The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-01-17

another favorite-full of mischief, to be sure,
but honest above the doing little things
When the school became quiet Miss Ludlow spoke:
Alice Morgan, stand up! Now, will you to
this naughtiness? See what a cruel thing you
might have done!''
the seat to hold her from falling. "Truly-truy
didn't do it, she cried, with staring eyes. Her
voice was shrill. Her lips white.
Every other face in the room became grave Miss
Ludlow was in trying place. Horror at what
ly had happened made her ''You adding
talsehood to this other naughtiness. L am shocked
and grieved Take your books and go home! We
cannot have you here until you confess and ask for
giveness!"
How the little girl crept away she never could tell
Miss Ludlow kept the others until Alice had time to
get nearly home. After all were gone she went to
the nearest trustee and told him what had been DONE
"Deary me! deary mel Who'd IA thought it! who'd
IA thought it! But, of course, you had to do it
why, of course. But who'd "a thought it of that
pretty little girland she with such a nice gentle
spoken mother! Deary mel"
All night long Miss Ludlow worried. All night
long Mrs Morgan sat beside her little girls bed and
watched her restless umber after the story had
told to her and All night long the kind
hearted trustee kept waking and thinkng-waking
and thinking. When morning nearly had come and
the old Cochin China cock had crooked his neck for
a rousing crow the trustee gave a spring. He Jump
ed out of bed and started the in his long
gingham nightgown. Then he caught sight of one
bare foot and turned back. He had solved the mys-
terry but he couldn't rush to tell it in that
tune. So he went back and made it known to his
wife After daylight, but before breakfast he called
upon Miss Ludlow.
GIVE worked the sunni" he said in his Slow glad
way "The little girls all right. Pm the to
the FOOLS cap, or-or be sent to Jail Why, you
see, it's this way: We've been holding our prayer
meetings and trustee meetings in the schoo-house
evenings, and I've been carrying candles and
opening up the house-beng as Pm trustee and near
by. And l remember of laying matches on that lit
tie low front desk-the highest to the teachers
SOS to have em handy if the wind blew in the win
dows and put the light out. Sometimes it did blow
out candle two and some of the matches slipped
down into the crack between the top of the desk and
the back of it. So when that desk hit pulled,
maybe Jared, match might drop down and roll
out | went over to the schoohouse this morning,
and, sure nough there a match. l stepped
kind O. hard Hke-onto the floor board what had the
desk screwed to it. Down went that match onto the
floor. 1t stopped till it had rolled out clean
under my feet Here 'tis!'
The trustee held up match He looked like a
boy that expected a whipping. Miss Ludlow laughed
like a child. She was very happy. The trustee
laughed, too Then the two hurried to Mrs.
Morgans where the teacher kissed little Alice and
cried over her, while the trustee told his story and
showed the match. Later the two led the child to
school between them, the trustee made speech
to the children and again held up the innocent match
"Take warning by mel" He said it as if he and
the match, together, had been guilty of crime.
"Take warning by me! Always be careful where you
put match. And never believe anybody guilty till
you-till you just have tot"
Dear little Alice had her old again and found
a friend wherever she turned. She pale, but
glad, though, if the truth told, l believe Miss
Ludlow was quite as happy anyone.