The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-03-25

was only eighteen at the time-qulte
too young to he teaching school, as the
reader of this story will probably
think. Shamus O'Day, Losen Whee-
lock and Wheelock's brother Webster
were the three trials that ! had 10 con
tend with daily for ten weeks.
Shamus was a year and LOsen two
years older than /, and each was half
a head" taller. Little Web" too, as
he was called, was little only ia size,
not in guile or years.
/ was told he was twenty three. He
looked old. indeed, but Vas not larger
than the average boy at twelve or
thirteen. being what the people Of
Ararat inelegantly termed tile runt
OF the Wheel0ck family"
Whatever had checked his physical
growth may also have dwarfed his
mind and held back the development
OF manly traits, for the little rascal
was veritable monkey in school. On
ahe first day he took his seat in the
back row, between his brother Losen
and Shamus O'Day. Thus sheltered,
this aged, abnormal rogue began his
career Of mischief. On the second af-
ternoon caught him under the desks,
sticking pins in boys leg three rows
beyond his seat. Tbereupon j gave
him bircbing.
tThat nogging was the beginning of
my troubles with Little Web. After
week / sent for the committee to
come ana turn the little scamp out Of
school, representing TO them, truth
fully enough, that | could NO nothing
with him. BY this ] incurred the bit
ter enmity of the Whcclocks 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. Loscn
gave me TO understand that he would
not let me lay hands on Web again;
and the small trouble maker entered
upon an unchecked campaign of buf-
foonery.
h Shamus was merely n great. strong
Irish boy not bad, unless melted by
others But he liked Little Web be
cause Web made him laugh. and thus
diverted his mind from the miseries
Of lessons, for which he had little
taste.
rThrec or four weeks passed Little
Web made mischief every day, but
took care to keep near Losen and Sha-
mus. ! dared not tlog him. lest his
two big allies ana abettcrs should put
me out Of the schoolhouse. when, ac-
cording TO the unwritten code of back
woods school districts, should have TO
resign my place.
zone evening, about the middle OF the
term, when | sat down to the table at
my boarding house, found the follow
Ing curious note under my plate:
s"Dear Sur-l am not one as tells tails
out of scole. but them three boys up in
the back sete is settin a trapc for you
Mt the scole house TO mite. So you bet
Ter look out. And now no more from
your tru friend NJ. A. L."
j guessed instantly that m. A. h.
was none other than my largest girl pu
pil-and she was large indeed-Mary
Ann Libby. The spelling and compost
tion certainly left much To be desired
hut the purport of the warning was
not TO be mistaken.
Mary Ann was dishgurcd by q start
ding birthmark, which nearly covered
the right side Of her face; moreover
she weighed nj least POO pounds Bu
she was an honest soul, and had beer
dimly aware for some time TINT sh,
was on my side.
While eating my supper l tool
Thought. If Losen, Web and Shamu'
were setting trap, ! decided that
had better see about il.
The night was dark Slipping out
i FASTENED back TO the schoolhousC
but took the precaution to approach i
through pasture ON the upper sid,
OF the road.
The house stood on the lower side
where the ground fell off rapidly. Til,
door was on level with the road. bu
the rear of the house was elevated ol
rough stone underpining, seven fee
high, in which however, there was al
opening, closed 10y rude door. leadin
TO dark space beneath the schoolroou
floor where stove wood was kept.
At first | thought of concealing my
self in this hole unGer the house; bu
rejecting that the boys might com
there with a lantern and corner me. q
find me if hid in the school room.
determined TO climb : large hemloc
tree that stood beside the road With
few yards of the schoolhouse doc
III was tree of natures own plantinj
The only one within quarter of a mi
of the schoolhouse. and had been LEI
there when the land was cleared.
was two feet or more i'm diameter. an
had no doubt withstood the storms ,
century.
] secured n comfortable seat on
branch and waited. sat there a lor
time. Indeed, ! was on the point
coming down and going home VIII,
at last heard boots creak in the fro
en snow up the road. Presently thr
dark figures, which made sure we
my pupils. drew near the schoolhou
&ht SAVlDth dA Ui' uOols lHtl III
fools. ] could make out an ax, sa
and an auger.
They went inside-for the door w
never locked-reklndled the fire i'm q
stove and remained for some tin
moving things about. I could he