Year: 1868

jacob ldIner was uodu anu ulS
mother was poor, poorer than power
ty in fact, for she had herself and Ja-
cob and little Nan to support, and
Nan was a cripple, never had walked
step in seven years-that is to say,
ever since she was born. Jacob was
twelve, and good stout slip of boy
at that. In the winter he went to
school, and in the summer he picked
up stones and worked in Eugene
Vale's fathers garden. Squire Vale
they called him, not that he was
squire, but because poor folks seem to
think they can't put rich man high
enough over their heads without CIV
ing him some sort of title to step
up on. At least, that's what Jacob
Billings used to say, bJt Jacob didn't
like rich folks and he had a splteful
sort of way talking about them.-
Above all, didn't like the squire, and
as for Eugene, it wouldn't be too much
to say he hated him. To be sure, Eu-
gene was rather set up in his ways,


and rather careless about hurting poor
peoples feelings, and when he was an
CRY, said good many things he was
sorry for afterwards, and Jacob never
forgot anything that offended or hurt
him. So the two boys did not get on
very we'll together, especially the win
ter when they were both twelve years
old, and went together to the district
school. 1t was Eugene's last term,
for the next fall he was going to a


boarding school to be fitted for col


lege.


College indeed! Didn't that make


Jacob rave why shouldn't he go to
college as well as Eugene, who did


not know half as much, said he, and


went on so that his poor mother cried,


and Nan told him he was a wicked


boy, and she didn't love him, which


made matters worse; for if there was


anything in the world Jacob loved


better than all else, it was poor, pale,


pretty little Nan, his crippled sister.


1t was the very next day after this
scene that the end Of the whole mat


ter arrived in this way. Both boys
| staid at noon, and so in fact did al


most the whole school except the


teacher, more's the pity. Well some


dispute arose, and Eugene and Jacob


took different sides as they almost


always did, and at last forgot what


they had begun to dispute about, and


took to calling each other names, and


saying all the provoking things that


they could think of, until at last ia
cob said Eugene was a stuck up fool,


and Eugene said Jacob was a sneak
ana a LUS@al. To UiIfo Jl.~>yL IL
that the other lied, for he had never


begged a cents worth in his life, to


which Eugene retorted that the very


trousers Jacob wore at that moment
had been a pair of his old ones, and


were patched from a pair Of his faith
er's. Unfortunately this was the pre-
else truth, although it was very mean


of Eugene to say it especially before
the other scholars, who at once set up
a shout, and made a great many witty


remarks about patched breeches, and


beggars on horseback, and other del
icate little illusions which | don't re-


member just now.


The end of it was that Jacob rush


ed away from the school house, feel
as if he would like to kill somebody
, or other, he wasn't sure but it was
, himself, and as he never could face
one Of those boys again as long as he
lived. The more he thought of it the
, blacker and bitterer grew his mood,
! and the more eager his longing for re-


venge, just what revenge be did not
. know at first; but just as the sun went
!, down and gloomy black shadows
came creeping through the wood
, where he lay, something seemed to
, whisper a suggestion in his ear which


made him start and turn pale, and
! then sit up and look all around him
E to see if anybody was near enough to
! suspect the horrible thought already
working in his mind.


No one was near, no one that he


saw, although for that matter no one
IS ever alone. So, although Jacof
could see nobody and threw himself
: back upon the grass feeling quite sure
that he was alone, the something


which had whispered the horrible idea
;, into his mind did not let it rest, but
: kept urging it, and making it uneasy
v and telling him how badly he had beer
4 treated. and how sweet revenge wOulC
: be, until in the end Jacob rose NJ
o and went skulking along out of tht
>, wood lot and across the fields, looking
just like dog that means to steal {


bone and knows he ought to be whip


ped for thinking OF it.


, The wood lot where he had spen
4 the afternoon belonged to Squire Vale
= and the fields he crossed after leavin!
4 it were Square Vale's also, and be
yond them lay the great farm yard
~ and barns, and haystacks at the bacI
: of Squire Vale's big white house.
= was already dusk when Jacob Bill
- Iings left the wood where indeed h
- would have been afraid to stay an
4 longer, and by the time he reaches
- - the buildings it was dark, so he easil
d found a chance to creep into the grea
in hay barn and hide himself there.
to Meantime his poor mother at hom


was getting more and more anxious


especially as she had an errand at tn
at Squire's that could not be put off unit
er morning, and there was no one wit