The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-09-06
SANS PHI
By T. H. Lancaster

A. g., ''''NiS' nat is what
ene teacher said about her school
wnei' she wrote to the superintend,
eht' Everything smooth ae 60
mer sea Sans pill" she was ratbar
proud OF the French she had nicked
up. '''N p'oAeu
II was this way, mon ami somebodv
.au oeen cutting logs off the public
lahu. Old man Nadjarow said if Vas
Esed st9iridion, and everybody said
Ola man Nadjarow ought to know
Didnt he live right next to Thai nioca
Oh land! Didn't he hear a tree fail
one moonlight night? Didn't he SEQ
carryiog tracks past his house earl
next morning? But, yes! And was
not hseu Eplridion the only man ON
the bayou that had no good timber ON
MS land? Didn't he have IA children
ana a wife to feed? He had a carry.
Jog. But can you feed a wife and ID
ohilureh with just odd jobs of haul.
ing? And as old man Nadiarow point.
ed out, they needed clothes and IN
oacco' also But yes, certainly.
IL was Esed Spiridion who had cut
the logs off the public land, Every.
Dody said SO, everybody but the 70
little Spiridions that came steppins
nightly to school over the pine straw
haln or shine, never late, never noisy
Brown by the sun, healthy with hard
work, lean from light feeding. The
brightest children in the school.
Three or four studying out of the
same book. never missing word.
Holding themselves proudly aloof
from their fathers accusers. Even
little Esed, just turning five, would
not play with boy whose papa had
said that his papa steal log. AS for
the older boys their hands clenched
at look or whisper.
"Troncon." Every boy in the school
had been fought for that. 1t was
worth just one bloody nose to say
stump to one of the little Spiridions.
And that teacher saying there was
not a wrinkle in her school.
But Lucie Spiridion did not fight.
She was not even disdainful-save
toward Luc Nadjarow, who sat next
to her in class-she was always head
and who worshiped her utterly from
the sole of her slim bare foot to the
topmost of her tossing curls. Small
joy did he get of his love affair: the
poor Luc. The boys twitted him,
telling how he would have to pay $40
a stump. The girls Knocked, muir.
muring "troncon," the little Spiri
dions hated him for his fathers sake
and Lucie, 1t would seem, disdained
him for him own sake. Any way, they
had been good friends before those
logs were cut. Why should she be
hard on him alone, of all his fathers
children?
Ha, the poor Luc! He wanted tc
knock down every boy in the school
to slap the face of every girl-save
Lncie. He wanted to go into court
and swear that it was not Esed Spir
idion that cut those logs. He wanted
to tell Lucie that he loved her And
all he did was to lose his pencil. And
little Eyed found it!
Luc's little brother arose in his
seat at the sight of that long, red
pencil.
Miss Nell, Esed stole my broth
er's pencil" he cried.
Little Esed jumped up. He could
not speak English. He pointed help
| lessly at the road. "Je trouve," he
whimpered, beneath the teachers
stern glance.
Luc spoke up promptly. That's al
right, Miss Nell, give it to him"
May / speak?" asked Lucie, and
barely waiting the teachers consent
she was across the room and had
| robbed little Esed of his beautiful
find. And Lucs pencil was on his
desk again!
Luc stood up holly. May / speak?
he demanded, and before all the
school he said to little Esed: That's
your. Keep it,"
The little fellow looked at his sis
ter, his lip quivering with the bitter
pain of remuneration, but he returned
so haughtily as a baby may; "Je men
al pas besoin.' And Luc went BACK
to his seat with his pencil. Ia
slapped in the face by a baby-beiore
the whole school. 1t made him MAD
yes. mad enough to take the old path
| through the branch and head Lucie
| off on the way home
What for you didn't let Esed take
that pencil?" he demanded, overtaR
ing her.
"Esed say he didn't want It, she
replied, without looking at MIN,
"'Tain't me say your papa cut those
logs"
MOI"
The blood ran up to the boys han
at the slur in her voice.
81 know, me, he amt cut them
That's what l know" she cut IN
coldly. ,-,. az,
IF | prove your pap didn't cut
those logs. you going let Esed keel
that pencil he find?"
The girls tone changed wonderfully
MAY be let him keep that pencil
Won give him." she said, softly, very