Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1914-04-09

Spiridion, and everybody said
I'd 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 30, 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. It
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, give it to him."
May / speak?" asked Lucie, and
barely waiting the teachers consent,
she was across the room and had
Tobbed little Esed of his beautiful
find. And Luc's pencil was on his
desk again.
t Luc stood up hotly. 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 renunciation, 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 baby-before
the whole school. 1t 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"
mo-"
The blood ran up to the boys hair
at the slur in her voice.
II know, me, he amt cut them.
That's what l know" she cut in,
coldly.
If I prove your pap didn't cut
those logs, you going let Esed keep
that pencil he find?"
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"
II want you to take this now. May
Z. be | won't see Esed next Sunday.
he took 1.-THE red pencil, looked
him wistfully, and started up the
\nday! A long, straight track
Ugh the forest, and a crowd Of
by people hurrying to the start
to the finish. Everybody had been
mass. Now for the horse race.
h, Luc rode his own bay mare,
m-necked little beauty, full Of
Ind long of wind. 1t was her
Ace. Dice rode the white horse,
white had already been three
j winner.
Re was a wild leap of excite
MEM, a streak of red, and cheer
that shook the pines. Ha! and Lucie
made herself look.
Dice was dismounting slowly from