Indiana State Sentinel, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 March 1892 — Page 12

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THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL, WEDNESDAY MORNING," St ARCH IG, 1892-TWELYE PAGES.

UNDER THE MAPLES; Or, the Test of Character. A. Story of Village Life BY W A. L T K R N . PI I N M A. N .

CHATT IV. Tili; V-H;.tI. ilXTiN'-. It turned coM that afternoon avA half rained, half snowed, an 1 when evt-uinj came there was a. raw, icnetrai:ni; win 1 that raade a ct :1: e in the oM n-hool houH3 Btove a necessity :t the comfort of the aeeaibleJ voters f the district. There was a great question pcci'inz ona that had teen agitated and bitterly debated for months px-t. T1:e ''-- buildiaz mutt le expensively re;aireu that wa- the rtaBOn by there w-r.i no ses.-ions in.-Id now. It was fifty year- old, r.nJ when bui.t was more tuaa eu!:lciei:t for the needs of the youn eettleiuent; indeel, i: was considered a most imposing eiineo at that time; but fifty yearj hal Drought change 3 and increased -wealth and more population, and now the question was whether tto repair tha old cr build a new one. In fact, it was proaostd by cne party to build a model school and acac!?a:y, with tho J higher branches ot learning taught, rank- I Sag in it j upper department with the hih (CuooU of the cities, which siiouhl be frea to children of the district. The discussion tad waxed hot. Tonight it was to be decided, and both eiiies had come out in force; the room was full of n.ea una boys and one female the widow JUudelt. the sat behind her epectack upon the platform; buld. a.vn -s.-;ve, d.-.ur couldn't vote, bu: she could talk. Mia It wa also eviitnt that there wa? a ppirit of fun nmpiut. The youn. voters, always ready for anything not desperately wicked that v.a- exc:tin.;(.r sraun;, and the country is I'uli of si: eh people, were out ia full force. A chairman was balloted for, but en counties up there were Jound to be more votes. a-t than there rere men. women and children in tho dis trict A secoLd bail, t v;as tahen with mere caro and, to their treat perplexity, the tellers found that Jen. V. ir. -ra:.t : had received the Lube-t number o; votes cast for chairman vi the r.ertir.u'. I'x.Assemblyman Uli Toraj kins relieved the embarrassment by .:iyir.;r that ts '-cn. Grant was not pre-ent, and net a resident of the dktri- t, ho was not eligible to tho ::ii-e. Meanwhile Btaid citizens hud been c-.mia? In and on tii e third b i'.lot Squire "Wr.rrtrn -was declared elected cr.a:rruaa ; tliouh ho barely defeated Joram Jenes. a well known, half-imbecile character ben-ccin to tha Village. 'I ho rtu't w.n encnurp.jrinj to Ihe Academy party, Tue ahti-acudeiny people had voted with tha Iru-icson; i ; young fellows, but how tho yot-.n l. h.iws themselves wouhl v :: when it can e to the real que.iticn which was to c:me up nobody could rfiy. Tho Squire on taki::? the chrdr epo:e of our ancestors having fought, sr.:l'e red, b'ed died ior certain ideas, certain principles. ne of tho foremost of thos-. ideas was the fre-j public school; ti e . Behcol where tho poi r man's, the rich men's any ina-i's pors were equally equipped with weapons of knowidy, and went into the battle cf life to lira or fail, is each one's in iu-trle-.a hlita and talents merited. Herein lay the c hiel can-e or America's wonderful prcgress, and he said: "If any man didn't like these ideas ha couldn't cliRnire the principles na which this gov- j eminent was founded, but nothing restrained bin he could Fee!; another! homo in England, !lu.-- h;, o,r China. We j would try and survive the lo.--j." It was a i good, sate speech tor a chairman cf such a I meeting to r.iuüe; he man t touru upon the advanced free school and lie received cheers. After the rest oi tha preliminaries had been gone through, and a few reports from the school oihda's disposed of, ine chair asked for the further pleasure of ihe meeting. CapL Lano jumped to his feet at once. He hadn't heard the report of tho librarian. He would like to Lear it. This was unexpected. The librarian's work icr years had been done in th most perfunctory manner. No ona could remember when the librarian had maio a report. Scholars and anyona else who wished to, helped themselves to books and brought them back when they pleased, jnd tho result was that but few were !eft of a once fairly ood library. Tho question, especially ffom CapL Lane, was an wkward one. The chair answered that it had no report from the librarian. Tho captain had paid out his good money toward this library, and ho wanted the report of the librarian. The chair wished to know who the librarian was. Tho records were looked DTer. Dr. Herron he'd that ofhee, but the gentleman was not present. Capi. Lane tercely repeated his request. Tho captain was anti-academy, and it was seen that ho wa3 rather under the influence of liquor, a not-unheard-of thin; lor him, but apt to make him nciey and "demonstrative. The chair was sorry to disappoint the captain, but until the doctor arrived anyway the report cculd not possibly bo produced. "Uefore perceedin' to other bua'ness, as a voter an' a tax-payer of this dee?trick," eaid the captain, sonorously, "I insist upon the report of the librarian." The chair regretted it, but until the librarian came the g';od Fen6e of the captain ought to show him how impossible it was to satisfy the request. "I ainst here,' sir," shouted the voter and tax-payer, pounding the desk in front of him, "to be told that I hain't got sense. Luther am I here to bo brow-beat and gagged," said ho with a swoop of his arm. "As a law-abidin' citizen of this here great an' free country ; 3 a man tnat has paid taxes for books for this here deestrick," and he stepped into the ais:o and swung Loth arms tremendously "I maintain my consti-too-tional rights un' I in-eist on the report of the librarian." As he neared the climax he rosy hizh ui on his toes, and as he finished came down on both heels with great firmn?. The boys received the captain's remarks with the greatest of nthtishtsm and applause. Squire Warr n's grav eyes began to t'itt?r. He wanted no scene Witt thr captain, but ut th's was foo ithnoss and h waj besnnii.tf t u' t j:ia l, lin just at this point a laru io' j itched into the captain'H vaiuaphj shepherd and they rushed bltinir, scT.itchitis;, snarling, prowling and yelling under the F"ats and down the aisle, and fighting for a lon' time before thoy could h? frppr.rated. The meeting wan in a terrible huhb'ib and uproar as lonz as thn lasted, and when quiet was restored the captain had gone out to t.k hi dog to a place of Fatety. It may tie that h-9 found it in tha bar-room ot tha hotel for he did not rc ;ppe?.r during the ever.ir.ir. The lion. Uli Tompkins arose iidsaid, in subitanco, mat the free school was the corner-stons of our nation, or, na a great

man had said: "the bulwark of our freedom." To repair this building would cost considerable, and in his humble opinion it wou! 1 then be inadequate for tho requit einents of its own district. "Our ruulation,'' sai i he, "has outgrown the common country district school. The expense ot a new building wiil be more than the repair of this ona, but look at the advan-t.-'g-.'s! We would not only save the expense of sending cur children away to be educated, as now has to bo done when they pass from the rudimental branches, but a so save exposing thein to daners and temptations among strangers. Noi only this, but it is my firm conviction that, pruperlv conducted and a high standard of excellence maintained, it will give our beautiful village such a namo and a fame as will induce wealthy and cultured families to bettle here, and thereby enhance the value oi our property, and I modestly submit my opinion ihat pupils will llock in from other districts and towns in such numbers that tho tuition received from thein wid alone pay the increased expense of conducting this higher school, to eay nothing of the money which will have to be necessarily spent in our etorea for their daily support, and thus we will eventually reap a sound financial reward." Mr. Tompkins spoke in his usr.al reduaJant vein, and rather lengthily, but he fairly set forth the academy side cf the question and was frequently applauded. Widow liludgett now took her turn. She spoke with emphasis and vigor: "I'm a man when it comes 10 payin' taxes on my prope'ty, an' I'm a nothin' when I want ray eay as to how them tases'll be spent. I'heer?. 'Square, thar's a patitiun frum seventeen cn us as owns prope'ty an' pay taxes an' can't wote," and she thrust th; petition at the chairman. '"Frea schewels!" (.ho resumed, with intense bitterness. "Why should I pay fur other folkses' young 'uns' fkulm'? Hay?" and she rested her hands on her hips and Lob:;ed her bead violently. "P.y an' by y.-u'il want us to pay for their clothes an' bread an' butter what's the difference? an' buy 'cm a planner, prooerlyl 1mnnnso applause. If they can't pay for their young 'uns what do they heV 'em far hay? ileuewed cheering. I told 'tun it wuzn't no u;e, but 1 wuz a com in' to te 1 them mis'able coots whodoan't own a dullar, an never did an' never will, but who kin vote to build palerces, with my mony tu sen' their inis'ablo brats to sehewl in, what I thunk of 'em yes, jest such fullers as you, liiil Wilder, an' you ain't a coin' to cough me down, nother !'' A terrible coie oi wheezing and coughing had begun among those immediately about the stove. "I won't be shet up!:' screamed the an-

grv widow. 'rii " Kut here eho was taken with euch a spasm of strangulation that tho squire vks afraid that her wrath had resulted in u lit, and he jumped up to indignantly protest cgainet this unmanly conduct, but as ho opened his mouth something tingling, s allocating, penetrated bis throat, and he sat down choking and speechless. For the second time the meeting broke up in a tumult. Doors and windowa were hastily thrown open and everybody went out of doors to get a breath of fresh air, and a' I because Stubby, coaxed into it by one of the older boys who had given it to him, had slyly thrown a lot of cayenco pepper on the red-hot stove. lv the ti : o the air ia the room had been puriüed it was lato and many had gone home. Previous to the pepper episode the sentiment of the meeting and ttie majority of the voters had been clearly in favor of the academy, but the most of those who ha,l gone home were from tnat side, and tho result was now doubtful. An anti-academy man cow arose; it was Mr. Loraine. "Our foreiatheis," he said, "when they established the free public school system, did not include in it the pimply polishing branches of foreitrn and dead languages, higher mathematics and the ditlerent 'ologies, ail of whicn are necessary only to those who enter the professions. They provided schools where a boy was taught to read, write, cipher and think for hiajself, and when ho left their schools he was not above becoming a farmer, or merchant, or mechanic. Applause from the antis. Another thing: Who derives the main benefit from these free as you call them academies, anyway ? Why, the rich roan's son to be nure. When the poor man's eon has arrived at an age when he ia big enough to go to wcrx he must leave tne school and help the father in tho field. His father cannot feed and clothe and house him, even if the district does pay to see how good a laborer or mechanic can be spoiled, and how poor a lawver can be made, mreat applause from the same side as before. Lut, gentlemen, our talk is ail hypocrisy. I may be called selfish; good; bo I am. So are you, too. If you could bar out all in this room except the tar-pavers, then count those who have children to send to this school, I will tell you how many votes the academy would get. Then count all the tax-payers who have no children to send to this academy, and you will havo tho number of votes against it. That'a all there is to the question. L'i. fortunately every man over twenty-one cau yote, tax payer or nob The singular ending of Mr. Loraine's remarks was characteristic of the man Well educated and keen, often eatirical and roujli in speech, niggardly at times and in odd ways, and lavish and liberal on unexpected occasions, he wad a strange and negative man. Tho llev. Mr. Dowdall got up to speak. He had a habit of getting up to speak on all possible occasions and he was not a popular speaker. He was too longwinded, too dictatorial, and he always be g;in with (ireeco and Koine and was alto gether too long in getting down to the nineteenth century. "When the flaming torch of ancient (ireece first shot athwart the horizon o mankind and lighted up the intellect of slumbering cations; when Koine's great empire "2'i'8tion !" shouted some one. Mr. Oowdall stopped but an instant, ant began more firmly: "When Lome' great empire swayed the destines of mil ions her onward march wai marked bv The voters never knew what marked the onward march of tho Koman empire "Oiiestiou'' "On, go an' talk at mark!" "Question!" "Come ot! your perch!'' ' ''(juortion Question!" came in J a storm of relevant and irrelevant calls an 1 remarks and drowned the voice of tho orxtor. lie subsided. The question vta duly moved and tho balloting began. Just beforo tho pol i , sed Co!. Huntington walked in. He had evidently j't como into town on a bite train. J'r. Herron beckoned to htm lo come an 1 vote, and the poll wis held open for him. When tho result was do cl.ired it was found that the aemieiny peo-

I pie had won by one vole. Had the col

onel not voted the result would have been

a tie. The colonel and Mr. Loraine walked home together. Mr. Loraine, said the colonel alter a ew steps, "do vou remember in the play of the 'Merchant of Venice,' that when Jiaxsanio, already in Antonio $ debt, came to borrow more money he excused it by Baying that iu his boyhood, when he lost an arrow he risked another shot in the same way and by watchiug its fall he often laiind both?" Yes." 'Well, Mr. Loraine, I am i? i..rmiV and you are Anlomo, I am in your debt. Will you shoot one more arrow?" "And I remember, said Mr. Loramo, "that Antonio came near losing a pound of his flesh for going on that security." 'Mr. Loraine, I owe von ?'',(K)i. I havo nearly fifteen hundred thousand pounds of cheese and butter on hand. If I urn obliged to sell now. it will break the market and ruin me. Mv onlv solvation is to lold every pound of it and keep up tho price, two thousand cash win Udo mo over. . '1 am sorrv, colonel," said his com panion gravely, "but I cannot let you have it. You must get it eis where." When the colonel told his wife of tho serious position he was iu that night, ho regretted that ho hud gone near that school meeting, for ho had no idea but that Mr. .oraine had denied him on account of that deeiding vote, for it was generally understood that Mr. Loraine kept always a arge sum cd monevin the bank. His wife thought of those unfortunate murdered chickens, and in her own mind laid it to that, but prudently did net say anything about them to her husband. Perhaps both were partly right, perhans both were wrong, for it may bo that Mr. LorAine did not have the cash to spare. That is a point that the reader will have to decide for himself, for the writer of this history never cared to press Mr. Lcraine with the question. Squire arren walked home with tubby, and thanked him for Laura, and praised his valor, and delighted the bov bv telling him of tho gun ho had ordered for him. Then he spoke of the school meeting, "lrr.," lie said, "you are too young to fullv understand the importance of it now. Mr. loraine, when he argued against a free higher education, and reerring to the schools of a hundred years airo. did not take into account the Vf.st dilierenco between tho needs of our countrv then and now. Civilization has made great strides since then. Why, (i?orso Washington was a no better speller than you are!" I The squire didn't mean to state an untruth, but he really couldn't have been acquainted with Ira's peculiar spelling or ho would have made a dplerent compari son.) "His papers and letb'rs prove if. Putin regard to free schools. Ira. you will see when you grow ol der that a govern ment like ours must have an eaucaie l, intellieent people to support it, or it will fall to pieces. Ignorant or illiterate men with their power to vote and make and unmake laws would be . so bam boozled and led astray by demagogues and political tricksters that it would result in anarchy that is, no law at all every man for himself. Therefore it is ri;ht to tax property for that purpose, for what good would our property be if government were destroyed ? So every dohar spent bv or, ners of property in the education of tha people is so many dollars spent in preserving the value of their property. I wish that the women tax-paver3 could see it in that light As it is, thev think they are being defrauded. I am sorry it was so close a vote. I wish the old shed would fall in, then the expense of the new one wouldn't bo felt so much. To stop this bitter feeling I would willingly give f 100 out of my own pocket if it would burn up." An hour or two later Squire arren and Ira Davies were both awakened out of a bound eloep by criea of fire anil the rejec tion of red llames on tho walls oi their rooms. Each sprang to his window and discovered that the old school house was burning; and the last words of tha squire when ho parted from Ira cama to them both : "I wouhl willingly give ft hundred dollars out of my own pocket if it would burn up. And the same question arose in tho minds of the man and boy, "did that tiro catch from the oil htovo or wa3 it incendiary?" CHAPTEK V. 1K.V IS KXIi'.IITF.P. A week from the day of the school meet ing aud fire Stubby brc tight home from the postoilice the following letter: Inpiaitapolis, April 11. My Pr.AR Mrs. Pavies: We lmve just arrired Bud will play here two nights. I'leass write rue at once, care Great Western theater, Chicr.go. how my baba is. 1 am jus; frantic to know. Will be ia Chicago probably two weeks. Oar route baa been so uncertain, did not know her to hare you adiirts nie before. Wiil send money for babe's board from Chicago. l oars in haste, Doha Fielpixg. "Well, I declare," Faid Aunty, when she had read the letter aloud to Stubby, "for a body that's jest frantic she does write pretty cool! Jlaby, I'm afraid your rua ain't the stlddiest-balanced woman in the world, but then she's a play actor, an' mebbe I don't understand 'em. Ira, take the baby out in the ail while 1 write to her ma." The boy picked up the child, who was nearly well now and was robing on tho lloor with a kitten, and wrapping her carefully in the red plush cloak, put her in a little wagon and started out to give her a ride, while his grandmother, with great pains, wrote a long letter to Chicago. "Mercy!" said she, "I wonder if tho child's ever been baptised?" and she in cluded that question in the letter. Just around the corner Stubbv met an acquaintance, but hardly a friend. "lieh, Stub!" he exclaimed, "Got a job; nurse to a princess, eh: Stubby said nothing and tried to pass. "Aha!" said the boy to the babe, "(Jot any tat-too marks on you, Muriel 'uliek, o. I'?" Stubbv stopped.' The otherstood up by the Bide of tho wagon, and with a very good imitation of the professor's manner. gravely began an address to the three boys who were with him: "Lade's an' ("rents I now have the pleasure of introdoocin' to you the genowine Circassian princoHH, wrecked an casterway on a greasy isl and "Say, George Powdall, you shet up, or I II tattoo you! said Stubbv, walking up, to the other, who was nearly two years older, and a great buily. "You want to get licked, do you?" said young Dowdall. "Well, I've had enough o' you, an' you don't call that babv no names!" "Oh. I don't, eh!" Wha' chew coin' to do about it? I'll brenk yer back lor ye, you little stubby-r.osed, sawed-oll"!" The babe reached out her arms to Stubby, but the boy said: "Set still, baby, and don't cry;" and she sett'ed back into the wagon, without another whimper, and eolercniy watched tho two with her great, black eyes. " Well, you don't call that girl no names," said Stubby doggedly. "Oh, you've 'doptod her, hev ye? Does eh ever cry for her pa?" George iaowdall got a whack on the nose, and a rounder on tho left eye that did tattoo that optic in indelible blue and black, and caused him to lie his level best in explaining to his father afterward how he came bv it and Iiis torn! and muddied clothing. Stubby got a loonened tooth, his collar torn, aud a cut lip that Med a little, tut the vigor of Inn attack won the fight, and in two minutes Dowdall said he had enough, and Stllbhv lot him not nn- and

tho babo and her protector moved triumphlv homeward. -Hello, Stubby, old boy! V.'hv, what'a that?" "Hello, Arthur! V."bcn d'you get home?" "Las' night; but what you got in the cart?" ".Vothin, on'y a girl. Say! I've got a gun !" And Stubby roshed into the houso to get his present. "Littleirl, what's your name?" asked Arthur. "Habe." "Labe! Kabewhat?" No reply. "You ain't afraid of me, are you little black eyes?" The little "blact-cyes" looked fearlessly and steadily at the tall, handsome, welldressed boy, and shaking her head said tlowlv : "Nu p." Stubby's new double-barreled shot-gun was pronounced a "corker" by Arthur, and a shooting expedition for the afternoon was piaured at once. Along toward evening they returned two pretty serious-looking lads. "Well, 1 suppose it is the bestwayto widk right up and face tho music," fraid his black-haired companion to Stubby. "He'd probably lind it out any way, who did it, and I'll go with you. I'm in the scrape too, and if the squire says so I'll have father pay him for ein. I'd kinder like too sea Laura, too, long she'a hurt, I'll be right back ulier supper," and Arthur went home, lint after eupper the Colonel's man callel at Aunty's and said that Arthur couldn't come out that nuht. When Arthur got homo his lather was there, and both of bis parents were unusually silent. He thought he could see traces of tears in his father's eyes, and his mother's were nearer it than he remembered to have ever seen them. "Arthur, my boy," said the colonel at last; "Arthur, so far as your father's helping you ia concerned, yon are the poorest boy in Maplevilie tonight" "Why, what do you mean by that, father? lost your money?" "Yes, every dollar worso than that. Arthur, my father gave me a bandsomo sum to go into the world with, but, my child" and tho brave colonel's voice quivered "your father isn't today worth one p?nny." "Wiilium, compose yourself; this is no way to talk. Pshaw! you will start in again and before iorg we'll snap cur fingers at the30 peoplo who wouldn't help you." "No, Emily; I shall never go into business under my own name again. I will be able to kep us going by buying cn commission, but never under my own name ajjain, never. Tho crash is too frightful. E r.ily, won't you let this placa go in to help out some of thosa poor creditors?" "Xo, sir, William! You gave me this

place it's my own. My boy and I are not quite beggara yet, though you would try and make us such." And the laiy, taking Arthur with her, left the room. And the man who could go at the head of a thousand men unflinchingly into the very jaws of death, troaued and was spirit-broken. Not because his wife and child would have to bo denied their accuslomed luxurit-s. but because he was a man of the strictest honor, and he knew that his property would not haif pay thesa who had trusted him; and underneath all tha conviction came home to him in terrible force that his whole life work had been a failure. lie had started out with every advantage with money, friends, education, a will to work hard tad do right; and now, after years of labor, he must acknowledga to himseli that he had been an incapable steward. There was not a single act of treachery among those wnom he had leaned upon that he could point to as the cause of his downfall, nor a single serious instance of what is called hard luck," that common business sa gacity would not hare avoided. P.itter as it was to admit in his own secret soul, he knew that he lacked business "judgment and business capacity. That was some thing that could not be remedied. All his pians for the great houso he had hoped to establish ior his son were swept aside forever. He had not intentionally wronged one man, but already tho flood of reproach and calumny had set in it was hard, hard: Miss Martha Warren had been reading to Laura that evening from the "Idyls of the King." The squire was in his study or oiiico in a distant part of the house, and she had laid the book aside and was in one of those moods which at times mado her very confidential with her niece. Miss AVarren was of a sympathetic nature, and n.uic and poetry made her sentimental. She subdued this in the presence of Ler brother, who had too much of the old Puritanical, practical idt-as to appreciate or even understand some depths in his eister'e nature; but as Laura grew older there was a secret reciprocity of confidence and affection between thin that is sometimes scan between an old and a much younger sister. "ies, i,aura, tne laay was . saying. .lames l oraine was the nandsomost. and I'm afraid, the wildest voung man in this country. O, the pranks ho used to cut up! l'eing our cousin, he was often at the house in thoaa days, but father dis liked bun always. I don t think that James was ever bad not bo bad as they tried to make him out ; and I med to 6ee a great deal of him when we were voung. added tho lady gently. "Put from a boy he was full of mischief, and as he grew older, delighted in doing v. ild and daring thing;. 1 couldn't begin to tell you atl the harum scarum ecrapv he was into. hy, when he was ten vears o.d I was eight, I recollect Aunt Abigail, Mho was a very timid and nervous old lady, came to visit us, aud one night ho was at our house and staved all night with your father, and before the boys went to bed, he ringed up a scare-crow of a man, and put it under hor bed. "O, dear! what a fright we all had! Aunt Abigail, when ehe looked under the bed, gave a shriek and went into hysterics and convulsions, and we thought she would die before morning. He felt dread' fully sorry when he saw what he had done. Thev used to punish him awfully, but it only made him worse. When ha was fifteen or sixteen years old he hftd a bear that ho had caught when it was quite small there were a good many bears in tho woods then that lie kept chained to a post in the back vard, and he used to put on oid clothes and go and play with it, just as if it was a great overgrown dog ; only no one else dare do it, for it was ugly to every one else. Why, I have seen that bear knock James away several feet, head over heels! Put he never bit him, and didu't mean to hurt him, only he played so roughly. Well, one day James wanted to go to a circus that was going to show that nijzht somewhere, and his

mother wouldn t let htm. That afternoon there was a sewing society at their houso r.nd what did James do when all tha ladies were in tho parlor sowing and talkiujf, but bring that great bear right in and unchain him! Such a screaming and hollering I suppose there never wus. They all ran out' doors and got on top of the roof of a shed that Uncle Ichabod was building. Unclt Ichabod ami the hired man were gone away from home, and James wouldn't tie the bear up and let his mother come down until she had promised to give him tho money and let him go to the circus." "But he wouldn't have let the beoyhurt them, would he. Aunt Martha?" "No. no child, certainly not, bui if the

bear had taken a notion to, Low could he have stopped it?" "Would you have been frightened and run if you hod been there, Aunty?" "I-I den't know. James never trieJ to frighten me but once, and that was a long time after that the night before he went away from home. But father disliked bim more and more, as he grew older, aad one night, when ho was twenty, and I eighteen, he took me to a party at the tavern, for most all young folks went to the tavern dances in those days, and James had au awful time down in the bar-room. He foughttwo other young men and beat them terribly. Oh, but father was anery when he heard of it! He forbid me ever having anything mora to do with James, aud told him he must nover enter our doors again. He called him a loafer and a bar-room brawler, and I don't know what all I never saw father so angrv." "And what did thev tight about?" "I never knew exactly, but I have heard that it was over some remarks that James accidentally heard them make about me." "When did James try to frighten you?" "Oh, that was the night before he went away; tho day he was twenty-one. He threatened tothow himself into the river." "The river! Whv, what river? ' "The Mohawk." ' "Why, tho Mohawk is miles from here." "Yes, dear, but we happened to meet there that night." "After grandfather had forbid you seeing him?" "Yes, dear, but you eee we we happened to meet, and he was going away, and I thought I ought to say gcod-by io him ; he wasmvoTu cousin, vou know " "Yes, aunty." "Well, he and Uncle Ichabod had some high words, and ho went away and was gone nine years. He came back twenty years ago this spring." "Y"here was he those nine years?" "Oh, I don't know, lie was in New York awhile, and then people from hero would see him ' some times ; and then he went on the ocean awhile, and to Europe, too, I guess. 1 never knew where." And Miss Warren sighed deeply. "Why doesn't he ever come here?" "I don't know. He has never been back to our house. You know he never calls at cny one's house. And, oh, Laura, he's greatly changed ! greatly changed 1" The silence which followed was broken by the ringing, of tho door bell. '"It's Stubby Havies to see Mr. Warren," sai l the girl w ho had answered the hell. "Mary; eay Ira, not Stubby; the use of euch nicknames is vulgar," said Miss War

ren. m ! And Mary went into the kitchen and told the other girls that s.'me oid maids ; she knew of wps too stuck-up for any use. Ira's face wore a solemn look when he entered the squire's office, fumbling his hat with both hands. "What car. I do for you, Ira?" asked Mr. Warren o'anuiv. "Mr. Warren, 1 shot one o' your calves." "Wlf what in the world did yon do that for?" "I was shootin' at a mark, an' the calf come up suddin; an' I didn't see it, so I jest shot it deal." "Well, well, that'a too rr.d, Ira. loa must be more careful, or I'll be sorry I gave you the gun." "Yes, sir." "Put you did right to come ami tell mo f it. So the first tiling you did with the gun I gave vou was to shoot my property?" "No, sir; I kilkd a woodefcuck first." "Well, maybe that tartly Indanees the matter, said the squire, emihng a little. Never mind this time, Ira: only be care ful ; a gnu is z dangerous thing." "Yes, sir." "And if any more accidents of that kind must happen, trv and make the victim that b ack bull instead of my peacaable calves. "Yes, sir." But tual last remark he had made the night of the school meeting, foil nved bv tho mysterious burning of the school house, crossed Mr. Warreu s mind, and he called Ira back. "That about shooting the bull," said he, looking at the boy eearchiugly, "was only said as a joke; of coureo I didn't mean it; vou mustn t do that. "No, sir." "1 wonder," Eaid the squire to himself, musingly, after Ira went out, "if it's possible that that peculiar loy, feeling under obligation to mo for the gun, and wishing for my further good wiil, actually went and burnt up the old Bchool house? Stranger things have happened!" Ira stood in awe of the important Squire Warren, but that gentleman never made more of a mistake in his life than he did when he allowed himself to suspect the boy of that crime. Miss Warren Intercepted Ira and told him that Laura was quite free from pain, but could not walk much, and would like to see him in the sitting room. "Ira," eaid tho giri when the boy came in, "I want to c.ivo you this before anyone comes," and she handed him a little blue enameled locket. ".My picture is in it," she continued, "and will you always wear it around your neck and never lake it oil?" "Yee'in," eaid the lad, looking at tho trinket a little dubiously. "And I don't want any one to know you havo it." "When I go a swimmin the other boy's '11 see it," said tho matter-of-fact Ira. . "Well, you can take it off then, and at no other time. Now remember, you nre tho bravo knight. Sir Lancelot, and you wear my colors, blue and gold." ."Yes'm." Aunt Martha saw Ira out of tho front door and lold Laura that he had joined James Loraine, who happened to just then be passing, at the gate. "And dous Lancelot wear your colors?" asked Miss Warren. "Oh, Mi's s Martha Warren! that you should countenance, much less promote, such foliy in r miss of thirteen !" "Yes." said Laura. ' There was a long silence. "I wish he would call here sometimes," said the lady, with n sigh. "Who. Ira?" asked liura in surprise. "Why, no, my dear; I was speaking of James." to nn roNTiNrrn next mwpav. CaT at The Sestinil counting-room and see the great ten-dollar map which is oflered with The Sentinel at only ONE HOLLAH above the regular subscription terms. JAPANESE IE ir,Ornr-; A guaranteed cur for Pile, of whaterer kind or degree External, Internal, Ulimlor We liP. liebln, i iironic, Kojont or lUrcditary. Thig Rem dr h poitiTtl nervr been known to fail. (1 a box, aix luxca for 85; a.nt by mall prepaid on rc-ipt on price. A writun K.iarantne positiralf Iren to each purehner of lx boxe, whon puroha-ed at one time, to rr-fuid the J5 tKitl if not cured. (t;iarantee b K. Will Paatxcr, IlatAs !ln. l'hirtnaor, 91 V. Yt tIilngtnn-st., iQj corar Km aad Lincoln bans, iidianapolia, Ind. nip!ci free. CUR

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