The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-01-08

school hours there was no opportunity
for love-making. Phebe was a model
scholar She never missed in her les
sons; sheneither whispered nor laughed
| All the other girls were continually ask
ing questions of the master. They hung
round him at recess; they lavished upon
him all sorts of coquettish attentions;
/ but Phebe was never troubled over her
arithmetic, and never approached him
from one days end to another. So the
days went on, and the term was nearly
ended. He had spoken to Phebe's
mother, and she had expressed her pleas
ure at receiving him as a son-in-law, but
/ declared that she Couldn't dew nothin'
with the gal, she was headstrong as well
as bashful, and if she were to speak to
her, it would only make the unhappy
matter worse"
1t was clear, bright, winter morning.
| The clouds slept far aloft above the high
est boughs OF the forest through which
1 the schoolmaster passed On his way to
school. An opening in the trees revealed
the snow-cOvered peak of a distant
mountain which shone like beautiful
star in the fair bosom of day. The wind
waited the spicy odor of the pines. A
brook, singing under its prison wall of
! ice, seemed like voice from fairy-land
promising spring. The stiffness sur
rounded one like dream. The school
master hung his head in deep thought.
He must speak to Phebe. All his subtle
plans to accomplish this end had failed
heretofore, and the time when he should
leave the place was nearing. He had
been trying to find some excuse to keep
her after school for a long time, in spite
of its being held great disgrace by the
older girls to endure this punishment,
though the boys and the smaller girls
were often kept until nearly dark in the
afternoon. But when was Phebe known
| to miss a lesson, or to commit disde-
meanor of any sort? "The only thing
l can gesort to is to keep her after school
on the pretense of having discovered her
whispering or laughing" he said to him
self. sit is mean, know, alfred mean,
but there's no other way"
Fortune turned her face toward him
that day, however. For some reason or
! other Phebe was in an absent-minded
mood and blundered unaccountably in
her grammer lesson. Having once failed,
she went from bad to worse, and got into
such a maze of bewilderment that all the
other girls laughed at her.
"You will stay a while after school to-
night, Miss Phebe, and we'll see about
this lesson" said he more sternly than
he had intended to speak with ring of
triumph in his tone.
A murmur of disappointment ran
round the room, but one glance at the
determined face of the master was suffi-
cient to hush it. Phebe accepted the
punishment with comparative GOODNESS.
She colored deeply, of course, but she
neither hid her face in her hands, nor
wept, nor betrayed angry defiance. But
the master was In fever of uneasiness
! during the remainder of the session.
He half expected rebellion. He feared
that she would attempt to leave the
school room with the others in spite of
his Command, and sternly resolved to be
on his guard against such proceeding
on her part
His fears were groundless, however;
when the bell rang for dismissal Phebe
remained quietly In her seat, her demure
eyes fixed upon her book. There had
been a great deal of laughing and whis-
perinG, great many failures in lessons
that day, but it was a remarkable fact
that no one but Phebe was subjected to
SO dire punishment therefor. Ventur-
ing to look up, she found herself alone
with the master, and burst into food
of terrified tears.
"Phebe," he said in a tender tone,
approaching her desk, 'don't be mad
with me for keeping you here; 'twasn' t
on account Of that miserable lesson, but
! because you wouldn't give me any
chance to speak to you; you wouldn't let
me tell you how much I set by you. l
want you to be my wife.
Phebe's weeping progressed with re-
newed vigor.
"Tell me, Phebe, are you so mad that
| you will never forgive me? Won't you
lift your head and give me just one
look?"
There seemed to be no hope that this
request would be granted.
''Tell me, Phebe, is it because I've
! got red hair that you won't have me
| know it's pretty red, but then I've
seen a city preacher with redder," in a
tone which implied that he expected
douot at such an astonishing statement.
Phebe shook her PROSTATE head en-
phatically. Her own hair approached
this despised tint.
"Then what is it you have against me
Am | too poor? [ haven't anything but
ny farm and its stock, and they ain
quite paid for, know, but | mean to
have more before long-that is, if you'll
have me; If you won't, don't care what
| becomes of me.
Phebe again shook her head very de-
cidedly
"Then l amt genteel enough, or p'raps
you like that crlrly-headed chap that
works in the woods BETTER" in faint
tone, CHASTITY with foreboding.
Another still more decided negative.
"Wel1, then, what's to hinder you
from having me, should like to know.
Phebe, I'd rather have you for my wife
than to own all the big farms, all the big
lumber in Roostisk county. Will you
marry me?"
A renewed food of tears was heard
from the depths of the well soaked
grammar at this point, but there was q
different kind of motion to the head,
slow upward movement of the chin.
Hurrahi' shouted the master, lift
ing the girl to her feet and coming in
contact with great deal of briny mois-
ture as he touched his lips to her cheek.
cts all right now, [ amt going to the
insane asylum, shan't commit suicide
after all; and as for you, Phebe, ] know
| can make you happy, When I first
came to the Forks [ thought there was
nothing in the world but property n
learning, but now ] see my mistake.
And he shouted again, until the whole
neighborhood resounded with his iovial
/ voice.