The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-23
PLUCK.

PLUCK.
VERY respectfully-OlivcH arland."
Floy Preston peeped over her fathers
shoulder and read aloud the signature OF
the letter he held. "Who is Olive Har-
land, papa
Mr.. Preston read:
"To Secretary Of Board Of Trustees
Sir: Your proposal regarding the school
under your supervision is accepted.
shall be able to commence work Sep
tember first. I shall be at Morris Sta
ton August twenty-frst. Very respect
fully, OLIVE HARLAND.
Est. Louis, Aug. 29th."
"Good! Oh! am so glad!'
Floy executed pirouette in the most
approved style; then seized the letter for
another reading. "If this wasn't bust
ness epistle I could Judge something about
her I'm sorry it is formal. But she is
young and know she'll be jolly. I had
forgotten that you had sent for a St. Louis
girl to teach our school, papa. Cousin
Egbert, look at her writing and give me
an opinion. Handwriting shows charac-
Ter, have heard you say. -
Dr. Preston smiled his own inimit-
able smile, and took the note from Floy.
Humph!" he CALCULATED; then he
looked long at the perfectly formed o's,
the abrupt is, and the careful contour of
the signature. ~~"~'~ -.~~~
Miss Harland is evidently self-re-
liant person." he said, at length; II am
also inclined to believe her somewhat
cgotistic."
"You are too bad, Egbert," pouted
Floy;"I don't believe you can tell a word
about persons by their writing"
''It We're imbecile hewing out roads to
a wall,'" quoted he. Floy looked at him
in puzzled way tor a moment, then went
singing from the room, and presently Egg
bert saw her out among the verbenas,
wedding and watering, looking very pref
ty in her morning dress of b&ue.
"By the way" said Mr.. Preston, sud-
denly, this is the thirty-frst. Miss Har-
land may come on the noon train. Eg-
bert, can you drive down to the station
Immediately after lunch?"
ooh, no, sir. Orwell, that is, I have
several patients to call upon before even
ing:
Mr.. Preston smiled. He knew that, if
the truth were told, this nephew of his
was extremely self distrustful; so much
so, indeed, that F'loy sometimes accused
him of bashfulness.
ut makes no difference. shall go
down when it cools off little. It is
hardly probable that Miss Harland will
come until later train," and he lazily
S;urncd a page of "Middlemarch." Oh!
the selfshness of that man!
The Prestons are all more or less selfish
and the head Of the household being not
at all exempt from this family failing,
thought lounging comfortably in his vine
covered porch far preferable to. driving
two miles through the broiling August
sunlight to meet tired little schoolma am,
who, possibly, might not be there.
YO0-ooo-oooo.
A pause Of a moment and the train
rushed on again, leaving Olive Harland
standing beside her trunks, hot, dusty,
and not little disappointed that she did
not sec waiting for her the cool roomy
carriage her Imagination had pictured.
One forlorn looking wagon stood at lit
tie distance, and Olive inquired of the
driver: 'Do you come from Squire Pres
.ton's?'
"No," sai. the man.
"Can you tell me how far from here he
livcs?"
NO." again.
"Do you know which direction it ISL"
"No;" more stolidly than ever.
She turned from him in disgust, and
entered the combination of storcroom
waiting room and telegraph office, that
the people of Morris Station fondly call
>"The Depot" One busy little official
was in attendance, and of him Olive in.
quired whether or not any one from
Squire Preston's had been at the station.
"No, ma'am," said Little Obsequious
HE never comes down until evcnin'
Was he expectin' you, ma'am2"
ayes" u-...
ooh! we'll, never mind. He'll be along
byme-by. Sit down."
Olive hesitated. The thought of Ions
afternoon in that hot little room seemed
unbearable.
"How far it it to Mr.. Preston's?"
"Two miles right east of here. Biz
house; first house east"
"Take care of my trunks, please, l shall
walk" 4a