
gained nothing, for the committee de-
clined to act. After that things went
rapidly from bad to worse. I.osen
gave me TO understand that lie would
not let me lay hands OH Web again
and the small trouble maker entered
upon an unchecked campaign of buff
fOOnery.
Shamus was merely great strong
Irish boy. NOT bad, unless melted by
others. Ent he liked Little Web be-
cause Web made him laugh, and thus
diverted his mind from the miseries
of lessons, for which lie had little
taste.
InIre Or IUuI Wrrns l,a.,.,,,
Web made mischief every day, but
took care TO keep near LOsen and Sha-
mus. ! dared not fog him. lest his
two big allies and abetters should put
me out Of the schoolhouse. when. ac-
cording to the unwrltten code of back.
woods school districts, ] should have to
resign III! pace.
One evening, about the middle of the
term. when l sat down TO the table at
my clearinghouse, | found the follow
Ing curious note under my plate:
Dear Sur-l am not one as tells tails
out of scOle. but them three boys mp in
the back sete is settin a trape for yOn
at the scole house to mite. So you bet
Ter look out. And now no more from
your tru friend. NJ. A. L."
| guessed instantly that M. A. L."
was none other than my largest girl pu-
pil--and she was large, indeed-Mary
Ann Libby. The spelling and compost.
ton certainly left much to be desired,
but the purport Of the warning was
not to be mistaken.
Mary Ann was disfgured by q start
ling blrthmark, which nearly covered
the right side Of her face; moreover,
she weighed at least 200 pounds. But
she was an honest soul, and had been
dimly aware for some time that she
was on my side.
While eating my supper took
thought. If Losen, Web and Shamus
We're setting n trap, decided that
had better see about it.
The night was dark. Slipping out.
fastened back to the schOOhouse,
but took the precautiOn to approach 1t
through pasture Oh the upper side
Of the road.
The house stood on the lower side.
where the ground fell Off rapidly. The
door was OH a level with the road. but
the rear of the house was elevated on
rough stone underpining. seven feet
high, in which, however, there was an
opening, closed by . rude door, leading
TO dark space beneath the schOOlrOom
floor, where stove wood was kept.
At first I thought of cOncealing my
self In this hole under the house; but
rejecting that the boys might come
there with lantern and corner me, or
ind me IL l hid in the school room. l
determined to climb !: large hemlock
tree that stood beside the road within
few yards Of the schOolhOuse door.
It was tree Of natures own planting,
The only one within quarter of a mile
lf the SchOOlhOuse, and had been left
here when the land was cleared. 1t
was two feet or more in diameter. and
mad no doubt withstoOd the storms of
l century.
| secured comfortable seat on
branch and waited. l sat there long
lime. Indeed, was on the point of
coming down and going home, when
1t last heard boots creak in the frog
IN snow up the road. Presently three
lark figures, which I made sure were
ny pupils. drew near the schoolhouse
md stopped at the door They had
ools. could make out an AK, q saw
md an anger.
They went inside-for the door was
lever lOcked--rekindled the fire in the
stove and remained for some time,
moving things about. / could hear
hem talking in low tones. but could
not even guess what they were doing.
After while they came out, and go.
ng around by the rear, went under
he house. There they remained at
east half an hour. ] could see the
,leam of light and heard them saw
ng.
Afterward they came back indoors
lgain, and We're going back and forth |
or ut least an hour longer so that al. |
ogether l had long. cold time of it
lp in the hemlOck. But | had deter.
mined TO remain quiet and examine for
myself what they had doue. after they
eft.