Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-03-18

ne last contnittSe man on eaItn wv"
| would care to see 20 exclaimed Mr. Stone
TO himself, a. he bowel low before tho
pompous young gentleman, known by the
cognomen Of DR.. Wesley Barker. who rap
ped with his whip upon the door-sald
young gentleman being one Of wealth aud
education. but the teacher did not care q
6g for hi. vcalth-he did not envy him
or anything for his eduea,ion-hls own was
quite equal to it. But what ho did care
for was. that DR. Barker was great ad.
mIrcr Of Anna Hawkes., and in the present
state Of affairs he did not care about having
rival. around. Everything went along
smoothly during school hours, as IL lsays
did during the visit. OF the several commit.
| tee. but tie moment school was dismissed,
Dr. Barker sialked aerss the school room
door aud ZIP to Anna Hawkes. seat. Mr..
Stone hit his lips with vexaGion. HIS rival
made hi. appearance in the nick Of time.
| lie Jrspi,cd meanne.s, heartily denounced
( II. hut now IN spite oi himself, he stood
and listened eagerly Ia catch a few words
tha, dropped IRON DR.. Barker's and Annais
lips.
IN ask Mr.. Stone to excuse me-" he
heard Anna say.
Which Of course no will do" replied
Or. Barker.
81 arn not certain" was the smiling To.
ply. as she started towards his desk.
IL hope you will pardon me for daring
to ask such thing, but DR.. Barker wishes
the to drive with him in hi. new sleigh,
which am very ANXIOUS to do, and 80 Id
like to be excused lrcm remaining to-nigh,
to take my feruling, promising to come
early q. morrow morning"
I SIR. Stone bowed. and said "very well,
though the words quite choked him. llc
secretly wished ID. Barker and his new
sleigh in China, and himself free from the
vocation Of school teaching. lie thOnght.
as no stood mooilly by hi- desk, watching
Anna Hawkes. pin her plaid shawl closely
about her throat, and tie under her chin
the blue ribbon. OF her quilted hood, pre-.
paraiury TO her drive with DR.. Barker, that
be was the mos; miserable man IN existence,
and that he would do anything. rather than
+ teach another school. lie had engaged al
ready - take charge Of the village academy
tne following spring. bat now ar resolved
that he wIuld not DO iI--he would throw
up the engagement at once.
No doubt she thinks mc very brute, ="
be- -aid to him.elf, ~ the gry equ'phse
went dashing duwn the street. Perhaps.
alter AL. sic had uoi me'litited that ruth
les attack upon his disnity and patience.
indeed. now he thought of It again, tho
whisper was more like - sudden exclana-
ton than anything else. Yet he bad not
given her the slightest chance ior AN expia'
nation. but. like the exrcutioner who loved
hi, occup,tion. hurried her forward to a
puni.hmrnt-;hc iolt. that he called him
.cli. H. bad very pnlr opinion ol Arthur
Stone just ~ that moment. lie wa, sure
hO would Ike 10 horsowhip him.
4 l.ir counterpart Of the pupils thoughts
and feeling. were those Of tho teacher. IL
was dull. drrary drive, that Anna
Hawke, took with Or. Barker. She hadn't
n hear, to rnyy it, after tho folly Of the al
icrnoon.
Z" lie think, tha, 10 not care for, nor
respect him." was the thought uppcrmost
IN her mind. And this is the rrtarn |
an making him Tor AL his kindness In mt
all the interest he has taken m my studies
both in and ou, ol school. o. II he could
bat know the truth"
The truth The young girl startled her.
self by tho words. Aud what was the
truth ! She buried her burning face in her
hands ~ she asked the question. IL Was
this. She lor,d Adhur Stone lowed him
better than life itself! 4 cry ol pain wen.
from her lips, ns the knowledge slowly set.
tied down upon her heart. But what proof
had she given him OF this! What proof
that she was any other than vain, selfish,
unwomanly thing? Nome. alas. none
Like any woman who i, conscious o! her
power, she gloried IN hers over Arthur
Stone. But how was he TO know that i,
was any but the glory ot fekle. hcartless
coqustte. rather than that of q strong. low
ing. true.hcartcd woman, who makes her
power golden chain about the heart OF
the man she loves. by which she draws him
tenderly and gently towards her? How.
o, how was he TO know this? This
thought was agonizins to her.
She resolved at last to 90 to him in the
morning and confrss her fault. humbling ns
il was. lie should hnow. ut least, that sho
held MI, feelings too sacred To wound them
wantonly. But in the murnlns she was
.ick and lcveri'h, scarcely able to l'it her
head from the pillows. She could not SEE
Arthur that day, and 50 she must content
edly w.it Tor the next. Against her wishes
Dr. Barker was summoned. who crOlkei
dubiously of a fever which was hanging
about her. She must 10 careful. very qul-
ct, and follow hi. directions, he said. and
he would come Hgnin in the afternoon to
learn how she wa. getting along. lie came
in the afternoon. hut at an unlncky hour.
Anna sat leaned hack in the rocking chair
by the window. looking eagerly up the
street. But while he prltcd learnedly at
her side, he saw rapii red stain through