The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-02-12
BOOK TWO
Which Is the Story of the Prin.
cipal Witness.
In Which I Meet Other Great Men.
CHAPTER VIII.

In Which ! Meet Other Great Men.
1t was a sunny day late i'm 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 vii
lage where l was to go to school and
live with the family of Mr.. Michael
Hacket, 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
leaned back upon the gate in front OF
the Hacket house, on Ashery lane, try.
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 trembled little az
he said:
IT dunno but what it's goin' to
rain"
1 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 =
the look Of their leaning heads! Their
silence and the sound Of their foot
steps are. somehow. a part Of the pic
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. could
not talk to them, and seeing my trouble
they went on, Sally waving her hand
to me as they turned the corner below
felt ashamed Of myself. Suddenly
heard the door open behind me and the
voice Of Mr.. Hacket:
BART" he called, 1--WE a friend
here who has something to say to you
Come In"
turned and went into the house.
away with sadness-laddie buck Y
he exclaimed as he took his violin from
its case while sat wiping my eyes
away with sadness She often rap.
at my door, and while try not to BIZ
rude. always pretend to be VERY
busy. Just light word o. recognition
by way o. common politenessl Their
laugh, II We can an do 1t quickly, lad
an she will pass on"
The last words were spoken In q
whisper, with one hand on my breast
He turned the strings and played
the FISHERS Hornpipe." What a romI
of merry music filed the housed
had never heard the like and was soor
smiling at him as he played. His bow
and fingers flew in the wild frolic OF
the Devils Dream" 1t led me ou
OF my sadness into a world all new II
me.
"Now, God bless your soul, boy" hi
exclaimed, by and by, as he put dowr
his instrument. "We shall have a goot
time together-that we will. Not q
stroke o. work this dayl Come, have
a guide here that will take US dowr
to the land o. the fairies"
Then with his microscope he showed
me into the wonder world of iittlenes.
of which had no knowledge.
"The microscope is like the art o. tn,
teacher" he said. "Tve known a goot
teacher to take a brain no bigger thar
a fiy's foot an make 1t visible to tn,
naked eye"
One Of the children, Of which Their,
were four In the Hacket home, called
US to supper. Mrs. Hacket.. stou
woman with a red and kindly face, sa
at one end Of the table, and between
them were the children--Mary, a pref
ty daughter of seventeen years; Mag
gle, a six-year-old; Ruth, a delicat'
! girl Of seven. and John, q noisy, red
faced boy Of Eve. The chairs were O
plain wood--like the kitchen chairs O
today. In the middle Of the table wa
an empty one-painted green. Befor'
he sat down Mr.. Hacket put his han,
on the back Of this chair and said:
"A merry heart to you. Michae
Henry"
wondered at the meaning Of this
but dared not to ask. The oldes
daughter acted as kind Of moderate
with the others.
MARY Is the constable Of this house
with power to arrest and hale Int
court for undue haste or rebellion o
lmpollteness." Mr.. Hacket explained.