Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1875-02-20

thing in the tone of his voice told her thnt
he had heard her remark EYES whv ~
Because excuse mel would scared r
have thought it, that was all, but the
lips were satirical, and Amber thought, a
little unoasily, IL hope this big boy will
notprove unmanageable. z
Poor Amber she sighed before week
was well over at the polite audacity OF
this new scholar. Every day he annoyed
her inexplicably, net by any refusal TO do
as she babe him, but by the very asslduiiy
of his attention.
Miss Aylesford, it Is impossible for me
10 initiate this handwriting, he said one
day, looking down upon the fair, flowing
hand, his neither lips curling.
SHE came to bis desk and looked at the
copy Consistency is the true test Of
character
Besides that Ii such disc0uraging
axiom, with a mixture OF seofn and mer
riment in the bold blue eyes regarding
her
Il don think you need try while you write
like that q faint flash on her cheeks; YOU
quite excel NJ.
Carl was mute. 4 little crepe bow tlat-
tered from her throat and fell down on The
page, he laid his hand quietly overit.
''Give tito me, please
'What, Miss Aylesford
The bow that fell from my collar.
He lifted his hand up; III Is not here,
you see r
She turned away, mounting the plat
form to her desk, her face burning indig-
nantly. When she essayed 10 give him
little lectures upon the practical parts OF
philosophy, he sat and listened respectful
ly, but with an expression upon his face
that looked like tolerant amusement.
One day, after ono OF these impromptu
lectures, he looked up with his bold blue
eyes and asked
g Do you believe in Metcmpsfchosis,
Miss Aylesford
ssro be sure not--why do you ask ~
Because, quizzcally, 81 thought per-
haps that you imagined that
the soul Of pythagoras has come to tenant
your body -
And once when spending a Saturday
with her dear friend Mrs. Ethel she had
been inveigled into political Discus
sion with Ralph over The dinner, this
strange Carl Andrew, with the hudacity
peculiar to him, remarked sneeringly,
ssYou must have heard the opposition on
Fenton's bill last winter; indeed, Miss
Aylesford, you plaziarize ingeniously;"
wherenpon Amber Aylesford In looked
at him absently. wondering w..4s &
country school-boy, knew Of Fenton's bill,
and replied, nYes, heard it, and heard
Mr. Conrad Ainslee, the Louisiana mem
Der, make the speech that won for him
such deserved famu. Were you an auditor
that morning ?"
rOhl no, but heard about it,
Now Mrs. Ethel had flushed delig htedly.
"Why Amber, that was my brother ~
q Indeed that handsome, eloquent,
cynical, scowling Louisiana member, per-
haps. owe it to you to tell you, as an
indemnity for my adjective, that he was
the only man who ever interested me-"
with the odd. whimsical naeretc that was
part Of her. Carl Andrews had finished
his meal in silence after that, and lief. d.
rectly after dinner. Mrs Ethel woke her
husband from his first nap that night with
an enigmatical little ejaculation /" Don't
you know, Ralph darling, am sure Carl
Andrews Is in love with Amber; did you
see how he looked when Amber said Con-
was the only man who had ever interest
ed her? II only Con knew Amber r.
you made your own match, and don't that
satisfy you? Go to sleep, sweetheart"
with which Mrs. Ethel, dutiful little thing,
turned and strove to obey her big, drowsy
lords advice.
The spring dawned, and with it the
big boy's left school, to AMBER intense
relief az but Carl Andrews, who stayed
on, aiti Nas respectfully familiar, just as
he had been from the first.
She was interested in him, despite the
annoyances he gave her, and once when
hehaa walked home with her from sch COL
through the fragrant spring woods, she
had said with her rare topaz eyes light
ing, " j once said that Conrad
Ainslee was the only man who had ever
interested me, but Carl, you interest me
strangely, only you are not a man, only
a great oyergrown bov.u And Carl had
laughed in .eply, pulling little nervous
ly at his short pei jacket, but she saw in
the boys face, warm, eager, that the
ayowal had pleased him.
On Saturday, Amber went over to stay
till Monday with Mrs. Ethel 1t was the
last Saturday she would have to spend
with that dear friend, for the next week
vacation commenced, and she would he
again adrift upon the tide Of pitiless,
friendless world.
They spent charming morning chat
ting In the pretty little room part parlor,
part boudoir, where Mrs. Ethel always
entertained Amber, but in the evening
some callers came in--people whom Am
Der did not know so she begged her hostess
would allow her to ainuse herself in her
own way until she came back.
She stole into the library and surprised
her pupil, Carl Andrews intent upon q
piece Of bristol board with box of colors
| at his elbow.
9 An artist, Carl? How many more ac-
! omplist men will you discover yon far
isisnce me, your teacher"