Tillie: A Mennonite Maid

of novels. But her fear of the family strap, although great, did not equal the keenness of her mental hunger, and was not sufficient, t

with the School Board through her father, she accepted them. And so during all this winter, through her love for books and her passionate devotion to her t

skirt had torn away from the band, and as she entered the kitchen, her stepmother discovered the book. Tillie pleaded with her not to tell her father, an

ok was handed over to

her sternly demanded, the fated book in one ha

ed she had modified her wickedness a b

Days of Pump-eye.' Well!" he exclaimed, "this here's the last HOUR of this here 'Pump-eye'! In the stove she goes! I don't ow

it back to-him! I won't read it-I won't bring home no mor

's buggy's comin' up the road!" The door banged shut again, but instantly Tillie wrenched her shoulder free from her father's hand, flew out of doors and dashed across the "yard" to the front gate. Her father's voice followed her, calling to her from the porch to "come rig

nquired the doctor as he

rn up 'Last Days of Pompeii'; it's Miss Margaret's, and he thinks it's yourn;

out of his buggy at h

ie, "here's pop com

I have much more dealin's with your pop, Tillie, I'll be ketchin' on to how them n

his own joke, as Mr. Getz, grim wi

out the open book for Tillie's inspection, and t

aret

m A.

tmas,

'n' off of Teacher too? Answer to me! I'll have her chased

ev me that there book because she passed me her opinion she don't stand by novel-readin'. She was goin' to throw

. Getz eyed the doctor with suspicion. "H

at Lancaster one time. I ain't just so much fur books, but

mp-eye.' And clear out. If I can't make you stop tryin' to spoil my child

s shoulder as he turned her ab

hat girl of yourn ain't strong enough to stand your rough handlin', and you'll find it out some day-to your regret! You'd

eply, thrusting Tillie ahead of him. The

ched his purse; and so, though she did not escape punishment for this second and, therefore, aggravated offense, it was meted out in stinted measure. And indeed, in her relief and than

evour all the books she could lay hold of and to run peri

e, and for the realization of all the romantic day-dreams in which, as an escape from the

er father announced to her on the first morning of the reopening of school, "You best make

d her heart thumped in her bre

continued, "and you're enough educated, no

father's. When he spoke it was a finality and one might as well rebel

t in the next few days was

n I can't see you every day, Miss Margaret, I won't feel for nothin' no more. And I thought to

d was her warm Southern blood at the thought of the fate to which poor Tillie seemed doomed-the fate of a household drudge with not a moment's leisure from sunrise to night for a thought

onvenient. 'The Doc' said he would 'stand by' me. But that might be more inconvenient still!" she thought, with a little shudder. "I suppose this is an impolitic ste

cent or confident frame of mind, walking with Tillie and her younger brother and sister o