Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-12


as father drove in town, which was
three or four times a week, he would take me
with him, and leave me at grandmother's
while he went among the stores
30 l always ran up stairs to school, and
was quite used to sitting on q bench with
the smaller girls and doing as they did, with
little added sense of Importance because it
was my grandmother's house.
The school room was very large, and had
work could be put away There was high
post bedstead there, too, which was very
handy when the youngest children grew sleepy,
as they often did.
Many, time have seen Ruth Hebron
asleep there, her cheeks flushed, and her yel-
low curls straying on the pillow. / myself
grew drowsy once after long ride in the
wind, and felt it right to take a little nap.
laid my cheek against piece of calico
in the patchwork quilt, that was like dress
of mothers, and fell comfortably asleep while
listening to the a, b-ab class.
The ceiling was low and upholstered. When
we looked up we saw the boards of the gar
ret floor, supported on great beams. There
was knot-hole In one Of the boards, and
grandmothers yellow cat, who was a great
pet used to be in the garret sometimes and
put his paw down through the hole, just as
if he knew it would make the children laugh.
ran up there IN recess, one day, and brought
him down.
stairs, and said, in a surprised voice:
We don't dare go up there, for fear of a
feruling."
q amt afraid" said, proudly; "my
grandmother lets me play up there, and turn
the spinning wheel if / want to-
To prove it, went up again, and putting
lmy foot on the treadle Of the dusty old spin
ming wheel in the corner, l made it hum
Nanny and two or three more girls came
little way up the stairs-just far enough to
see me.
/ ought to have Jet things alone, but, to
show how much at home felt. broke some
sprigs from bunch Of dried peppermint anc
nibbled them, and / found some chalk, and
marked with it on the floor, There was big
coarse bag lying on a blue chest, and l looked
to see what was in it, It was halffull o.
wheat-the whole grain-and took up hand
full and let it run between my fingers. What
is it, Maidie?" asked Julia Page, in a loud
whisper.
So brought a double handful down stairs
and divided it among the girls, who cam'
crwoding around me. What do you suppos'
we wanted of it? We were going to chew It
/ can hardly imagine now how we coult
have wanted to do it, but when l see thu
boys and girls of today going to the confec
TONERS to buy chewing gum, l am reminded
of that wheat AT all events, 1T was cleaI
But ought not to have taken what grand
was vast for It afterward. It led to the othe
children taking liberties they had neye
thought of before.
The next time visited Aunt AIMS schoo
there was trouble and misunderstanding
Ruth Hebron had lost her blue and pinl
block Of patchwork, which was basted bu
not sewed,> and Nanny Colts sampler, tn
idol Of her heart, half-fnished as it was, ha,
been taken from her desk, no one knew b,
whom. M
berry shells are gone out of my desk, ant
they didn't go without handsi Come t,
think of it. haven't seen them for thre
days, but I thought they were under m!
papers" ,,
berry shells very well. ! admired them 81
much, and had that very day brought
pocketful of wintergreen, hoping to trade il