Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-01
photo by Harris Ewing.)

| that every one looked at him in surprise
! Mr.. Brice. the superin tendent, was seated
| beside Miss Lanes desk, and before them
| stood Tom Miller in evident distress. Work
| pupils was centered upon these three.
| "Ah," said Mr.. Brice, on perceiving the
late scholar, I'm glad to see you. Tom
Fields for we would like you to answer
! some questions"
Yes, SIR" said Tom politely. There had
been former encounters between him ano
| the superintendent. which both had cause
| to remember.
| well. then" continued Mr. Brice. when
| your teacher sent you back to the school
house yesterday afternoon. did you stop to
| do anything in the room besides the errand
| on which you Gamer
1t seemed to Tom that he was being
| indirectly accused Of something, and while
| 1t made him angry, the consciousness that
yesterday had been his red-letter day in
good behavior, kept him sufficiently calm
to reply:
Yes, sir. picked Todys penknife up
and threw 1t into his desk"
I'm doing 80, did you notice a dollar bill
there?"
II did not, for didn't look inside at ALL
There was pause, during which Mr..
Brice took down a few notes and the pupils
waited breathlessly. Miss Lane looked at
the boy in sadly puzzled way, and Peg
gle Hopkins did not look at him at all; two
facts which hurt Tom not a little.
At last the superintendent began in this
There has been no boy in any of my
schools who has caused me 80 much trou-
BILE as you have. Tom. Miss Lane has
been the first teacher to find no fault with
you. In truth. it seemed you were excep-
tionally well-behaved yesterday until a
series Of facts leads me to take different
view of your conduct.
"Tody Miller left a dollar bill in his desk.
Two other boys saw it there and told him
they thought it would be safe. The school
house was found locked this morning and
the money was gone. The only person who
has entered here since the others were dis
You needn't say any more, Mr.. Brice,''
Tom interrupted. You think 1 stole that
money, so why don't you say 1t right out2
1 tell you 1 didn't. and 1 won't stay where
people call me a thief
With a sob in his throat, for, to tell the
truth, Tom was more hurt than angry, he
burst out of the room. Following a wild
desire to be alone, he rushed off to the
woods.
Those in the little school room had barely
recovered from their surprise and Mr.. Brice
was just about to start in pursuit when a
little girl near the old disused organ gave a
faint scream.
"Oh teacher" she cried, "see the mouse!
There it goes In the organ"
AS Miss Lane looked in the direction
where the little speaker pointed she caught
sight of a long wriggling tail. which quickly
disappeared. Rather more excited than the
occasion seemed to call for, she went over
ard, with some effort, raised the back cover
Of the organ. Inside. in one corner. was a
queer little nest of bits of rag, paper and
straw inhabited by two tiny specimens Of
mousehood. AS she bent over to examine
them the mother mouse darted out of hid
den recess among the pipes Of the rusty in
strument and jumping to the floor. disap-
peared in a hole. In springing out so sud
denly the little creature had pushed some
thing forward, which Miss Lane eagerly