Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-03-03

| didn't know or care what, except that the
sum total was twenty dollars, which l
paid with my exultation considerably
toned down. Why couldn't have said
that wasn't Jack, and didn't know when
Jack would be at home.
My most interesting adventure was yet
to happen, however.
| Just as l was beginning to yawn, and
contemplate the propriety of shutting the
little Office up for the day--just as the
level brightness of glorious spring sunset
was streaming in long bars of gold through
the dusky pates of glass beside me--thc
silence was broken by tiny tap on tho
Office door.
Come in !" said expecting to see a
little boy with letter, or some prefer
naturally bashful client, as l laid down
the poker, and wheeled my chair round.
What was my astonishment, on the con-
trary, to behold tall slender young lady,
with healthy fresh, brown complexion,
just tinged with healthy pink, that some
how made me think of the wild honey
suckles in my favorite woods, and hazel
eyes, that appeared perfectly ready either
to sparkle into brilliant laughter, or melt
into mysty tears. ..
There She stood, ard there / sat. /
never had heard Of Jacks having any
female clients, and consequently it took
several seconds for me to recover, as it
were, my mental equilibrium. Then
sprang up, and politely profcred her the
only chair in the office, while cnthroned
myself on the wood box.
"Mr. Clermont? she asked softly-a
very sweet, musical sort of voice, l
noticed, even through all my perturba-
ton.
Il shall be happy to be of service to
you ma'am."
Who would hare supposed it. The
young wood nymph didn't want a divorce
from her husband, Chat is, taking it for
granted she had happened to have such
an appendage,a nor did she desire to
quarrel with her eishbcr's boundary
fence, or stray bovine animals who had
deprecated the pate,nal corn-felds. Not
at all she merely wanted certificate to
teach district s,hool, and the other
trustees had sent her to Mr.. Clcrmont to
be examined.
Here was a pretty kettle of fish for d
bashful young ma, who was sailing un-
der false colors How was to know
whether she was qualified to be school
maam or not? And how, in the name
of all that was desperate, was [ to get
myself out of this highly embarrassing
business, unless confessed my inequality
to the emergency, by running away and
beating an ignominious retreat through
the back Office door into the pine woods
beyond?
Never" quoth 7 to myself. "Tn
die at my pest sooner, even if forty thou
sand school ma'ams come after ccrtf-
catcs1'
"What is your name, ma'am ?" de-
manded, in business like manner, draw
ing sheet of paper towards Inc and dip
ping my pen in the ink-stand.
Jessie Gray, sir"
Il knew could not stand the arch, half
mischievous twinkle of those brown eyes
| if looked at her too often; so 1 pro-
ceeded on firmly:
GLOW old are you?"
eighteen this month"
eighteen, hey" l wrote it down,
and hcsitatcd minute. What next to
ask her had no more idea than the tongs
in the corner, wished Jack would come
home, catechise his own brown-eyed
school teachcr--no didn't either.
"What do you know?'
80, plenty of things" responded the
candidate demurely. (Confound these
women-how quick they discover when
you are at a disadvantage y II can sew,
and knit, and mend stocking, and make
pies, and -"
l tried hard to frown magisterially, as
I saw the roguish dimples around Jessie
rosebud mouth, and interrupted her cata-
logue with the stern query
II mean what are your educational
qualifications p
Jessie looked at me like startled bird
the mouth beginning to quiver, and the
hazel orbs 20 melt and swim. I moved
uneasily OF the wood box, and two OF
three knotty pine logs rolled around my
ankles.
"Comc, now, don't be frightened"
expostulated, rubbing my bruised cx-
tremities. All l want to know is. can
you say the multiplication table, and cast
interest, and all that sort of thing 2"
eyes," faltercd Jessie.
"Let me see-which school is it you
wish to teach 2" soliloquized half aloud
conveniently pretending to forget what !
had never known.
cat Elm Grove, sir" said Jessie
meekly.
elm Grove; why my child, there arc
scholars there twice your hight and size,
and unruly as aboriginal sayages! Have
you duly considered the consequences Of
the step you are about to takeT
Il have, sir" she answered., the long
wet lashcs weeping her flushed check
"but ! am very poor, and it is necessary
for me to earn my daily breadp'
I set my teeth grimly together at the
idea Of that young creature, in the tnm-
ble-down hovel at Elm Grove, at the
mercy of dog-eared spelling books and
dinner baskets
"NIiss Gray" / commenced emphati-
cally.
There--it inevitably happened so in
my case What possessed Jack Cler-
mont to drive up to the door at that iden-
tical momcnt2 Why couldn't he have
stayed away just five minutes longer?
"Please favor me with your address,
Miss Gray" 1 stammered hurricdly; "the
certificates are not printed yet. l will
call and see about them in day or two" f"
And when the quiet brown dress had
6uttered from the room, l discovered, all
at once, that the crimson glory was fad
ing gloomily from the West, and the fire
was dying out, and things were dismal
enough to welcome the noisy entrance Of
my friend Jack and his cigar.