The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-08

would be- she shut me up In minute.
"Sam Riley and Mr. Steele" she said, care
two very different men,
| Il should hope So" said.
"Sam is made Of different stuff" she went
on TO say. The little pricks and torments
| that sting the soul Of Mr.. Steele In madness
would be- utterly unfelt by Sam. Sam is good
THANK you for Sam" said, for she was
enough to provoke a saint
"But he has not the capacity for suffering
suffer-
Serves him right, the monster" said, and
had scarce got the words out of my mouth
when there was q raj at the door.
! went over, thinking it was Sam Riley,
wneh there was the thin, gaunt face of the
schoolmaster again. He came in and bowed
rs grave as an owl, and sat down on chair by
the door, his cane rolled down beside him on
the floor, and for minute or so he couldn't
find word out Of that long dictionary in his
head
/ was glad to see that Mines spunk came
back at the sight of him. Her eyes were as
bright as they could be- and her cheeks Just
like the heart of a hollyhock.
MY errand here Miss Jemima," he began,
Us altogether a friendly one You have so
much spirit and determination that | think
your present subordinate position is unfit for
you. | know Of one that will shortly be
vacant, which you can fill with great credit
TO yourself and all concerned"
II IN much obliged to you" said Mime. her
lips beginning to curl and the color in her
satisfied where | am. | can well understand
that you'd be glad to get rid of me, but
must beg to decline. I'm not going away
from here"
But am going away from here" said
the schoolmaster, getting upon his feet. at
is my place that will be vacant, and / think
you can have 1t II you choose
"Iou-you" said Mime; and don't won
der that the child was astonished at the news
| was quite clustered myself
EYES, said the schooImaster, "you can
have your own way now" and he went out
OF the door, bowling awkwardly as he went, a
queer, miserable smile struggling into his
face.
NJ sooner was the door well shut on him,
than Mime put her head down on the table
and began to cry. Her hair got loose and
fell about her, and, to make the matter worse,
| heard footstep outside, and this time
thought it must be Sam Riley.
But the door opened, and there stood the
schoolmaster again. He said he had come
back for his cane, bu 9 never even stopped
to pick 1t up, but st od staring at Mime as II
she was a ghost instead of fresh pretty
wholesome creature that she was. She raised
her head. and though her face was half hid
den by her hair, her eye-lashes were wet and
the tears not dried yet on her cheeks.
The schoolmaster, not minding me any more
than blOck OF wood or something, walked
straight over to Mime.
"You know very well, !" he said, that am
only going away from here because | love
you. Because it was not the class that was
distracted by your pretty ways and devices
it was /. You know all this very WELL and
can tell me whether | had better 60 or not.
Now tell me, shall l stay"
Qou might have knocked me down with
feather when / saw Mime put her hand out
timidly to the schoolmaster and he turn pale
and catch 1t In both his own.
"Of course not, broke In, for | was nearly
distracted by the way things were going. '1f
you're an honorable man, and got any sense
left and an eye In your head, you'd see that
my niece Is as good as engaged to Sam
Riley"
"Sam Riley" said Mime, as scornfully as
IL poor Sam was a toad or something, and
holding on to the schoolmaster's horny hands
as II she was drowning woman.
Like enough he'll beat her some day, and
II SO she'll like him all the better for it, for
before I'd got out Of the room heard her tell
him she'd teach any way that suited him best
and my. only hope is that he's got little
money laid by, for he said he didn't intend
she should teach at all. But dear dear
when | heard the crack of Sam Riley's whip
outside, and knew the evening stage was In,
and poor Sam not knowing what was In store
for him, and had to go up stairs and have q
cry all to myself. And all | can Say is, If
Mime hated the schoolmaster, It's mighty
queer courtship.