Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-08-10

$.s# WIFI d lew WOTQSs WILL yGs His
insisted Hepstead I'VE mustn't part In
misunderstandin'"
tsI do not wish to hear. Go!'s
He was turning away when Hepstead
caught him suddenly in his arms, as
he might child, and then seated him
self upon a chair with the wrathful
schoolmaster struggling upon his
knees
easy, easy, Mr. Peters" he said,
soothingly. ST jest want to say few
words an then We can go. Mebbe ye
did git a little ahead in that licktn' an
this'l1 sort o. even up. Now We say
I'm the weakest scholar ye're ever had,
an guess likely we're right But It's
this way. You've been brung up in
learnin' an I've heered say your pa
an grandpa was schoo1masters. Let
ters an figgers are mixed up thick In
your blood With me it's dif'runt. My
pa an grandpa didn't know their let
tiers, like me. We belonged to the
woods"
"Why didn't you stay there?''
snapped the schoolmaster, still strug-
Cling to release himself.
sized things that brought me friends
an pretty big pile o. money, AM
s'pose I got to feelin' mighty friendly
toward myself. When my friends said
the only thing needed was education.
an kept on sayin' it, got to thinkin'
mebbe they was right, an come here"
s'H'm!" 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 a boy at the approaching holi-
day.
tNo, he answered. "I've Jest
thought some more an found t would
be a mistake to keep on maxim 9 mis-
take. I'm meant for the woods. I've
done good work there, an can do more,
an it's strong, hearty life. | could
study an git an education, know, for
I've never yet set out for q thing that
didn't git; but L would take the best
part O my life. I'm slow at such
things, an would have to dig out every
letter an hgger with a pickaxe, one
at time An in the end would it be
wuth the trouble? All my int'rust is
back yonder in the woods, an we don't
need much 1earnin' 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, I thfnk-yes, IT is faded
rose bud, a wild variety that grows
among the rocks
That's right" with rapturous
chuckle. 1.-THE Indian summer brought
It, There's a girl back where come
from, the prettiest an best one in all
| the world, but she's like me In not
KNOWN letter or fgger. When /
come here she bid me Godspeed, for
even though she believed the learnin'
would draw me away from her, she
thought t would be for my good That
rose bud was picked at our first under
/ standin' an her sendin 1t means she
/ amt so strong as she thought an
can't give me up; an I, schoolmaster err, 2
/ with sudden boyish laugh that shooI
his huge frame, made up my mind ter.
days ago that | was payin' too big 6
price for the learnin'. I'm gofn' bacl
to her, straight. That's all Now ye
can go. only wanted We to under
! stand thA reason Mahba tharn'Ss hapv,
a girl somewhere an at some time that
you used to know"
He released the prisoner and rose to
his full height, stretching himself
/ finally from the thralldom of the
/ schoolroom. The schoolmaster stood
for moment gazing at the floor. Then
! he held out his hand.
81 wish you well, Hepstead,'s he
said, in a low voice. st may be you
are right.
Salmon Salad.