Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-16
she greeted him with more than her usual ten.
derne8a because aha felt 30 miserahll

every thing was burden. and but for her
Would have Seemed unbeaTa6 sea at n fTss shs
recoiled Sensitively from being heralded abroad
yet Bhe had the compensation OF knowing that
the town rep9sed perfect confidence IN her
will, It straightway grew proud Of her. 1t
patted itself on the shoulder for its advanced
IDEAS and locked down with contempt on the
adjacent towns OF EuStace and Cornvilie, plod-
ding along under the old-fashioned regime OF a
male committee.
resolved to do her duty, hating the duty never
theless but, being lady of broad sympathies.
she soon found herself warmly Interested in
the teachers-timid young girls many of them,
for certificates To some she could not con-
scientiously grant them, and this grieved her
painfully: Others. competent In the main,
kindly proposed to instruct them In these with.
holding the testimonials till they should be
nerited Her father laughed. 1t was the first
educating teachers for examination. But as
Zilpha said, what better could she do? Instruc-
tors ALREADY proficient were not to De procured
at the low wages paid by the town. She must
grimly, If she had undertaken a private scaooi
IN addition to her public labors. This was one
afternoon when he had called to see her father
on business, and encountered bevy Of girls In
the hall. He never came nowadays without
some plausible excuse. IN reply she tossed
ousy:
"You sneer at my public labors, DR.. Rodnan.
just as though had assumed them amply for
my own entertainment You have never once
given me chance to explain my motives
why should you honor me by explaining
them, zilpha7" said he, indifrerently. III they
satisfy you. IL is enough. isn'tit?
forth. II she was OF no more consequence to
him than fly on the wall, why, she would not
even buzz In his ear.
BY midsummer she had visited every school
tod
with the capabilities and needs of each. Her
energy inspired energy in others. II she en-
tered school room. It was as II an electric
current passed into It, arOus1ng pupils and In
structor to unwonted activity.
Little Tom was usually her companion on
scSog he
to run about in the fields to pick berries or
gather flowers for ZiIpha.
''These long drives are making a little Sam
as they drove home together. "Last spring /
should have been afraid to expose you to the
night air like this.'
there was some feeling" and had been be-
gu1led Into staying to tea. Now 1t was rap
Idly growing dark, and shower was threat
by Jim! look at that thunder cloud sister "
responded Tom trreverently.
For answer the young lady drew up the car
rage boot and touched the horse lightly with
the whip. He started forward there was a
sudden Chatter. vision OF the Viii while II tree
dashing against his heels, and the next instant
he was rearing in the shafts, and with fright.
ened leaps jerking along the buggy by the tnill
tugs. Zilpha chung to the reIns, and Tom chung
to Zilpha. There was moment OF slcken,ng
dread, and then the danger was past; she had
the terrified animal Under control Having
SoOthed him into quiet, she dtsmounted In mud
puddle to ascertain the nature OF the accident;
tugs firm; traces firm; but the bolt fasten-
Ing the whittietree in position broken In two.
WHAT was to be done? Manifestly the horse
could not draw the carriage ii the whiffletree
was not properly secured. Locomotion hung
upon that missing bolt; but now to replace it
any house. In this emergency Miss Wentworth
eethought herself OF Toms pockets. She had
often said their contents would prove mine
OF Of wealth e to a pioneer. From medley OF pen.
CHS, fishing lines and rusty nails she distracted
Dit OF stout copper wire, and having backed
the horse into the shafts, she inserted this In
place OF the bolt. To prevent its dropping
through the hole, she bent over the upper end
by pounding 1t with a stone, and. as an add.
tional safeguard, she was tying q leathern
string about the middle OF the Whiffietree when
she heard the sound OF wheels.
Has anything happened. madam Can l
assist you?"
In the dusk DR.. Rodman did not recognize her
till she spoke.
" 1t is nothing serious, thank you, docter. 7
believe we're all right now; that Is. If my cob.
bling is strong enough. What do you tnink?'
he gave few muscular pulls at the traces,
and nodded approy1ngly.
Icould, but I'm sent for to case OF convul
s!ons: hate to leave you this way"
on famously," said Miss Wentworth, rather
TREMENDOUSLY, his kind tone agitating her more
than the accident
lie put her into the buggy reluctantly. and
dashed away at q furious pace, but drew rein 3
moment TO call TO her to drive slowly
"A neat JOB that TO- lady," unused he, with
admiration. "And how perfectly collected she
was. Most women IN her place would nave lo3
1nsir wits; bat Zlpha is no common woman
she has sense ia some things" ne adiei
twitching, his Mustache angrlly. Aim, Il
behcOves her 70 have foritudei il she takes uoor
herself mans work Well-get up, Chariey!-
l don't know why should colcern rnyse,t
about the supervisors reaching hone safely
do you?'
Nevertheless, he could not Danish her from
his MIND; and as he approached her house on
ais return, he felt strong impulse to call
Ba ms p Prize de resisted ed It, He would have
man. He did compromise with himself, how
ever, to the extent of inquiring for her OF the
hired man, whom he came upon patterine
under the water spouts. Zilpha had arrived
without further adventure and was gone tc
watch with ''the wilder Skeels'' 1.-The widdel
thought she was made when Zilpha sot up with
her." Caleb observed.
"Znpha has womanly instincts-ao question
about that" sighed the doctor, driving on
"Who'd have prophesied her development into
Miss Wentworth sighed too, as she heard bis
wagon pass the sick womaD's door, Who
could have believed q man SO kIndly as the
doctor could be so unforgiving.
summer went By and autumn came. Little
Tom had Ill turns occasionally, when Dr.. Rod
man was sent for; but he never dropped In I'M
hidden OF an evening in the Old friendly way
Ziipha had ridden rOughshod over his preiu
diceS. and he resented It, He wished her &c
feel that he did. Yet in Carrying out this re-
sentiment, perhaps he was the greater sufferer
His bachelor rooms were dull and cheerloss,
He sorely missed his pleasant hours by Squire
MentW0rtnS open nre, and the lovely gray
eyed woman sitting opposite at her sowing
while as Tor Lilpha. she sJill had her father anO
Tom, and, to Offset the doctors Goodness as
assurance OF the warm affection OF many
newly made friends.
For she was doing missionary work In the
scaoolS. Even the doctor admitted that. at the
same time nalf hoping she would fail under r.
lhat she might confess to him, meekly, s'Doc'
tor, you were right; this was no woman g labor
IL was hard WORK, too sometimes In the face OF
opposition. She had need Of all her tact,
Inere were districts which considered them
serves perennlaily abused, others which were
divided among themselves. The ward district
belonged to the latter class. at the Opening
or the winter term there was s'feelIngn again
A scion OF the house of Montague had takep
the school, which pierced the CapuleJs to the
heart; 1or mad not Their peerless heir been re.
Jected applicant? StrHe Increased between the
rival families. In school the youthful Capu.
lets Waged war against the teacher Montague.
dafkly threatening that they would make Il