The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1908-04-07


misery. and she struggled to keep
down the rising sobs. Her little heart
was beating almost to suffocation:
her little freckled face was now scar
let with shame. Each minute grew
harder to bear than the last. oh. IL
her little heart would only stop beat
ing so!
After time the boys mercifully fol-
got her little and turned their eyes
TO the side blackboard where their
impatient teacher was trying to ex-
plain problem.
She tried to forget the boys. She
tried to think of the late admired Cas-
abianca and to imagine what he would
do under such an affiiction, but Nora,
who an hour before listened to the
tale of the boys heroism with glow
ing admiration. found her enthusiasm
dimmed by contrast What was a
burning deck. she asked herself mis-
erably, compared to this?
When she had been standing there
about ten minutes, and was fast reach
ing a state where her child's endur-
ance could bear no more, the door
opened. Nora turned with the rest,
praying with all her strength that it
might be her dear, sweet Miss Spar
row coming TO save her.
But alasl it was only another boy
of the class who had not been in
the room at the time of her arrival.
The unusual sight of a curly-haired
girl standing in front of a boys room,
made the newcomers eyes pop wide
with unbounded amazement. The
utter establishment and wonder in his
face sent a suppressed litter around
the room that gradually rose into a
roar of laughter Despite all Mr.
Marsh could do to distract them, the
boys once more insisted upon consid-
ering Nora the centre of attraction.
They stared and Uttered and pointed
and whispered, and behaved generally
like pack of especially ill-mannered
imps.
If Nora had been frightened before,
when the boys had merely stared at
her, almost awed themselves at her
calamity, this new phase of boy ma
ture almost paralyzed her She shut
her teeth tight and clenched her
hands at her side. The scarlet flush
died from her face, leaving it very
white under it's countless freckles.
Then a great black veil swan across
her eyes and hid the mass of Sinking,
misohievous, impish faces from her
sight. Her slender little body swayed
slightly, like broken flower in the
wind. One little hand CROPPED out
blndly and caught at the desk beside
her.
Mr.. Marsh who was watching her,
started across the room to her But
before he could reach her the door
opened again. and Miss Sparrow
paused in the doorway for a single
second, taking in the situation. She
saw the dropping little figure in the
midst of that swarm of boys, for all
the world like a hunted white rabbit
at bay before a pack of hounds, and
she started across the room toward it,
with an expression in her gentle eyes
that none of them had ever seen there
before. She caught the child up in
her arms and sat down at Mr. Marsh's
desk, pressing Nora's white face
against her shoulder and trying to
quiet her trembling body.
The touch of kind hand and the
sound of n comforting voice after
the last fifteen minutes of lonely an
glsh brought tho child out of her
despair and saved her from physical
collapse. She rested her head against
Miss Sparrows shoulder, and burst
into a frenzy of tears and sobs. Miss
Sparrow softly stroked the red curls
and murmured low words of SYM
pathy and love into her ear. But all
the time her soft eyes wore a look of
stern rebuke seldom seen in their
gentle depths.
When the door opened to admit
Miss Dlker, Nora was lying in Miss
Sparrow's arms, exhausted The lit.
tie teacher looked UP at the lady prin-
cipal without a word. Her eyes spoke
the words she could not utter.
What does this mean, Miss Spar
row?' asked Miss Diker. why are
you not with your class? why are
you here interfering with my disci-
pline?"
Miss Sparrow's clear. sweet voice
could be distinctly heard all over tho
long room as she answered.:
Miss Diker. when missed Nora
and found out from the girls what
had happened, ] came here for her
I think Il is a great mistake to pun
ish aGonsitive. gentle little girl for a
very small offence as one would a big,
rough boy"
Miss Diker's yellow eyes snapped
with anger.
Miss Sparrow" she said in a voice
fairly choked with passion. you will
pay dearly for this characterization.
/ will not allow my authority in this
school to- be disputed by mere slip
of a girl. 1 shall report this to the
Board"
Miss Sparrow's face grew slowly
white and her pretty mouth quiyered.
but she did not reply She quietly
placed Nora on her feet and. putting
her arm protcctingly and supportugly
about tho childs shoulders. led her
from the room
A week later Miss Sparrow received
a notice from tbc Board of Education
stating that her resignation would be
required. On the day she left her pu-
pills gathered about her with mOurnful