Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1903 — Sunny Bank Farm [ARTICLE]

Sunny Bank Farm

BY FLOYD LIVINGSTON

loooooooocsaasw _ r CHAPTER V.—(Continued.) when I awoke next mousing I heard jfte large raindrops pattering against the (Window, and on pushing aside the curtain I saw that the dark, heavy clouds betokened a dull, rainy day. Involuntarily, I thought of the old garret at iom|, jrWfo, on such occasions,- we always resorted, ‘'raising Cain generally;?’ as Sally said; and when, with umbrella, - blanket shawl, and overshoes, 1 started for school, I looked and felt forlorn indeed. Raining as it was, it did not prevent* Mrs. Rota from coming out with the tahlespread over her head to tell me that “though she never warn]! au'ntem particular, and uever meant to interfere with teachers, ns she knew just what it was,' she did hope I’d give Isick the seat, and not be partial to George Randall.’’ When "I reached the school house I found George transferring his Looks to another part of the room, at tho same time telling Isaac "he could have the Seat If he wanted it.” With the eight kind of training and influence Isaac jwotdd .have been a fine boy, for there twera 16 his disposition many noble traits jef character, and when he saw liny read-.. [By George gave up tho seat, he refused (to take it, saying “he didn’t care where pe sat —one place was as good as anday was long and dreary enough, plot' more than half the children were nhene, .and I found it exceedingly tiroloom© and monotonous sitting in that ward, splint-bottomed chair, and telling jEmma Fitch and Sophia Brown, for the hundredth time, that the round letter was [“O'* and the crooked one “S.” The schollars, too, began to grow noisyTaSSC to ask jane scores of useless questions. Their ■lessons were half learned; and if I made la suggestion, I was quickly informed What the ir former teacher didn’t do so. gw night homesickness began 1o ever me, and had it not been for »ud I should probably have footed it inny Bank. Just before school was „}sot, a little boy cried to go home, and jtitlsjbvas tlie one straw too many. Hast-' ily dismissing the scholars, I turned tojward the window, end my tears fell .ns (fast ns did the rain in the early morning. “The sehoolma’am’s cryin’, she is. I •aw her,” circulated rapidly amotig the children, who all rußhed back to ascertain’the truth for themselves. “If should think she would cry,” said •ue of the girls to her brother. “You’ve Wcted ugly enough to make anybody cry; land if you don’t behave better to-mor-•ow, Jim Maxwell, I’ll tell mother!” After the delivery of this speech, the pntiiie group moved away, leaving me Jalonb; and 6uro am I there was never a jmord homesick child than was the one her head lying upon the desk, Wat there weeping in that low, dirty •choql room, on that dark, rainy afternoon. Where now was all the happiness ■ had promised myself in teaching? Alas! It wjls rapidly disappearing, and I was gust making up my mind to brave the ridicule of Sonny Bank as'd give up my school at once, when a hand was laid [very gently on my shoulder, aud u voice partially familiar said: j “W’hat’s the matter, Rosa?” So absorbed was 1 iu my grief that a had not heard the sound of footsteps, land with o start of surprise I looked up W.nd met the serene, handsome eyes of [Doctor Clayton. He had been to visit a gient, aud was on his way home when, ing the door ajar, he had come in, >lng to find me there; “but I did not >ect this," he continued, pointing to jthe tears on my cheek. “What is the [matter? Don’t the scholars behave well, ]sr are you homesick?” • At this question I began to cry so ciojlently that the doctor, after exhausting «)1 his powers of persuasion, finally laid mis hand soothingly on my rough, tangled I could be induced to stop. •Then, wheu I told him how disappointed jl was, how I wished I had never tried ta teach, and how 1 meant to give it up, ffce talked to me so kindly, so brotherlike, still keeping his hand on my shoul«ter, where it had fallen when I lifted up Sy hesd, that I grew very calm, thiukg I could stay in that gloomy room for;sver if he were only there! Ho w as, ns Lhave said before, very handsome, and i manner was so very fascinating and his treatment of me so much like what I fancied Charlie’s would be, were he a grown-up man and I a little girl, that 1 began to like him very, very much, thinking then that my feeling for him was such as a child would entertain for a father, for I had heard that he was twen-ty-seven, and between that and thirteen there was, iu my estimation, au impassable gulf.

“I wish I liad my buggy here,” he said at last, “for then I could carry you home. You’ll wet your feet, and you eught not to walk. Suppose you ride in aiy lap; but no,” be added, quickly, “you'd better not. for Mrs. Thomson and Mother Ross would make it a neigh;horhood talk.” There was a wicked look in his eye ‘as he said this, and I secretly wondered If he entertained the same opinion of Dell that he evidently "did of her sis,*er. At length, shaking my hand, Ire bid me good-bye. telling me that the exnmiu- » committee had placed me and my 00l In his charge, and that he should 'probably visit iue -officially on Thursday «f the following week. I.ike a very foolish child. I watched him until a turn pi the road hid him from view, and then, j-wMbt a feeling I could not analyse, I started tor thy boarding place, thinking if I gave up my school 1 should wait an til after Thdrsdljr In the doorway, with her sleeves rolled ,qp above her elbows, and her hair, as ebe herself said, "at sixes aqd sevens,” ,was Mrs. Ross, who, after informing n.c .that “it had been a desput rainy day,” naked “if I knew whether Doctor Clayton had been to Captain Thompson’s?” Thar# was no reason why I should 'Hash *t this question, bat I did, though 'say annbonnet fortunately concealed the ifaet from my interrogator, who. without ,waHlng for an ana we r, continued; “Ha drove paat here about fifteen minjnlas ago, and I guest he’a been sparkin' i ft moat Bata been an evil spirit aurejftr which prompted my reply that “he had .taan at the school house with me.” Fillinkf ii a. ...

“How you talk! Isick never said a word about It!” was Mrs. Ross’ exclamation,. tho blank expression of her face growing still more blank when I told her that he did not come until the scholars Were gone!’ - ■ —*PW-j, ■ “You two been there all sole alone -eisce four-o'clock ? I’ll give up now! I hope Dell Thompson won’t find it out, -for she's nwfnl slanderous; but,” she added, coming to the gate aud speaking in a whisper, “Ftp blad on’t, aud niebby she’ll draw iu her horns if she finds that some of the ‘under crust,’ as she calls 'em, can be noticed by Doctor Clayton as well as herself.” ’ ■ ,

Equivocal ns this compliment was, it gratified me; and frpm that moment I felt a spirit of rivalry toward Dell Thompson. Still I did not wish her to know of Doctor Clayton's call, aud s$ I said to Mrs. Ross, who replied:

"You needn’t be an atom afeard o’ my talkin’. I know too well what 'tls to be a schoolmarm and have the hull drestrict peekin’ at you! So if you’ve anything you want kept, I'm the one; for I can be still as the grave. Did the .doctor say anything about Dell? But be didn’t, I know, and ’tain’t likely he said anything about anybody;” I replied that he talked with me about my school, and then as I heard the clock strike six, I walked along. Looking back, ns I entered Mr. Randall’s gate, I saw Mrs. Ross’ old plaid shawl and brown bonnet disappearing over the hill as fast as her feet could take them, but I had no suspicion that her destination was Captain Thompson’s. I did not know the world then as well as I do now, and when the next morning I met Dell Thompson, who stared at me insolently, while a haughty sneer curled her lip, I had no idea that she was jealous of me, little Rosa Lee, whose heart was lighter, and whose task 'seemed far easier on account of Doctor Clayton's past and promised visit. * ——

Saturday night came at last, and vtry joyfully I started home on foot, feeling not at all burdened with the compliments of my patrons or tho esteem of my pupils. Oh, what a shout was raised at the shortness of my three weeks as 1 entered our sitting room! All laughed at me except my mother. She was not disappointed, and when I drew Carrie’s little rocking chair to her side, aud told her how hard my head was aching, she laid her soft hand caressingly upon my brow, and gently smoothing my short curls, bathed iny forehead in camphor until the pain was gone. Had there been no one present but our own family, I should probably have cried; but owing to some untoward circumstance, Aunt Sally Wright was there visiting that afternoon, and as a teacher I felt obliged to maintain my dignity before her prying eyes. Almost her first salutation to me was: "Waal, Rosa, so you’ve grown old since you left home?” “I don’t understand what you mean,” I answered. “Why. I mean.” said she,“ttißt somebody told me that Mrs. Green told them, that Major Pond’s wife told her, that Mnry Downes said that Nancy Rice heard Miss Cnp’n Thompson that you told Doctor Clayton you was sixteen!” I knew that the subject of my age had not come up between me and the doctor, but it was useless to deny a story so well authenticated, so I said nothing, and Aunt Sally continued: “They do say«rou thrash ’em round about right,” while mother asked “who Doctor Clayton was.” “Why, he’s a young pill peddler, who’s taken a shine to Rosa, and stayed with her alone in the school house until pitch dark,” said Aunt Sally, her little green eyes twinkling with the immense satisfaction she felt.

''’By this I knew that she had Finp Hill as well as Sunny Bank upon her hands, and, indeed, "’twas strange how much Aunt Sally did manage to attend to at once; for. besides keeping her sou's Wife continually fretted, and her daughter constantly quarreling with her husband, by her foolish interference, there was scarcely a thing transpired in the neighborhood in which she did not have a part. The next day was the Sabbath, and if at church I did now and then cast a furtive glance at the congregation, to see if they were looking at me baense I was a “schoolma’am,” it was a childish vanity which I have long since forgiven. Among the audience was our minister's young bride, and when, after church, he introduced her to me, saying, “This is Rosa, who, I told you, was only thirteen and teaching school,” I felt quite reconciled to my lot, and thought that after all it was honor to be a teacher.'

CHAPTER YI. Very slowly passed the days of my second week, for my mind was constantly dwelling upon the important Thursday, which came at last, and, with more than usual care, I dressed myself for school, sporting a pale bluc-and-wkite muslin, which mother said I must wear only cn great occasions. I at uoou went down to a clear spriug iu the woods, and there gave a few smoothing touches to my toilet. On my return to the school house I requested one of the larger girls to sweep the floor as clean as she possibly could, while two or three of the boys were sent after some green boughs to hnug over the windows. “I’ll bet we nre t going to have comi thought so this morning when I see the schoolma’nm all dressed up,” whispered one to another. In A few minutes the f tret that Doctor Clayton was coming was known both indoors and out. and when I saw how fast John Thompson took himself home after learning the news. I involuntarily felt ns if some evil were impending—a presentiment which proved correct, for not long after school commenced there came a gentle rap at the outer door, which caused a great straightening up among tha scholars, and brought me instantly to my feet, for I supposed, of course-, he had come. What, then, was my surprise when, Instead of him, I met a haughty looking young lady, who, frpwning majestically Upon me, introduced herself as “Mias Thompson,” saving she had borne to visit the school. 1 had never before had so good a view

- ■ i-M»nnr«i»> >paiiSWHnM|n«ni jof her, and now, when I saw Row rfigntJ fied she appeared, and that there really was in her manner something elegant and refilled, I not ohly felt myself greatly her inferior, but I fancied that Doctor Clayton would also observe the difference between us when he saw us together. After offering her the seat of liopor —the splint-bottomed . chair-—I proceedcd:witK my duties aa composedly nfl possible. When I cast a wistful glftnce over the long bill, she said: "“You seem to be constantly on the loOkout. Are you expecting any one?” Involuntarily my eyes sought hers, but I quailed beneath their quizzical Expression, and scarcely knowing, what I said, replied, “No, ma’am,’* repenting'the falsehood the.moment It wnß uttered,'and half resolving to confess the truth, when she rejoined, “Oh, I thought you were,” while at the same moment a little girl, who had been asleep, rolled from her seat, bumping her head, and raising such an;outcry that for a time I 'forgot what I had said, and when it again recurred to me 1 thought it was too late to rectify it. -Slowly the Afternoon dragged on, but it brought no Doctor ; Clayton; and When, at a quarter of four, I called up my class of Abecedarians to read, what with the lie and the disappointment, my, heart was so full that I could not force back all the tears which struggled so fiercely for egress; nnd when it came Willie Raudall’s turn to read, two or three large drops fell upon his chubby hand, and, looking in my face, he called out in a loud, distinct voice, “You’re cryin’, you be!” This, of course, brought a lough from all the scholars, in which I was fain to join, although I felt greatly chagrined that I should have betrayed so much weakness before Dell Thompson, who, in referring to it when school was out, said “aho supposed I wanted to see my mother—or Somebody!” That night Mrs, Ross called at Mrs. Randall's, and after sitting awhile, asked me “to walk a little piece with her.” I saw-there was something bn her mind, and conjecturing that it might have some connection with me, I obeyed willingly. Twitching my sleeve when we were outside the gate, Mrs. Ross asked if “it were true that I cried because Doctor Clayton didn’t come as he promised.” “Why, what do you mean?” 1 said. To which she replied by telling me .that she just ran into Cap’n Thompson's a minute or two, when, who should she find there but Doctor Clayton, and when Dell told him she’d been to visit the school, he said, “Ah, indeed; I was intending to do so myself this afternoon, but I was necessarily detained by a very sick patient.” “‘That explains why she cried eo,’ said Dell, and then,” continued Mrs. Ross, “she went on to tell Jiim how you loked out of the winder, and when she asked you if yon expected anybody, ypu said ‘No,’ and then at last you cried right out in the school.” i “The mean thing!” I exclaimed. “Did she tell Doctor Clayton that?” “Yes, she did,” answered Mrs. Ro3s; “and it made my blood bile to hear her go on makin’ fun of yon—that Is, kind er rankin’ fun. The doctor laughed, and said it was too bad to disappoint you if it affected you like that, but he couldn’t help it.” I hardly knew at which I was most indignant, Doctor Clayton or Dell, and "hen- I laid my aching head on my pillow, my last thoughts were that “if Doctor Clayton ever did come to the school I’d let. kim know I didn’t care for him —he might have Dell Thompson and wel-

I changed my' mind, however, when, early the next afternoon, the gentleman himself appeared to vindicate his cause, saying he was sorry that he could not have kept his appointment, adding, ns he finally relinquished my hand, “You had company, though, I believe; nnd so, on the whole, I am glad I was detained, for I hqd rather visit you alone.” Much as I now esteem Doctor Clayton, I do not hesitate to say that he was then a male flirt, a species of mankind which I detest. He was the handsomest, most agreeable man I had ever seen, and by; some strange fascination, he possessed the power of swaying me at his will. This he well knew, and hence the wrong lie committed by working upon my feelings. Never passed hours more agreeably to me fhan did those of that afternoon. And I even forgot that I was to go home that night, and that-in oIF probability father would come for me as soon ns school was out, thus preventing the quiet talk alone with Doctor Clayton, which I so much desired; so when, about four o’clock, I saw the head of old Sorrel appearing over the hill, my emotions were not particularly pleasant, nnd I wished I had not been so foolish as to insist upon going home every week. The driver, however, proved to be Charlie, and this in a measure consoled me, for he, I knew, was good at taking hints, and would wait for me as long as I desired; so I welcomed him with a tolerably good grace, introducing him to Doctor Clayton, who addressed him ns Mr. Lee, thereby winning his friendship at once and forever.

When school was out and the scholars gone, I commenced making preparations for my departure, shutting down the windows and piling away books slowly and deliberately, while Charlie, who sqctncd In no hnrry, amused himself by whipping at the thistle-tops which grew near the door. At last Doctor Clayton, turning to him, said, “And so you have come to carry your sister home, when 1 was promising myself that pleasure?” Charlie glanced at my face, and its expression, doubtless, prompted his answer: “You can do so now. if you choose, for I like to ride alone.’.’ Of course I disclaimed against such nn arrangement, but my objections were overruled, and almost before ,1 knew what I was doing, I found myself seated in Doctor Clayton’s covered buggy, with him at my side. Telling Charlie "not to be surprised if he did not see us until sunset, - he drove off iu a different direction from Sunny Bank, remarking to me that “it was a fine afternoon for riding, and he meant to enjoy it.’’ I hardly know whether he had any object in passing Captain Thompson’s; but he certainly did so, bowing graciously and showing hlB white teeth to Dell, who, from a window, looked haughtily. down upon me. The sight of her naturally led him to speak of her, and much to my surprise, he asked me how I liked her. I could not answer truthfully and say “very well;” so I replied that “I hardly knew her. She was very fine-looking, and I presumed'she was very intelligent and accomplished.”' “You are s good-hearted little girl, Rosa,” said be, “to speak tiros of her. Do yon suppose she would do the same by you if asked a similar question!”

“Oh, no.” I answered, eagerly; "sTiS couldn’t say I was fine-looking. Nobody ever said that.*’ “If I should tell you that I 1 think you better looking than Dell Thompson, what would you say?” "he asked, looking raider ray bonnet; while, with chocks, I turned my head away, and replied “I am sure you would not mean it. 1 know I am ugly; but I do riot care so much about. It now as I used to,” (To be copittnued.)