Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-11-14

ing 5 q good tnlng, and, on, now It's
needed. Except at school-you
mustn't do anything human here, you
must be an oyster at school,"
"Aw-right," said Jakey, with a glim-
mering of comprehension. He seemed
coming to life, as if sap were trickling
from winter-congealment.
Bob Clinton, too, felt the fresh
breeze or early spring in his face. He
removed his spectacles.
1.-THE first thing l knew" Fran said,
resuming her private conversation
with Jakey, Il had a mother, but no ia
ther-not that he was dead, oh. bless
you, he vas alive enough-but before
my birth he deserted mother. Uncle
turned us out of the house. Did we
~starve, that deserted mother and her
little baby? l don't look starved, do I?
Pshaw! If a woman without a cent to
her name. and ten pounds in her arms
can make good, what about a big
strong boy like you with a mother to
smile every time he hits the mark?
Tell these gentlemen you're sorry for
punching that boy"
"Sorr'," muttered Jakey shame
facedly.
81 am glad to hear It," Abbott ex-
claimed heartily. You can take your
cap to go, Jakey."
"Lemme stay" Jakey pleaded, not
budging an inch.
Fran lifted her face above the
tousled head to look at Abbott; she
sucked in her cheeks and made a
triumphant oval of her mouth. Then
she seemed to forget the young mans
presence.
But when mother died, real trouble
began. 1t was always hard work, while
she lived, but hard work isn't trouble,
la, no, troubles just an empty heartl
Well, sir, when l read about how good
Mr.. Hamilton Gregory is, and how
much he gives away-to folks he new
err sees-here l came. But | don't
seem to belong to anybody, Jakey. Pm
outside of everything. But you have
a home and a mother, Jakey, and a
place in the world. SO l say Hurrahl'
because you belong to somebody, and,
best of all, you're not a girl, but a boy
to strike out straight from the Shout
der"
Jakey was dissolved; tears burst
their confines.
One may shout oneself hoarse at the
delivery of a speech which, if served
upon printed page, would lever prompt
the reader to cast his hat to the cell
ing. No mere print under bold head
lines did Abbott read, but rather the
changing lights and shadows in great
black eyes. 1t was marvellous how
Fran could project past experiences
upon the screen of the listeners per-
ception. At her, when mother died"
Abbott saw the girl weeping beside
the death-bed. When she sighed, 81
don't belong to anybody" the school
director felt like crying: 'Then be-
long to mel"
Fran now completed her work. She
rose from the immovableTakey and
came over to Abbott Ashton, Wit
meekly folded hands.
He found the magic of the moon
light-hour returning. She had mel
lowed = glowed = softened-woman-
ized-Abbott could o find the word
for 1t. She quivered with an exquisite
ness not to be defined-a something
in hair, or flesh, or glory of eye, or
softness of lips, altogether lacking in
his physical being, but eagerly desired.
Professor Ashton" she spoke seri-
ously, Il have been horrid. / might
have known that school is merely a
place where young people crawl into
| hnnlG IN orr fhnnaCo1uaa Prov, ia fa
lid, swallowing all that comes in the
way. But I'd never been to school, and
| imagined it a place where a child
was helped to develop itself. l thought
teachers were trying to show the pu-
pills the best way to be what they were
going to be. I've been disappointed,
but that's not your fault; you are just
a system. If a boy is to be a black.
smith after he's grown, and if a girl
in the same class is to be a music
teacher, or a m%illiner, both must learn
about abe and def. So Pm going
away for good, because, of course, l
couldn't afford to waste my time in
this house,"
But, Fran" Abbott exclaimed i'm
p~ulsively, don't you see hat you are
holding up ignorance as a virtue? Can
you afford to despise knowledge in this
civilized age? You should want to
know facts just because-well, just be.
cause they are facts"
But | don't seem to, at ALL" Fran
responded mildly. mo, I'm not ma.
king fun of education when l find fault
with your school, any more than
show ~irreverence to my mothers God
when l question what some people call
religion It's the connection to life
that makes facts of any value to me;
and it's only in it's connection to life
that I'd give a pin for all the religion
on earth"
Il don't understand, Abbott faltered.
She unfolded her hands and held
than I'M in q oTafnf Ifff11 -oef,,a ~