The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-07-06

10 other"
Sand may not call to see you, some
timer"
Miss Pennyfeather hesitated he was GER
tainly very recent acquaintance, but he
promised to be pleasant one. To be sure
he was interested in another girl, but that
need make no difference, except as it might
define more clearly their own relations. Miss
Pennyfeather began to feel quite a friendly
interest in the pretty face which Mr.. Denike
carried in his pocket. So she only said with
half smile, in almost the same words she
had used before:
"Why yes, if you want to-"
Denike bowed.
'tLet me answer your question:" he said,
''before go. OF course l share responsible
ity with every one else who legislates for the
people. But the problem is difficult one.
Maybe you have some proposition" as he
noted her more eager expression.
The girl gave little low laugh, perhaps
half ashamed of her excitement.
''Yes, l have, Mr.. Denike," she said; Elm
deed, it's my hobby. Whenever l get hold
of people who have influence, bore them
with it until their lives become burden. My
notion is to start here in Chepachet an In
| dustral School, under the School Board,
| where vagrant children can be brought in
| and taught some useful trade. It's my high
| est ambition, Mr.. Denike, to have the charge
| of school like that"
| Her eye kindled and her face glowed with
| the words. John Denike, as he looked at
her, forgot for moment the face in his pock-
| et-book, and thought he had never seen
| much prettier picture.
| Indeed, Miss Pennyfeather," he said, as
| though protesting against her suggestion that
| he was bored, 81 am very much interested.
| And I'd like to talk the matter over with you
Perhaps can do something in the way of
legislation. May | come soon and continue
| the conversation ?"
Miss Pennyfeather nodded 'syes" and babe
him goodbye Then the door opened and
shut, and Denike was left alone. But the
thought of Miss Pennyfeather's bright ex-
| preston and the echo of her fresh ringing
| voice fingered with him all the way home.
Three months after that, the School Board
Of Chepachet found itself in great quandary.
| 1t was seriously proposed-indeed it had be-
come law-that in Chepachet, education
should be made compulsory. More than this,
for the Vagrant class and for children of poor
| parents, an Industrial School was to be pro-
vided. The question that concerned the
| Board was not so much who had engineered
the innovation, as whom they should appoint
as principal.
PROPERLY" said old Mr.. Gallup, who was
the senior member of the Board and very
slow OF speech, "the place belongs to Miss
| Williams"
.But Miss Fairfield is very highly recon-
mended," put in Deacon Orwig.
nell. who was himself verging on eighty.
swell, after all,'' declared Elder Knox,
sit amounts to about this. Denike has more
interest in this thing than anybody else. He
wants Miss Pennyfeather, and she ought to
be appointed"
And that settled it.
In all her life, Maud Pennyfeather had
never passed happier time than those three
months. Never. indeed, had months passed
so quickly. In her relations with Mr., Dem
ike the Industrial School had, from the very
first, been topic of absorbing interest. The
legislation affecting it was drawn in Mrs.
Pennyfeather's neat little parlor, and all the
details were there arranged from evening to
evening between the two conspirators. Hav-
ing secret of this profound and important
character, their friendship became peculiarly
intimate and informal. Had it not been for
the picture in Mr.. Denike's pocket-book,
Maud might have imagined there was some
| purpose in his attentions. But of course the
| fact of the picture left Maud no reason 70 in
fer anything of the kind. And strange to
say, while she fancied she was glad of this,
| she more than once found herself entertain
ing feeling of positive resentment against
the pretty original, and vindictive desire to
abstract the picture and tear it up. 1t is only
fair though to say that Maud, when she re-
cognized these improper sentiments, would
blush with shame and veXation and crowd
| them down in her heart. 1t used to annoy
the girl, indeed she could hardly account for
it, that when she first knew Mr.. Denike she
was quite unembarrassed in his presence, but
that now, when she went down stairs to
meet him it would be with flush upon her
cheek and tremor in her voice. Try as she
,frs1f 1I,
| OF their earlier acquaintance. She hoped it
escaped his attention. Perhaps it did. That
she was being urged for the position of prin-
cipal of the new enterprise, she was quite I'M
| aware.
The evening of the committees decision,
Denke found her in the parlor.
"You remember you told me once" he
| said, when both were seated, "that it was
| your highest ambition to have charge of such
4 school as ours"
Maud nodded, and looked at him-with
4 question in the look.
4 "The opportunity has fallen to me-" he
went on gravely, ''of gratifying your ambi-
| tion."
| The color went all away at once from her
face. She did not say word.
"The School Board, Miss Pennyfeather,
have concluded to offer you the appointment
as Principal of the New School. This let
/
tains the official announcement"
| The girl took it mechanically, holding it
unopened in her hand.
| 81 have great pleasure In congratulating
| you," he continued. "To attain ones ambi-
ton. Miss Pennyfeather. ought to be an &C.
cason for acknowledgements it not?
She looked up at his question-then
dropped her eyes nervonsly. ''Thank you,"
she said. 1t was all she could say.
| This fbon bo nd IF oil IT, Lo
sure it was the end Maud had wished.
Three months ago she had no dearer desire.
Had anything taken its place? Was Maud
| deceived about herself after all, and did she
have an ambition still dearer than that?
| And so Maud woke up-to find the thing
that had seemed best to her now within her
reach, but stale and Improbable; the thing
but of all things in the world the most to be
| desired. And yet she could not complain.
Mr.. Denike had only taken her at her word,
| and interested himself in friendly way to
help her realize her aspirations. Now he
| would go off and marry the girl in the pic
ture, whom, by this time, Maud absolutely
hated; and she would be left to teach an
Industrial School to the end of her days.
But she would never let Mr.. Denike know
how it panied her-never. So she forced
back the tears and steadied her voice and
said in low quiet tone:
| "Thank you very much, Mr.. Denike; you
have been very kind"
| His own voice seemed to tremble little
when he spoke.
"But Pm going to offer you an alterna-
| tive" he said.
Maud looked up. She was quite indifer-
ent now to what he might say.
81 want to know" he continued, ''if that
still remains your highest ambition-or if, as
people sometimes do, you may have changed
| lt?'
Maud gazed at him with omen eyes, quite
| uncertain what he meant. Was he going to
offer her some other position? 1t was all one
| to her which she took.
II may be asking you to give up good
deal, he went on, without waiting for her
reply; "indeed, it strikes me as rather i'm
pertinent on my part, knowing how strongly
| you've set your heart on this thing, but 1
must take my chance. want to ask you,
| Miss Maud, before you conclude to settle
down in life as teacher, if you won't con-
slider the idea of becoming my wife,
Mr.. Denike did not get any further than
that. Ii he intended to, be was summarily
cut short. For Maud, making vain effort
to control herself, at length gave way, and