Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-05-06

Mecklem, taking the cigar out of his
mouth.
"Mss Smith and Miss Brown; and
I've got to decide-can't put them off
any longerr'
(which is the best scholar?'
"There's not a straw between them"
answered Cleve, hopelessly. "Both of
'em are as pretty as pictures"
"Whew-w-w % whistled Mr.. Mecklem.
"Givc it TO the poorest one"
"Miss Brown maintains her mother
and little sisters, and Miss Smith is the
sole dependence of her bed.ridden father
aud her young brothers."
"Worse aud worse" said Mecklem,
"who applied first ?'
"Miss Brown, but Miss Smith has been
here the oftenest."
"Upon my word, 1 really don't see
what you are to do in this matter" OBJ
served Roy, feeling his chin in medi-
tative fashion.
'Don't talk to me in that sort of
way" said Cleve fercely. "I came here
to be helped-not hindered."
"Toss up a penny" suggested Mr..
Mecklem, with spice of irreverence in
his manner. "Heads, Miss Brown; tails,
Miss Smith. Or draw cuts. Let fate
decide what mortal cannot choose"
'Roy, you are fool"
"Granted; but what better can you
do ?"
"Nothing, l suppose" and Cleve
drew out great green penny from his
pocket.
'Here goes, then; but tell it not in
Gath or Askelon, that school trustees
dignity was sunk so low as to toss a
pennyw
lie gave the insensate coin twirl as
he spoke. 1t revolved round and round
on the desk moment, and then fell,
head upward, on the green baise cover
thereof.
"Heads !" cried Roy, leaping glecfully
up.
"WIll you hold your tongue ?" said
Cleve wrathfully, covering his compan-
ions mouth with his hand. "Do you
want all Riverglen TO know what an idi-
otic trick We have been comp. He'd to re-
sort to?"
"Don't be crusty, Langdon," coaxed
Mecklem. "Miss Brown it is, and let
the little Smithkin take care of herself."
"And the old father, too, and the lit
tie brothers," added Cleve, disconsolate-
ly. "Well, Pve done the best can"
And he went back to the waiting
damsels in the front office and told them
in as dignified manner as he could
summon, that the committee had dedid-
ed in favor of Miss Theodore Browns
application.
Miss Browns eyes sparkled. To her
the sixteen dollars a month opened
perfect mine of prospective wealth.
Miss Smiths head dropped like a clover
blossom after the wind had gone rough
ly over it, and her cherry under lip
quivered. But she rose up bravely and
left the office, while Miss Brown stayed
to receive a few instructions as to the
opening OF her new empire, ruling the
unmanageable and other things whereof
the trustee knew considerably less than
she herself did.
Presently Roy Mecklem came in, and
Miss Brown withdrew. Roy came up
to his friend
"Was that the rejected school marin
who came past the back window five
minutes ago ?"
"What sort of person p
"Dressed in blue, with yellow, tangled
hair and mouth like strawberry"
"Yes; poor thing ~ Cleve answered,
feeling strangely guilty.
"She's pretty, isn't she ?"
Cleve nodded abstractedly.
81 wish could do something for her.
Somehow feel as if had unwittingly
taken the bread out of that old fathers
mouth"
BY the names of Minerva, whom /
take to be the grand originator of all
the school marm," exclaimed Mecklem,
81 know what should do if were in
your place"
"And what is that ?"
81 should marry her."
What? marry Jenny Smith ?"
Exactly so. Why, man, she has got
a face like flower"
81 never thought of that ?"
"Pve heard you say dozen times
that you wanted a wife," persisted Roy.
$50 do," assented Langdon.
at would be better than teaching dis
trict school for her, aud Pm sure it
would be an improvems snt on your pres
ent condition." said Mecklem.
"But suppose she should say 'no'?
"That would be no more than justice
if she did. You have said mo- to her.
But she won't.
Langdon thought it over. And at
twilight he went to the little cottage
where blue-eyed Jenny Smith lived.
"Aiiss Smith," said he, Pm very sorry
you were so disappointed abont the
school; but it would have been hard
work for you, and i think it would be
great deal wiser for you to marry me !"
That was his clumsy way of putting
it. Jenny Smith dropped the blue Chi
ma cup she was wiping.
81 don't understand you, Mr. Cleve."
"Well," said our discounted hero, II
thought spoke plain enough, too ~
"Do you mean," hesitated Jenny,
that you want--me---to-be your
wifeP" r'
"Yes," said Cleve, triumphantly,
that's Just what / mean"