North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-05-04

have hurt him but this would have in.
volved an explanation, which she did no,
care to give. So she consented hersel
with opening her gray eyes widely at the
red-cheeked Mrs. Stidgsr-a fine specimen
of southwestern effloresence- then
dismissed the subject altogether. The
next day she wrototo her dearest friend
in Boston: ~ think find tho intoxica. ed
portion of this community the least OBJ
jectionable. I refer, my dear, to the men
Of course. do not know anything that
could make the women tolerable."
In less than week Miss Mary had for
gotten this episode-except that her after.
noon walks took, thereafter, almost un-
consciously, another direction. She no
ticed however, that every morning fresh
cluster of axalea blossoms appeared
among the flowers on her desk. This was
not strange, as her little flock were aware
of her fondRess for flowers, and invariably
kept her desk bright with anemones, syr-
ingas and lupines,- but on questioning
them, they all professed ignorance of the
axalcas. A few days later, Master Johny
desk was nearest the W in,
dow-was suddenly taken with spasms of
cautious laughter, that threat
ened the discipline of the school. All
that Miss Mary could get from him was
that "some one had been looking is the
winder." Irate and indignant, she SAL
lied from her hive to do battle with the
As she turned the corner of
the school house, she came plump upon
the quondam drunkard-now perfectly
sober, and inexpressibly sheepish and
guilty looking.
These facts Miss Mary was not slow to
take advantage of in her present humor
But it was somewhat confusing to observe
also that the beast-despite some faint
signs of past dissipatien-was amiable
looking, in fact, kind of blonde Sans
son, whose corn -colored, silken beard ap-
parently had never yet known the touch
Of barber's razor or Delilah shears. So
the cutting speech which quivered on her
ready tongue died upon her lips, and she
contented herself with receiving his stam-
mering apology with supercilious eye lids
and the gathered skirts of uncontamina-
ton.
When she re-entered the school>room,
her eyes fell upon the axaleas with new
sense Of revelation. And then she
laughed and the little people all laughed,
and they were unconsciously very happy.
1t was a hot day-and not long after
two short>legged boys came to
grief on the threshold of the school with
! pail of water which they had laborious-
y brought from the spring, and that Miss
Mary had compassionately seized the pail
and started for the spring herself. At the
foot of the hill shadow crossed her path
and blue-shirted arm dexterously, but
gently, relieved her of her burden. Miss
Mary was both embarrassed and angry.
''If you carried more of that YOURSELF"
she said, spitefully, to the blue-arra, with
out deigning to raise her lashes to its owner,
you'd do BETTER In the submissive
silence that followed, she regretted the
speech, and thanked him so sweetly at
he door that he stumbled. Which caused
The children to laugh again-a laugh in
which Miss Mary joined until the color
,ame family into her pale cheek. After
wards the barrel was mysteriously filled
with fresh spring water every morning.
Nor was this superior young person
without other attentions. "Profane Bill"
lriver of the Slumgillion stage-widely
known in the ne wspapers for his gallant
y in invariably offering the box seat to
to the fair sex-had excepted Miss Mary
from this attention, on the ground that be
had habit of "cussin on up grades"
,nd gave her half the coach to herself.
Jack Hamlib, gambler, having once 81.
lently ridden with her in the same coach,
afterward threw o decanter ut the head Of
a confederate for mentioning her name in
q bar-room. The over-dressed mother of
q pupil, whose paternity was doubtful,
had often fingered near this astute Vestals
temple, never daring to enter its sacred
precincts, but content to worship the
priestess from afar.
With such unconscious intervals, the
procession Of blue skies, gilt
.ering sunshines, brief twilights and star
ii nights passed over Red Gulch. Miss
Mary grew fond of walking in the sedate
md proper wood. Perhaps she believed,
With Mrs. Ssidges, that the talsamic odors
II the first "did her chest good" for GER
ainly her slight cough was less frequent,
md her step was frmer /; perhaps she
had learned the amending lesson which
he patient pines are never weary of re-
oeating to heedful or listening ears And
70, one day she planned picnic on Buck
'ye Hill, and took the children with her.
Away from the dusty road, the strag-
cling shanties, the yellow bitches, the
'lamsr Of restless engines, the cheap 6n-
'ry Of shop windows, the deeper glitter of
paint and colored glass, and the thin We
,eering which barbarian takes upon it.
Ielf in such localities-what infinite re-
ief was theirsl The last heap Of rock
last unsightly chasm crossed
-how the waiting woods opened their
on0 files Il receive them. How the chill.