FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133  
134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   >>   >|  
ost of all desire for him is a steady, sympathetic home influence, a--may I say it?--a motherly influence." Hester at this moment, averting her eyes, was aware of an old woman a few yards away, coming up the road; a woman erect as a soldier, with strong, almost mannish features, and eyes that glared at her fiercely from under a washed-out blue sunbonnet. Mr. Sam gave her good-morning as she went by, but she neither answered nor seemed to hear him. "Who is she?" Hester had almost asked, when the woman turned aside into a path leading to the shed among the elms. "She'll have to shut up shop next week," said Mr. Sam, following Hester's gaze. "I declare, Miss Marvin, one would think the old woman had ill-wished you, by the way you are staring after her. Don't believe in witchcraft, I hope?" "I have never seen her till now, and I do feel sorry for her." "She's not fit to teach, and never was." "She's setting me a lesson in punctuality, at any rate," said Hester, forcing a little laugh, glad of an excuse to end the conversation. But along the road and at intervals during the first and second lesson-hours the face of Mrs. Butson haunted her. In the hour before dinner, while she sat among the little ones correcting their copy-books, the door-latch clicked, and she looked up with a start-- to see the woman herself standing upon the threshold! Archelaus Libby, who had been chalking on the blackboard at lightning speed a line of figures for his mental arithmetic class, turned to announce them, and paused with a click in his throat which seemed to answer that of the latch. In the sudden hush Hester felt her cheek paling. Somehow she missed the courage with which she had met Tom Trevarthen. "Good-morning!" said Mrs. Butson harshly. "'Tisn't forbidden to come in, I hope?" "Good-morning," Hester found voice to answer. "You may come in, and welcome, if you wish us well." "I'm Sarah Butson. As for wishing well or ill to 'ee, we'll leave that alone. I've come to listen, not to interrup'." She advanced into the room and pointed a finger at Archelaus Libby. "Is that your male teacher? He bain't much to look at, but I'm told he's terrible for sums." "You shall judge for yourself. Go on with your lesson, Archelaus; and you, Mrs. Butson, take a seat if you will." "No; I'll stand." Mrs. Butson shut her jaws firmly and treated the small scholars around her to a fierce, unwavering stare. Many winced, remem
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133  
134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Hester
 

Butson

 

morning

 

lesson

 

Archelaus

 
turned
 
answer
 

influence

 
paling
 

courage


Somehow

 

Trevarthen

 
missed
 

announce

 
threshold
 

chalking

 
lightning
 
blackboard
 

standing

 

looked


clicked

 

throat

 

sudden

 

paused

 

mental

 

figures

 

arithmetic

 

harshly

 

terrible

 

unwavering


winced

 
fierce
 

firmly

 

treated

 

scholars

 
wishing
 

forbidden

 
teacher
 

finger

 
pointed

listen
 

interrup

 
advanced
 
answered
 

washed

 

sunbonnet

 
leading
 

motherly

 
moment
 

sympathetic