school-house, he met little
Shocky. What the boy's first name or last name was the teacher did not
know. He had given his name as Shocky, and all the teacher knew was that
he was commonly called Shocky, that he was an orphan, that he lived with
a family named Pearson over in Rocky Hollow, and that he was the most
faithful and affectionate child in the school. On this morning that I
speak of, Ralph had walked toward the school early to avoid the company
of Mirandy. But not caring to sustain his dignity longer than was
necessary, he loitered along the road, admiring the trunks of the
maples, and picking up a beech-nut now and then. Just as he was about
to go on toward the school, he caught sight of little Shocky running
swiftly toward him, but looking from side to side, as if afraid of being
seen.

[Illustration: BETSY SHORT]

"Well, Shocky, what is it?" and Ralph put his hand kindly on the great
bushy head of white hair from which came Shocky's nickname. Shocky had
to pant a minute.

"Why, Mr. Hartsook," he gasped, scratching his head, "they's a pond down
under the school-house," and here Shocky's breath gave out entirely for
a minute.

"Yes, Shocky, I know that. What about it? The trustees haven't come to
fill it up, have they?"

"Oh! no, sir; but Hank Banta, you know--" and Shocky took another
breathing spell, standing as dose to Ralph as he could, for poor Shocky
got all his sunshine from the master's presence.

"Has Henry fallen in and got a ducking, Shocky?"

"Oh! no, sir; he wants to git you in, you see."

"Well, I won't go in, though, Shocky."

"But, you see, he's been and gone and pulled back the board that you
have to step on to git ahind your desk; he's been and gone and pulled
back the board so as you can't help a-tippin' it up, and a-sowsin' right
in ef you step there."

"And so you came to tell me." There was a huskiness in Ralph's voice.
He had, then, one friend in Flat Creek district--poor little Shocky. He
put his arm around Shocky just a moment, and then told him to hasten
across to the other road, so as to come back to the school-house in a
direction at right angles to the master's approach. But the caution was
not needed. Shocky had taken care to leave in that way, and was
altogether too cunning to be seen coming down the road with Mr.
Hartsook. But after he got over the fence to go through the "sugar camp"
(or sugar _orchard_, as they say at the East), he stopped and turned
back once or