Connecticut western news., 1919-01-30
BOOK TWO
Which Is the Story of the Prin-
 cipaI Witness.
CHAPTER VIII.
In Which | Meet Other Great Men.

In Which l Meet Other Great Men.
 It was a sunny day late in Septem- Der on which Aunt Deel and Uncle Pea body took me and my little pine chest with all my treasures in it to the will lage where was to go to school and live with the family of MT. Michael Racket, the schoolmaster.
 remember the sad excitement of that ride to the village and all the words of advice and counsel spoken by my aunt.
 remember looking in vain for Sally as we passed the Dunkelbergs'. re- member my growing loneliness as the day wore on and how Aunt Deel stood silently buttoning my coat, with tears rolling down her cheeks while I leaned back upon the gate in front of the Racket house, on fishery lane, try ing to act like a man and rather ashamed of my poor success. Uncle Peabody stood surveying the sky in silence with his back toward us. He turned and nervously blew out his breath. His lips tremb1ed a little as he said:
 q dunno but what it's goin' to rain."
 I watched them as they walked to the tavern sheds, both looking down, at the ground and going rather un- steadily. Oh, the look of that beloved pair as they walked away from me l- the look of their leaning headsl Their silence and the sound of their foot steps are, somehow, part of the pie ture which has hung all these years in my memory.
 Sally Dunkelberg and her mother came along and said that they were glad I had come to school. I could not talk to them, and seeing my trouble they went on, Sally waving her hand to me as they turned the corner below. I felt ashamed of myself. Suddenly I heard the door open behind me and the voice of MT. Racket:
 "Bart," he called, 'Tve a friend here who has something to say to you. Come in"
 turned and went into the house.
 Away with sadness-laddie buck !" he exclaimed as he took his violin from its case while sat wiping my eyes. Away with sadnessl She often raps at my door, and while try not to be rude, I always pretend to be very busy. Just a light word O recognition by way O common politenessl Then laugh, if ye can an do it quickly, lad, an she will pass on."
 The last words were spoken in a whisper, with one hand on my breast.
 He turned the strings and played the "Fisher's Hornpipe" What a romp of merry music filled the housei I had never heard the like and was soon smiling at him as he played. His bow and fingers flew in the wild frolic of the Devils Dream" It led me out of my sadness into world all new to me.
 "Now, God bless your soul, boy p' he exclaimed, by and by, as he put down his instrument. eve shall have a good time together-that we will. Not a stroke O work this dayi Come, I have a guide here that will take us down to the land O the fairies" [.
 Then with his microscope he showed me into the wonder world of littleness of which had no knowledge.
 'The microscope is like the art O the teacher" he said. 'T've known a good teacher to take a brain no bigger than a fiy's foot an make it visible to the naked eye"
 One of the children, of which there were four in the Racket home, called us to supper. Mrs. Hacke>. stout woman with red and kindly face, sat at one end of the table, and between them were the children-Mary, a pret- ty daughter of seventeen years; Mag gie, a six-year-old; Ruth, a delicate girl of seven, and John, noisy, red faced boy of five. The chairs were of plain wood-like the kitchen chairs of today. In the middle of the table was an empty one-painted green. Before he sat down Mir. Racket put his hand on the back of this chair and said:
 "A merry heart to you, Michael Henry" --" --.
 I wondered at the meaning of this, but dared not to ask. The oldest daughter acted as kind of moderator with the others.
 Mary is the constable of this house, with power to arrest and hale into court for undue haste or rebellion or Smpoliteness," MT. Racket explained.