The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-02-08

Mora" said her father one day at
luncheon, as the little girl finished a
woful rehearsal of some misfortune
which had happened 10 her that morn
ing at school, I'm afraid you were
born under an unlucly star. In fact'
under a whole constellation OF I'M
lucky stars. never saw such child
he added, turning to pretty Mrs. Stah-
ton, who sat opposite to him at the
table pouring Nora's chocolate, "she
seems to be constitutionally unlucKy'
Eyes" laughed Mrs Stanton, gaz-
ing affectionately at the child's treck-
ed face with it's pretty frame OF cop
per-colored curls, mora does seem
to be fated." Then, as she saw Nora S
mouth begin to culver with the incom-
prehensibility of the grown-up c'lu-
cism, she added, with her caresslng
smile, But don't you worry, daughter
mine; just be mothers sweet little
Nora, and We'll try to get along IN
spite of those malicious little twink
lers."
Nora, of course, did not understand
what all this meant. She couldn't IN
the least see what stars that were
way up in the sky had to do with
ones getting zero in arithmetic, or
having ones pencil box taken away
for dropping it on the floor six times
or not being able to remember the
capital Of South Dakota in eXamlna-
ton when you had studied it hard
until bedtime the night before and
said it over and over again to your
self on the way to school that morn
lns-ur-but Nora was obliged to give
up in despair when it came to remem
bering all her mishaps-there were
SO many. Every day something went
wrong with her, and then Miss Spar
row, who was too good and kind ever
to be cross, would look grieyed and
sorry, and Morals heart would almost
break. For next to her pretty mother
whom she adored, Morals sweet-faced
gentle little teacher was the idol of
her heart.
There was one person whom the
little girl, in spite Of her sunny low
ing nature, disliked and dreaded. This
was Miss Diker, the lady principal of
the primary department. She was a
severe woman, tall and angular, with
coal-black hair, which she wore
strained back from her sallow face
in a hard knot, and yellow eyes as
sharp as an eagles, which were al
ways ferretting out some unfortunate
victim to sWoOp down upon and crush
with the wrath of her dicipline. Her
whole idea of child nature was that
it was something expressly created
for her to punish and intimidate. She
was the terror of the school and the
very harpy of Nora's life. Reared in
a happy pleasant home, the only child
Of doting, intelligent parents, she was
utterly at loss to understand the
treatment she saw melted out to cul-
prits at Miss Diker's hands. So far
she herself had managed to escape
the dreaded talons of the lady prin-
cipal but the fear of the woman was
deep-seated in her child's heart, and
she never saw her that she did not
hastily turn a corner to avoid her
piercing eyes. No matter what She
was doing she felt that Miss Diker
would find something wrong in it,.
SO she escaped whenever she could.
In this one respect the little unlucky
stars that her father was always iok-
ing about had not exercised their bale.
full influence over her.
Miss Sparrow had been promoted
with Nora for three terms now. and
the child and the little soft-eyed teach
er were the best of friends. For the
young woman, herself scarcely more
than a girl, understood the childs
loving warm-heartedness and gentle.
sensitive nature.
It was the custom on Monday morn
ings for the entire school to gather
in the great central or assembly hall.
as it was called for exercises" It
was something to,which Nora always
looked forward from week to week.
She liked the music and thrilling pat
riotic songs, and, above all. the
pieces" which the older children re-.
cited on the long, low platform which
ran across the front of the big room.
On this particular Monday morning
she sat up straight on her little bench,
her hands clasped tightly in her lap,