The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-08-07

EVERYBODY SAID so
BY r. II. LANCASTER.

when she wrote to the superinteno'
ent. Everything smooth rs q SUM
mer sea. Sans PHI" She was rather
proud of the French she had picked
up.
1t was this way, mon ami. Somebody
had been cutting logs off the public
land. Old man Nadjarow said 1t was
Lsed Spiridion, and everybody SAID
old man Nadjarow ought to know.
Didn't he live right next to that piece
Of land?
1t was Esed spiridion who had cut
the logs of the public land. Every
body said SO, everybody but the y
little Spiridions that came stepping
lightly to school over the pine straw
Rain or shine, never late, never noisy.
Brown by the sun, healthy with hard
work, lean from light feeding.
'Troncon." Everybody boy in the
school had been fought for that 1t
was worth just one bloody nose to
say stump" to one Of the little
Spiridions.
But Lucie Spiridion did not fight
She was not even disdainful-sare
toward Luc Nadjarow, who sat next
10 her in class-she was always head
and who worshiped her utterly from
the sole Of her slim bare foot to the
topmost Of her tossing curls. Small
Joy did he get Of his love affair.
Ha. the poor Luc! He wanted to
knock down every boy in the school.
to slap the face Of every girl-save
Lucie. He wanted to tell Lucie that
he loved her. And all he did was to
lose his pencil And little Esed found
It!
Luc'S little brother arose in his
seat at the sight OF that long. red
pencil.
Miss Nell, Esed stole my broth.
er's pencil" he cried.
Little Esed jumped up. He could
not speak English. He pointed help
lessly at the road. "Je trouve," he
wbimpered.
Luc spoke up promptly. That's al
right, Miss Nell, give it 10 him"
May speak?" asked Lucje, and
barely waiting the teachers consent,
she was across The room and had
robbed little Esed Of his beautiful
find. And Lucs pencil IVES On his
desk again.
Luc stood UP holly. May speak"
he demanded, and before all the
school he said to little Esed: That's
yours Keep it."
The little fellow looked at his sis.
ter. his lip quivering with the bitter
pain Of remuneration but he returned
so haughtily as a baby may: "Je men
al pas besoin.' And Luc went back
to his seat with his pencil. Ha
slapped in the face by baby-betore
the whole school. II made him mad.
He headed Lucie of on the way
home.
What for you didn't let Esed take
that pencil?" he demanded, overtak.
ing her.
"Esed say he didn't want It," she
replied. without looking at him.
"Tain't me say your papa cut those
logs"
Nor"
The blood ran up to the boys hair
at the slur in her voice.
Il know, me, he amt cut them"
That's what / know" she cut in.
coldly.
II l prove your pap didn't cut
those logs, you going let Esed keep
that pencil he fnd?"
The girls tone changed wonderfully.
May be let him keep that pencil
you give him." she said, softly.
Ha' But it would seem that all
the sweetness Of that changed tone
was lost on Luc. He said, stolidly.
You going be at the horse race
Sunday? l prove it then"
Begin"
\ want you to take this now. May.
be / won't see Esed next Sunday"
She took 1.-THE red pencil, looked
at him wistfully, and started up the
hill.
Sunday! A long, straight track
through the forest, and a crowd Of
happy people hurrying to the start
or to the finish. Everybody had been
to mass. Now for the horse race.
Bien! Luc rode bis own bay mare.
a slim.necked little beauty, full OF
fire and long OF wind. 1t was her
first race. Dice rode the white horse.
and the white had already been three
times a winner.
There was wild leap Of excite.
ment, a streak Of red. and a cheer
that shook the pines. Ha! and Lucie
made herself look
Dice was dismounting slowly from
the beaten white horse, and Luc, hard
and white at this proudest moment
OF his life, was pushing his winner a
little closer to the cheering crowd.
Il want to tell you all something
he said. harshly. and there was 81.
lence. even among the lucky betters.
You all been saying it's NJ. Spiridion
cut those logs. Des amt so. It ne
cut those logs"
Riding away in his great loneliness.