The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-18

your being notified of the election be-
fore the meeting adjourned. They
wouldn't have given you chance to de-
cline, if your father and DR.. Rodman
had not insisted that such a course
wouldn't be fair"
"Why didn't they appoint DR.. Rod
man ?"
"He hasn't the time to devote"
"You, then, Judge Kenton ?"
81 haven't the time, either. Besides,
l honestly believe we shouldn't succeed
as well in the schools as you would.
You're fresh from the teaching; we've
forgotten the ropes"
"Oh, can't serve, Judge Kenton, I
haven't the courage. Do elect some
gentleman"
ave can't agree upon one, mum.
You're the popular choice" said the
register, with the cOaxing air of shop
keeper anxious to drive a bargain.
"You'd better take the place, Miss
Wentworth. Now dop'
"Don't tempt me out of my sphere"
she cried, playfully seizing needle and
thread. "Don't you men say it's wOm-
ans mission to sew on buttons? You
can't deny it,"
-ClHNeIly IuIu6Nt OuJ we Cdl tACuSe
you on that plea, Miss Zilpha," smiled
the Judge. Think of your superior ed
ucation, my child, and your experience
in teaching. Can't you be public-spir-
! tied enough to give us the benefit of
these ?''
Miss Wentworth began to waver.
"But the nOtOriety, Judge Kenton.
should shrink from it,"
Nonsense, Zilpha; a girl of your
sense must be more progressive. Don't
shrink from doing US favor, I beg. We
men will pledge ourselves to help you,
if we can in any way"
Miss Wentworth drew in her breath.
Should she do this distasteful thing
! Ought she to do it? Once having un-
dertaken the task, she had an inward
conviction that she could perform it
we'll; but was it her duty to undertake
| it? And there was DR.. Rodman. Must
she render herself an object of aversion
to him ? He had expressed the deepest
repugnance to this very step she was
considering.
"What is my fathers wish, Judge
KentOn? Did you talk with him on
the subject ?"
"Yes. He was surprised when your
name was proposed, and much gratified.
He would be glad if you were willing to
accept the supervisorship. You know
how he bears the welfare of the town in
his heart"
81 will accept it," said Miss Went
worth, hastily, feeling as if a mountain
were about to topple over upon her.
When her acceptance was announced
at the meeting, it was received with
hearty cheers; but DR.. Rodman, assist
ing in counting votes, frowned omi-
nously, and lost his reckoning.
Then his words had not feathers
weight with Zilpha Flattering, very
Not three hours previous he had told
her how he detested masculine women;
she knew perfectly well this proceeding
of hers would be obnoxious to him; and
yet she had not respected his feelings in
the least. If she defied his opinions like
this, he thanked his stars that he had
! learned it in season, he said to himself,
angrily. She might go her way, and he
would go his. Their paths could never
coincide. In this frame of mind be
presently drove Squire Wentworth
home, and as Zilpha came out to assist
him in supporting her father up the
steps, he met her with freezing cour-
tesy that aroused her indignation.
She had meant to talk the matter oveI
with him candidly. She had hoped to
convince him that in pleasing bel
father by overseeing the schools she
would be doing nothing unfeminine, but
one glance at his compressed lips
daunted her. She felt she might as fit.
tingly reason with the fir-tree at the
gate. He disapproved of her, did he
He wasn't broad enough to appreciate
her motives? ? Well, so be it. She
would not care. But she did care; anC
the town fathers might have doubted
, the wisdom of their choice could they
have known that on this first night o
her election their new supervisor crieC
herself to sleep. However, there wert
no traces of tears in the morning, or he
little brother would surely have spiet
, them. He was always lowering abou
J Zilpha like a moth about a candle, only
} that candle may be "put out" by
. moth, which Zilpha never was by Tom
! If she petted him too much sometimes
it was hardly strange, he was such
: delicate little fellow, understood for
lad of eleven. That morning sh
: greeted him with more than her usua
tenderness, because she felt so misera
= BILE.
: Depressed by DR.. Rodman's displeas
ufe, everything was burden, ana Ou
! for her fathers cordial cooperation, he
new labors would have been unbearabl
: at first. She recoiled sensitively from
being heralded abroad, yet she had th
2 compensation of knowing that the tow
: reposed perfect confidence in her. Hav
] ing elected a woman to office agains
f her will, it straightway grew proud c
e her. 1t patted itself on the shoulder fo
D its advanced ideas, and looked dow
= with contempt on the adjacent towns Z
t Eustace and Cornville, plodding aIon
e under the old-fashioned regime of
: male committee.
? Miss Wentworth set about her tas
, firmly resolved to do her duty, hatin
a the duty nevertheless; but, being lad
b. of broad sympathies, she soon foun
herself warmly interested in the teach
ers-timid young girls, many of them
n who, as spring advanced, came flockin
# to her for certificates. To some sh
$ could not conscientiously grant then
and this grieved her painfully. Others
: competent in the main, failed miserabl
}, in certain studies, and she kindly pre-
poset to instruct them in these, with
: holding the testimonials till they shoul
o be merited. Her father laughed,
was the first instance on record, he sale
d of supervisor educating teachers fc
d examination. But, as Zilpha said, whs
!. better could she do? Instructors a
j ready efficient were not to be procure
at the low wages paid by the town. Sh
e must improve native talent. DIR. Roc
man asked her, grimly, if she had al