The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-01-22
FERULING ANNA HAWKES..
By MARGARET VERNE.
sBuzz-buzz-buzz-buzzp y

By MARGARET VERNE.
'Buzz-buzz- buzz-buzz
'Indeed Icannot stand this. You'll drive
me quite crazy with your buzz, buzz, buzz,
buzzing. must and will have silence.
find that plain pleasant persuasion will not
do; shall be forced to resort to harsher
method. Now, listen one and ali, while
!, assure you that the first scholar, old or
young miss, or master, young gentleman or
lady, whom shall see whispering without
leave, will ferule!'
The teacher, Mr.. Arthur Stone, closed his
bearded lips firmly, and glanced about the
d-fashioncd school room with determined
expression, as he ceased speaking. lie evil
IDENTIFY meant Just what he had said-meant
J it in the faces of the stout, stalwart Young
gentlemen, and the pretty, witching, bright
eyed girls about him. For moment there
was a dead silence npon all, while every eye
was fixed upon the handsome, resolute face
of the teacher. But in the little crowd of
eager, upturned faces, there was but one
which his eye sought intuitively, drawn rs
it were by some strange mesmeric power
One face, and one at that moment which
was pretty picture of piquant beauty, with
its saucy, inquisitiye blue eyes, which met
his own fully and daringly-its strawberry
red mouth pursed up to the most provoking
and daring of smiles, that said as plainly as
words could have said it-sYou wont fcrule
me, Arthur Stone, if l whisper ever SO
muchn
A sudden fash of anger Redeemed up into
the cheeks of the young man, and shot from
the depths of his fine gray eyes, as he said,
determinedly in answer to the smile Of the
red mouth and blue eyes and the toss of the
dainty head--I repeat it l will ferule the
first scholar whom see whispering without
leave =
This time there was no mistaking it; there
was perccptiblc motion Of Anna HAWKES.
pretty head, and an unmistakablc light in
her eyes and Il whole unbroken sentence
wrcathed about the curve of her lips, as she
ferule me if you choose she said, mute
;y, y! not believing that he would venture to do
Sand l certainly will was the silent re-
ply of the young man, confiding the while
that she would not allow him an opportunity
of putting his threat into execution. But he
was i'll at case as he turned mooJ,ly to the
arithmetic class from which his attention
had been drawn by the unusual confusion.
Affairs had taken dsagrccable turn, an
unexpected course, and whatever he might
do, he could not better them. There was but
one way for him. lie must put q stern face
! upon the matter. He must maintain his
dignity as a teacher, even if he was obliged
to thrust roughly aside his own wishes and
inclinatlOns. Anna Hawkes., pleasant, witch
ing, graceful Anna-the one bright star that
threw SO much light upon his arduous, tire
some duties; the warm hearted girl who had
grown nearer and dearcr to him as the dull
wintry days went by, till he had dared hope,
silently, yet earnestly, that sometime he
might be more to her than any one else in
the world, even she, if she came between him
and his duties, must be sacrificed. 1t was
a miserable thought, and he greeted it With
a long, deep drawn sigh.
Not once during that forenoon did he ven
ture to look towards Annals seat, or allow
himself to pause anywhere in her vicinity,
for fear his ears might be greeted by pro-
yoking, odious whisper. Not once, say,
but must except the long recess, during
which he watched her eagerly, as she bent
! over her slate, working out her algcbraic
problems, apparently lost to everything
about her. Two or three times lie half star
ted from his seat to 80 to her assistance rs
she knit her white brows pcrplcxedly, but Il
: strange new feeling, like pride. kept him
back. lie thought he had never seen her
look half as pretty or loyeablc as then, as
: she sat there bending thougtfully over her
, book, with one white hand running rapidly
, and gracefully over her slate. Her dress Of
dark crimson cloth, with its full! sleeves con-
fined at the wrists by black velvet bands,
fashioned high in the neck, but in such a
manner as to display her full, white throat,
was Strangely becoming to her. lie had
Tho ,rhr Of - bnfnrn h., ,bnr. +,
. ccrta n refinement in her taste that was truly
2 pleasing. 1t was visible in everything she
wore-th dainty cambrle collar confined at
the throat by a small cameo breast,pin the
: knots Of black velvet ribbon fastened about
her luxuriant soft brown braids the petite
, black silk apron, with its girde of silk cord
e and full, large, drooping ta>sels, and even
the slender, shining little kid boots that
pecped daringly out from the folds of her
ample skirt. In all his life Arthur Stone had
never looked upon face or figure so pleas
ant or captivating. But as he watched her,
she raised her eyes to his face. In moment
: the pretty seriousness which had rested so
: bccomingly y upon her features. was gone. \
provoking smile curled W ,.cr rosy mouth,
and went with a sudden rush of triumph over
t her whole face, dilatng her finely curved
nostrlls and sweeping Ike ever sunshine over
! the blue of her eyes, making such rare dim
4 pies about her chin, as one might have sup
/ posed to have been fitted by the cunning fore
finger of Cupid himself.
r Arthur Stone was vcxcd, but he was too
= much a man Of the world to allow the Young
: girl to know how much she was capable of
] annoying him. and SO after the first flame OF
petty anger had died out from his cheeks and
forehead, he said, in u voice, the GOODNESS Of
which surprised even himself:
: Can be Of assistance to you Miss
Hawkes. p
'None, sir, thank you. have quite con
c quere1 my exercises alone to day.
:, Foolish fellow! The very GOODNESS of hi.
manner betrayed the secret which he strovt
to hide. There was little need of convert.
if there was nothing to conceal. And so il
was that the forenoon slipped uDplcasantl,y
away, and the afternoon came in its stead
J The teachers rule was so far a good one.-
: The school was remarkable for its quictudc
;, II Anna Hawkes. had not been present, Mr.
II Stone would hare counted it a success, bu
rs it was, he was in q constant tremor o.
fear.
y a raised hand in the neishborhood Of he
J. was met with something like an unrcasona
n proceeded to explain away the difficulty tt
y the timid applicant, anxious to be free from
y such dangerous surroundings. Just rs h
Is was congratu!ating himself upon his success
:, and about turning away, rapid, Whispered
II volcy of words ratified past his ears. Their
was no avoiding it. lie knew the sourc
from whence they came as well rs did ever
% scholar that heard them. lie could not pas
thoughtlessly along. The dread alarm ha
=, come with such Il sudden distinctncss as t
> surprise him into an involuntary start
y Every pair of eyes in the school-room wer
y turned inquiringly and curiousIy to his face
=. ~ He was forced into doing his duty. 1h
'o heavy beard about his mouth was friendl
" to him then, for it covered suspicious pal
o. o. lor that settled there as he turned about an
-" rested his eyes stcrnly upon the blushing
!, plquant face of Anna Hawkes.. She was tn
= picture of innocence Just then, with he
- brown lashes dropped low upon her cheeks