Evening star., 1907-05-04
MISS SHARP'S DISCOVERY.

l susSS SttSDuu ~
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Miss Sharp's Select School was the schoo
OF Eastown; no matter how many little pri
mary schools bristled over the village, girl.
| always wound up at Miss Sharp's to b.
"graduated''-and a. fast az the old girls
grew up there were new ones to take theil
places. and many fond mammas whose owr
tender years had blossomed under Miss
Sharp's watchful eye were glad to know
that their own little daughters were being
| well guarded, 30 for many years Misc Sharp
| kept up her prestige.
This good lady exercised the strongest in
fuence over her pupils, save in one direc-
toni like certain biblical lady named
Eve, they were very fond Of forbidden fruit,
the fruit In this instance being the green
spring fruit which their young appetites
craved. and older and wiser heads always
denied them. Miss Sharp laid a special
embargo on green plums, for June apples,
being out Of school time, were. Of course,
beyond her jurisdiction.
But those half-ripe, luscious piums-
the delight Of every schoolgirl who can
secrete handful-were Miss sharp's abom-
ination, and rigid was the examination to
which she subjected any unfortunate who
was under suspicion. On many occasions,
when the eulprit doubled and turned. and
% baffied her searching Inquiries, she had
front Of her and administer jamaica ginger
down the line with an impartiality that was
Juse e provide against possible indiss..
she would observe, with Q grim smile which
sent . shaddsr among tho suffering inno-
On certain spring morning when green
III, (,,f ahor or1,
opened school IN . perturbsd state Of mind.
Several articles had been reported missing
from Day to day during tie pest week. and
the girlc studies were seriously Interrupted
ras tae sSat:s 20 RE
So trihln6 that only some petty thief would
have taken the trouble to secure them, but
The insonyen!enes vas most annoying ana ana
guard after school hours and catch the
rascal red handed.
30 absorbed was she In this annoyance
that Tor day she relaxed her vigilance
concerning the plums, and the girh man
aged to sfnugtle enough TOR feast In tho
folds Of their handkerohlefs and In tho
bloused' fronts Of their shirt waists.
BROWN Ssn' Annie sTs ,Psosh popa
lar with the village youths, and less fortu-
nate girls hovered around them as the CEN
ters Fhenes sll piu.ms flowed. and on thu, thus
one day 0s NE. d,s..s ssharD's absorption they
In the AFTERNOON Miss Sharp, after ,appar-
entity barring and boltins tbe school house
as Usual. hid hsfself "a far-of music
apoa tho Vao1s ss desh She
strongly suspected that the boy who swept
the floors was responsible Tor the shortage,
but she wished to catch him In the act be-
30 Soon | the oiioR I q the he latch Nv was heard. and
he came IN ~ usual; she watched him care
fully a. he climbed up and down after his
broom, and sure enough, she actually saw
pounce upon him-andeed sine had quietly
followed him to the large school room-when
q sound from the rear Of the building made
her pause and shrink into the shadow again.
Two well-known, eminently respectable
boys were creeping at the back windows,
each one carrying large bundle, and they
stole softly to the two desks belonging to
Jessie Brown and Annie Marvin. They
raised the IDS, and Miss Sharp heard
humping, pouring sound, which she recog-
nized Immediately as the rattle of green
plums-and then she bore down upon then1
thing more In his pockets and hid behind
"Ah, now I know who has been stealing
on my prenisest' She cried. cycling them
corner. Now know who opens my girls
desks and carries of their belongings Gem
tlemen's sons-young fellows who should
know better-I'm ashamed Of you-ashamed
fines in court tomorrow. for I'll have you
both up for the annoyance you've caused
me. know now where all my pencils and
rubbers and knives and blank books have
gone. Empty your pockets!'
The poor fellows grew red and indignant
We've never stolen from your school. nor
anybody else's?' they declared.
Miss Sharp, "for I've determined to arrest
the thief, whoever he may be"
There was a faint clatter behind the
stove. as of the dropping Of certain articles
and the sweeper vanished through the side
door Miss Sharp saw him. but she made
no sign. only turning her grim front to the
culprits she had in hand.
They were quite pale now, and much f1us-
tered, for nothing would convince the old
lady that they were not guilty Of petty
larceny, And yet, II they tried to clear
themselves and showed what they had been
doing. their favorites would have no more
stolen treats that season.
"Come, come" said Miss Sharp. "con-
fess at once. or I'll send for an officer
What have you just taken from those
desks? Show me at once
I'VE put something in" they blurted out
in desperation at last.
LET me look" she demanded. They
opened the desks. and displayed sea Of
with horror.
"Take them out at once-at once!" she or
dered. "In your hats-f there Is no other
They obeyed her. feeling very small. in
deed.
"Fling them out Of the window" she
commanded.
They hesitated, Green plums were dear.
'As far as you can." she insisted.
They obeyed her meekly.
"Now, never let a green plum come near
this school again. Go home and think how
lucky you are not to be up for stealing.
And IL ever I catch you But the boys
never heard what would happen They
were of like a fash, leaving Miss Sharp to
enjoy her double triumph.
Two crestfallen girls viewed the empty
spaces in their desks next morning, which
they had expected to find filed with green
plums, but Miss Sharp said nothing. A
meek boy swept through the rooms next
day, which bristled with an unusual supply
of tempting wares, but he never touched
one: and more remarkable still-nothing in
future was ever missed from the girls be-
Iongings.
HOW THE SEALS PUT ON AIRS
BY JOE CAREY.