The Clio messenger., 1918-10-11

phy thuS ouBScSleu, anu MI. bTiSSS
shook his head in grave doubt. But 1t
gave him something to think of all that
day; and the first sermon preached in
The Corners church that autumn
seemed rather different from most of
those solid, indigestible discourses that
to his parishioners.
Dunno but it Is worth while to give
the parsOn vacation" pronounced
Uncle Joe at the dinner table. "Seems
to me his sermon this morning seemed
to have a new snap to it. Mebbe he'll
give old Satan hard rub this winter,
after ALL"
"Joseph Stagg" said Aunty Rose
admonishingly.
II think he's very nice man." said
Carolyn May suddenly. "And 1 KEEP
awake most Of the time-you see, I
heard poor Princey bowling for me
here, where he was tied rp."
"Hum !" calculated Mr.. Stagg.
(which kept you awake-the dog or
the minister2"
"Oh, 1 like Mr.. briggs very much" "
the little girl assured him. "And he's
In great Fiction, too. am sure. He
he wears crepe on his hat and sleeve"
"Huh, so he does" grunted Mr..
Stagg. "He's most always in mourn
ing for somebody or something"
"Do you s'pose, Uncle Joe, that he
looks up enough? 1t does just seem
to me as though poor Mr.. briggs must
always be looking down instead of
looking up to see the sunshine and the
blue sky and-and the mountains, like
my papa said you should
Uncle Joe was silent. Aunty Rose
said, very briskly for her:
"And your papa was right, Car'lyn
May. He was very sensible man, /
have no doubt"
"Oh, he was quite wonderful man."
said the little girl with full assurance.
1t was on the following morning that
school opened. The Corners district
school was a red building, with a
squatty bell tower and two front
doors, standing not far up the road be-
yond the church.
Miss Minnie Lester taught the
school, and although Miss Minnie
looked very sharply through her
glasses rt one, Carolyn May thought
she was going to love the teacher very
much.
Indeed, that was Carolyn Mays at
titude toward almost everybody whom
she met. She expected to love and to
be loved. Was it any wonder she made
so many friends2
There proved, however, at the start,
to be little difficulty with Miss Min
ME. Prince would not remain at home
He howled and whined for the first half
Of Monday mornings session as
Aunty Rose confessed, almost driving
her mad. Then he slipped his collar
and tore away on Carolyn Mays cold
trail.
Into the school marched the dog,
having drawn the staple with which
his chain had been fastened to the
bole Of the tree In Mr.. Stages back
yard.
Miss Minnie was both alarmed and
angry. Some Of the little girls shrieked
and wept when Prince pranced over
to Carolyn Nays seat.
"f you do not shut that awful dog
up so that he cannot follow you here,
Carolyn May, shall speak to your un-
Gle, Mr.. Stagg, about 1t. Ugh. the ugly
beastl Take him away at once!"
So Carolyn Mays schooldays at The
Corners did not begin very happily,
after all. She had always loved and
been loved by every teacher she had
ever had before. But Miss Minnie
seemed prejudiced against her because
Of Prince.
The little girl felt badly about this,
but she was of too cheerful a tempera-
ment to droop for long under the pres
sure Of any trouble. The other chill
dren liked her, and Carolyn May found
plenty of playmates.
1t was on the last Friday In the
month that something happened which
quite changed Miss Minnie's attitude
towards "that mongrel." Incidentally,
The Corners, as a community, was full
ly awakened from its lethargy, and, as
1t Glanced. like the Sleeping Beauty
and all her retinue, By Prince.
The school session on Friday after
Moons was always shortened. This
day Mr.. Brady, one Of the school trus-
tees, care to review the school and,
before bs left. to pay Miss Minnie her
salary for the month.
Carolyn May had permission from