Heart of Gold

copy books and pass them to

ide the littered desk, as she issued her commands in sharp, almost impatient tones. Her head ached fiercely, her brain seemed on fire, the subdued scratching of scores of pens in unskilled fingers set her nerves on edge, and she was ready to collapse with the s

, selecting a book from the row on her desk, she waited until the blotted, inky copy books had been gleefully whisked shut by their owners, passed across the aisle and gathered in neat piles by the monitors, who creaked solem

est pos

o,-not fifty. One child, a brown-eyed girl with short, riotous curls tumbling about her round, animated face, sat heedless of her surroundings, staring out

roof across the road; and as they fluttered and strutted, scolded and cooed, the little watcher at her desk unconsciously imitated their movements, thrusting out her chest, cocking her head pertly on one side and nodding and pecking at imaginary birds, just as

out of order. Instantly a pencil rapped sharply on the desk, and forty-nine pair of inquisitive eyes jerked quickly to the front again. But the fiftieth pair

t having been caught napping, she thrust her hands hastily into her desk, seized her geography, and scrambling to her feet, started for the front of the room, remembering that her class was the next to recite. The c

discomfort, but immediately rapped for order, and said sternly, "Rest position, please! The geography and reading classes will not recite this aftern

he siege of Troy," sho

you about Ganymede and how he was connected with the other char

oared the obe

'most forgot that word. Hist'ry like Hope's must be int'resting. I'll be glad when I get big enough to study about the Goffs and Salts and-and Sandals and the rest of that bunch." She meant Goths an

that barn roof in the sun! Bet I'd do some talking too. S'posing I was a really dove. What fun it would be to fly away, away up in the blue sky. I wonder if they ever bump into the clouds. There goes a white cloud skimming right over the sun. Now it's gone an

for the cowslips and vi'lets to get here. Hicks promised to help us plant some flowers on our Lilac Lady's grave. It looks so bare and

Green

ruptness that left her breathless and qu

ion, were you?" demanded t

ions were good. She had not meant to lose herself again, nor did realize ho

eated Miss Phel

ace responde

olars giggled, she said sternly,

the story been about? Rapidly she searched through her memor

en snigger

d the weary teac

eats and pigeons," triumphantly finishe

But it was instantly quelled by a sharp rap on the desk, and when order was restored, Miss Phelps s

nd of her resources. If it

mpted Miss Phelps, as Pea

led the chorus

an eagle; and she trembled in her shoes for fear the

o the lad across the aisle, and said, "Joh

gratification and relief, he gabbled off his version of Ganymede's experience with Jupiter's eagle. A

to us. I'd a sight rather study about physiology and cardrack valves and oil-factory nerves in the nose like Cherry does; though I don't see how she ever remembers those long words and what part of the

rather watch those pigeons across the street than to pay attention to you

nd wondering why the School Board makes us study about them when they were just clear fakes-every one of 'em-'nstead of learning things that r

regular course of study laid out for her grade, and at this pupil's blunt criticism, the teacher's face became scarlet; but she quic

hands went up. The rest rema

What kind of stories do yo

ers," responded the pu

s, and opening it at random, read the New England tale

ng in realms of her own. Down by the river where the pussy willows grew, out in the marshland where the cowslips soon would blow, up the gently sloping hillside, far up where the tall shaft of

nded crisply, "All who think they can tell the story as

o raise their hands, Peace quickly shot one pl

Peace, you

What was expected of her? W

e plunged boldly into the half-heard story, wondering within herself how she was going to end

lundered the girl, trying in vain to

her impatiently. "Go on. Where

" replied Peace, grasping

what country?

and chanced to be Martindale's largest furniture sto

shed woman, dropping her bo

ild slowly, realizing that she had mad

spered Johnn

maiden," co

ped the teach

of a bucking billy goat uppermost in her mind

n," s

married, like all other women do, and so her fathe

the teacher. "What

ment, the rest of the scholars hooted derisively, and Miss Phelps said wearily, "Peace was evide

hings a girl gets from her father to k

d. "Well, her father stood her in a pair

s fortunately had n

ted Johnny under his breath.

ered Peace dutifully. "He

and she was at a loss to know how to deal with the sprightly elf who danced and flitted about like an elusive will-o'-wisp. The fact that she was the University President's granddaughter was the only thing that had saved

to express her disapproval, Miss Phelps repeated,

watched her comrades march gleefully down the hall and scatter along the street. It was too bad to be kept in on such a beautiful day! O, dear, what a queer world it was and how many queer people in it! There was Miss Phelps for one.

, come

room after conducting her pupils down the hall, and was astonished to find the stiff figure sitting in its

s the street. How delightful it must be to be a bird! The teacher saw the glance, and putting on her severe

ting and skating and sleighing and snow-balling. But I've got enough for once. I'm glad Spring is here at last." Her voice sent a responding joyous thrill through the woman's cold heart in spite of herself. "The ice in the river is 'most all gone, the pussy willows by the boathouse are peeking out their

amazed teacher he

soms-pansies and forget-me-nots and English daisies. I know where the prettiest vi'lets grow,-just scads and oodles of 'em-down by the stone bridge over Bartlett's Creek in Parker; and Hicks is going to help us transplant them. Only it's too early yet. They aren't even up through the g

nd tears glistening in the cold gray eyes. "Oh!" she exclaimed in deep cont

hisk of her handkerchief. "I-I just saw in my mind a picture of the little old cot

r go right home, drink a cup of good, hot tea, and go to bed. That'll make you feel all right by morning, I know, 'cause that's the way we fix Grandpa up when h

muddy street, still chattering gayly. At the corner, faithful Allee awaited the coming of her unfortunate sister, and Peace, seeing the yellow curls bobbing under the blue stockin

down the avenue, "do you s'pose Grandma'll let us go

lee panted. "They are going to play anti

! Hear that robin say, 'Spring is here, Spring is here!' S'posin' we were r

te and beckoning wildly to the racing girls. "Your grandmother says you can stay till five o'

e incredulously,

answered Ted, join

ht break so

nything with it. 'Tain't like Fred's hard rubber one. Co

nning and dodging! Once Edith Smiley, Evelyn's aunt, beloved of all the children, came to the window and watched the boisterous, exhilarating frolic with

o me they are playing

for 'anti-over.' They sho

. Watch that Peace fling the ball. Sh

n is so

n their feet, and

with her usual tranquillity. Suddenly above the soft strains of music th

ith glanced apprehens

ill smiling placidly. "Guess their game is over for tonight

he ivory keys, there was a wild, excited, protesting shout from ou

me down. You'll f

not a coward! She couldn't keep the

d the ball. It's John

was low but vibrant, and the screams from

crawl back the way she had come, her foot slipped, she wavered uncertainly, and fell with a crash to the roof, rolling over and over in a vain endeavor to stop her

ness, Cherry, beside herself with grief, tore down the street to break the direful news to those at home; and t

n the mud, as the child repeated again and again, "She's not dead! She can't be dead! I won't let her be dead!" Swiftly Edith knelt beside the pair and sought to lift the older child to carry her into the house. But at her first touch, the brown eyes unclosed,

ped Edith, "

tretched out her arms and legs that they might see that none of her limbs were broken; but when she a

clared anxious Allee, hovering over

red the injured girl faintly. "I gue

hrough the knot of children huddled about the fallen heroine, and d

got a cricket in my back, so it hurts a little whe

Smiley, with a worried look in her eyes, as she made wa

d in agony and fainted quite away. Thus they bore her home-the President with the still form on his bosom, Gail bearing the muddy r

t for the first time that year, and the teacher looked up in surprise when no

of Smiley's house," v

back," supple

teacher, with a strange, sicken

ol principal entered the room

er superior, "the children tell me that Peace Greenf

How badly, the doctor is unable yet to say, but we hope she will soon be with us again." Lowering her v

helps, too shocked

o her," continued Miss Lisk sadly. "She is

still so vividly before her, and with the sound of the eager, childish prattle still ringing in her ears, she nodded her head in assent, and turned back to the day's duties with a h