The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-10-15

Just . moment en- route for Lake Cham
plain with his party. Camping out
must be such fun! And to think you
happened to have an uncle living so
conveniently near. OF course you see
Oscar every day or two"
There was . four-page description
following of the costumes worn at q
ball at the Grand Union. Mildred
Parmenter to this day has never read q
word of it.
s'More newsr' how little her Sara
toga friend guessed at the truth in the
case! And Oscar Brant was only four
miles away. She could not help it now
if the tears came. Why could they not
let her alone? she thought. She had
come up to the New England hills to
gain some of the strength and peace
she had lost after she and Oscar Brant
had parted. She must try for it harder
than ever, now that the time drew near
for her to return to the city.
Her mother and sisters would wait
for her at the Springs. Mr.. Elson would
wait, too; Mr.. Elson. worth half a mill
ion. sixty years old, his head bald and
shiny; short. fat. fLssy man, who had
"grown q little stouter." Ugh! They
would all 60 home together, to the fall
fashions, and dinner parties, and formal
calls. She thought suddenly of the
stuffy parlor, and of the three ladies
with their gossip about the new minis
ter, and the neighborhood' s mumps and
measles. What was there to choose
between these city and country lives?
Life itself was intolerable everywhere.
Despair at nineteen is very hopeless
sort of despair. Mildred laid her head
on the ground with a great tearing sob.
"Oh how can bear it?''
She went back to the house present.
ly. She would con uer this foolish
ness, so she told herself, as she kept
saying over and over again the whole
summer long. She would conquer her
temper, too; grow humble, and docile,
and patient. If she tried hard, per-
haps, before she grew to be very old
woman-and forty to her was an i'm
mense age-she might be amiable, too
serene, self-poised and lovable. She
was quite charmed with the ideal she
imagined of herself. AS for the great
grief that had so worn upon her. it was
righteous punishment for her pride and
wilfulness. There was no one but her
self to blame, and her sense of justice
was keen. She must do her best to
bear what she had brought upon her
self.
Supper was nearly ready when she
came in; a beautiful appeal to an ar
tistic eye, with its heap of snow-white
biscuits. deep, golden butter and purple
grape jelly; but the flowers with which
she always decked the table, she had
forgotten that afternoon. She went at
once into the garden, meeting her I'M
Gle as he passed by with the foaming
milk-pails. "Don't forget my holly
hook, darter," he called out as he
passed along. Hollyhocks were stand
ing joke between them. She nodded
brightly. She had really very sweet
and sound nature, for all her faults and
shortcomings, and in the peaceful twi-
light time, she fought good fight, in
which she was helped by every outward
condition.
When she came in again, her uncle
was carrying on spasmodic converse
ton with his wife, who, out of sight in
the buttery. was straining the milk.
can if they can't find some one to
take the school," he was saying, cit II
hev to be shet up awhile"
"What school?'' Mildred asked, car
ing less for the answer than for the
effect of a great pansy she was settling
among the China-asters.
"Here in our own deestrict. Teach
er's sick, an they can't seem to find no
one to take her place."
Mildred had seen the teacher, pale
young girl, who went home every night
by her uncle's house. with several little
ones beside her. They were barefoot
ed, to be sure, but bright-eyed and
rosy-cheeked
"How many scholars are there?" she
asked, sudden impulse taking posses
sion of her.
"Not more'n twenty. reckon. It's
a summer school, 50 faint never very
large"
"Uncle, would they let me take it?'
"You, darter!''
eyes. l believe should enjoy it, and
it would do me good, besides giving the
teacher a little help. She looks as if
she needed it,
So it came about that Mildred Par
menter, meeting the children in the
road the next morning, introduced her
self to them as the lady who would take
care of them till their teacher got well;
and, with the big key in her hand. went
across the field with them with more
positive feeling of content and happi-
ness than she had known for months.
It was a queer little log school-house
to which they went, one of the print
tive sort. From all the windows were
magnificent views of the mountains,
but Mildred improved even on that ad-
vantage, by occasionally having recita-
tons out of doors. departure from
the orthodox fashion very Gratifying to