The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-12-07
THE RED HEAD
BY F. H. LANCASTER

pfoom seage featheHng 70 is frost.
ing nina trf,z %preeniue; and red oaks
trn.,,nr nm beautifully. All these.
90 Inn,lv u,,le figure In the middle
n, me long white road Marguerite
going to school, Ha! And Marguerite
crying.
Big Theuplle dropped bis az ard
came uncertainty 10 MarsurriteS SIDE.
bon Jour. be sale awkwaTGty.
marguergte sfraiehtened up sharp.
~ She pulled her bonnet over her
face She frowged DID she not hate
,bJs r~st-hnadea bGys liza, Hate him
more than she hated the multiplied
tlga tablrs Ard that he should have
cau,lt her crying because she could
mot lGagn the nine table lie, IEao.
ubfIp.
81 have a headache. me. she said.
primly.
Thepphiie plodled ui her side help
less az a dumb beast on a false scent
A headache Then why was She going
10 schooig Iia' but he must say
something and say n quick.
"Dm mix you feel bad7 Das NAL
de irtrg' He dared nDi be- 10" solicit
Gus He had been suHbbed too often.
Marguerite abbed y]Irtuously.
at ia NOT the main. II ls that | can.
not 40 well atudy." And In the yir-
tuous remark was conveyed a cold re-
nee % . .,.3T,I
the great lazy creature. the sorricst
scholar In his class. Had not the
teacher ppt him I'm a corner behind
her desk so that his idIencss might
not disturb the rest Of the school,
Why, the Httlest girl on the play,
ground was ashamed TO be seen talk
ing to him. And here was she, Mar
guerite, the head cf the class, walk.
ing TO school with him. She tossed
her head and turned Indignantly.
"Tbeopboe she began. sharply.
"Dng all right. he i]nterrupted In a
deem comforting tone "Das all right
| been tink me bout what you say.
yas. How dns headache mex it hard
for you 10 study. llut das m]uIteepIee
cation table, das nine. He aiut hard,
no''
Amt haUii' Marguerite blazed
This did indeed Justify umbrage TO
BE- told BY u Ounce that the thing she
had been crying over was not hard.
"Mebbe YOU amt fought bout das,
H. rnl AD1F r.a4u h4F lTftaF hsNf 90 Z
nttleg"
Go little. she reiterated. scorntul
liz, nut Theophile bad seen his
chance to help her AS well might
abe try To turn a thirsty OK from wa
ter as to stop him now. lie explained
eagerly:
Like dis. yas, Nine times one?
Das mex nine, Noting on Inside, nine
on outside, Nine time ,wo' Das
mex eighteen One on inside, eight
on outside. Nine time tree? Dss
mex tw~enty-seyen. One come two,
eight so seven. Next time, two come
tree. seven go six. CONNIE eaE
And next time Marguerite ut
tered. She wss amazed. But, yes
To learn wisdom from the mouths Of
babes and sucklings-Ha, but 10 be
taught an easy road to the nine table
by a red,head. She forgot that the
sehoolhouse was In sight forgot that
she was iate'
Ana next I'm she repeated ~hen
Theophiie only smiled, neTt time
come four, SIX 20 i've. Forty
hye, BEN. nine times five mex forty
vas. And nine nmes six be Esk
suggested Theophiie
"Feeity.touf, Bon''
Enchanted, Marguerite siuFpet 81
the shadow 81 the piEes - so't CT:
Inc whole table, f0rgr'fGs ~ tz2e E26
place. Gioriousg happE 10 hare
helped her Theofhiae stopped Also.
iorgettul 81 everything 1z9- AsaTF2
save A~argH@Fltes bright s}sN
When they gescha9 10 s~g3sJa5hoube
school Was IL Marguerite flushed
with shame. Tneugb5ss Friuuea IL
Hncoarera TIE leaEtbgr llrat.eu
from one 10 tas Other SHE
the tear marks gr M~sHrue7tpt
face; the ~gracaiegg grin On ybas.