The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-09-12

'AShOoS q udI WhdI
the teacher said about her school
when she wrote to the superintend-
ent. Everything smooth as a sum-
mer sea. Sans pill" 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 it was
Esed 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 off the public land Every
body said so, everybody but the IL
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-save
toward Luc Nadjarow, who sat next
to 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
whimpered
Luc spoke up promptly. That's all
right, Miss Nell, l give it to him.
May l speak?" asked Lucie, and
barely waiting the teachers consent,
she was across the room and had
robbed little Esed of his beautiful
find. And Luc's pencil was on his
desk again.
LUG 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 baby may: "Je men
al pas besoin." And Luc went back
to his seat with his pencil. Ha,
slapped in the face by a baby-before
the whole school. 1t made him mad.
He headed Lucie off 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"
MOI"
The blood ran up to the boys hair
at the slur in her voice.
Il know, me, he amt cut them"
That's what l know" she cut in,
coldly.
IF prove your pap didn't cut
those logs. you going let Esed keep
that pencil he fnd?'
The girls tone changed wonderfully
May be l 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"
Il want you to take this now. May
be l 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 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 his 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, streak of red, and a cheer
that shook the pines. Ha! and Lucia
made herself look.
Dice was dismounting slowly from
and white at this proudest moment
of his life, was pushing his winner
little closer to the cheering crowd.
Il want to tell you all something"
he said, harshly, and there was ST.
lence, even among the lucky betters.
You all been saying it's NJ Spiridion
cut those logs, Des amt SO. 1t me
cut those logs"
Riding away In his great loneliness,
Luc laughed-bitterly: Maybe Lucie
would let little Esed keep that pencil
now"
'Luc," 1t was a cautious, broken
call, of one half mad with fear. Luc
fell out of his saddle at the sound Of
1t, and ran back to her
"Oh, Luc. what made you tell, what
made you tell them that?"
Its true" he stammered, trem-
bling at her tears. tits true true,
Lucie,"