Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-02-10

NnAo pCosy BlFi LIlab makes such fool of
me |" he thought, angrily.
Inc distress on Phebe's face deepened
TO actual despair as she gasped n hardly
auotlbie yes. She wished with all her
neart that the bread was as heavy as it
1t had been Yesterday, then, perhaps. he
might have kept silence. "Yon're a
| gong to be one Of my scholars, hone. y
nc Pioceeueu, with glance of open adj
miratlon, though given with rather
sname-faced air. He did it to assure
himself that he dared to do it. FEELING
unnappliy like the old woman who
qua not know whether she was herself or
| no.
Phebe stammered something. which
sounded like 81 don't know. +" and
moved as far away from the table as pos
| sible. - t'o'-
Bashful as a partridge he Thought
Wei, SO much the better; 1 don't like
forward women. She amt used to see
ing anybody but lumbermen, and river
drivers, and that kind of clodhoppers, I
spose, and is kinder frustrated at seem
me. But what do I care about her. any,
how; I've got such start in the world
that ought to marry a rich woman.
hich widows are plenty every now ana
then. | don't imagine her mother has
got much OF any property"
- AS soon as he had finished his meal.
phebe hastily removed the dishes from
the table and escaped into the kitchen.
and he saw nothing more OF her until
the next morning. She appeared then
IN celestial blue, which harmonized won
derfully with the rich sunburn ON her
blonde cheeks, and one of the other
boarders. handsome, stalwart young
iumberman, who sat beside her at the
table, regarded her with devotion and
talked to her in a low tone-so low that
no one else was able to hear what he was
saying.
Phebe seemed filed with confusion.
and, beyond blushing yes or no, made
no reply. but the schoolmaster became
instantly fired with jealousy, and COM
menced to draw all attention to himself
by his boastful and pompous talk. He
talked both OF commerce and learning
until the two young lumbermen looked
properly subdued and became silent.
"Speakin' of books" said the land
lady, 81 bought one of a peddler last
summer. 1t has got an orful pooty COW
er, but there's poetry inside p'ra'ps
you'd like to read that / can't say as
how / enjoy sech readin' myself, but
Phebe she's all kerried away with it."
generally make my own poetry"
said the schoolmuster, grandly.
An awed hush succeeded this an
nouncement, and for the first time Phebe
lifted her eyes and looked the conse-
quentlal gentleman full in the face. II
n Ehu faf orIoY 1000 ii
half-awed, half-admiring interest. The
schoolmaster started when he met their
gaze as il he had received blow. and
from that moment he was changed
man, so bound by the chains of love
that his mind took no more ambition
flights so anxious with its doubts and
fears that he lost his hippant manners,
and became subdued and silent: so
humbled by its insight that he no lon
ger held his head above his fellows: so
softened and changed by its influence
that his mercenary projects all went to
naught.
At the end of the week it was voted
by the other boarders that the school
master was "good teller, awfuliy diff
frant from what he seemed at first"
AT the end of the month he was called
kinder grumpy" Mt the end CT two
months it was surmised that he was In
love. Never was lover so tormented
The shyness of his lady-love was remark
able; she was never visible except al
meal times and in the school. room. He
spent all his leisure time in planning
how he could meet her. but his plans
always failed. II he found her alone in
the kitchen at work, she would drop
whatever she had In her hands and slip
away IN flash. If he attempted to
walk to school with her she would man.
age to elude him with truly wonderful
adroitness. Once he hid behind tree
to waylay her on her way to school, but
she seemed. to guess his intentions by
intuition and walked half-mile out OF
her way to reach her destination by an
other road. Spelling-school evenings,
when all the young fellows in the region
round about congregated in the old
school-house, each one waiting on the
door-steps, when the exercises were
over, to whisper, "May l see you
home? p III rosy maidens' ears. Phebe
chung to the skirts of some sober mar
ried female for protection, and insisted
on going home in her shadow. In
school-hours there was no opportunity
for love-making. Phebe was model
scholar. She never missed in her les
sons-she neither whispered nor laughed
All the other girls were continually ask /
ing questions of the master. They
hung round him Mt recess they Law
ished upon him all sorts of coquettish
attentions but Phebe was never trou-
bled over her arithmetic, and never APP
preached him from days end to an
other. So the days went on, and the
term was nearly ended. He had spoken
to Phebe's mother, and she had ex-
pressed her pleasure at receiving him as
a son -in-law, bnt declared that she
couldn't dew nothin' with the gal
she was headstrong, as web as bashful,
and, if she were to speak to her, it
would only make the unhappy matter
worse.
It was clear, bri yht, winter morning.
Tho clouds slept far aloft above the
highest boughs OF the forest through
winch the schoolmaster passed on his
way to school. An opening in the trees
revealed the snow-covered peak OF dis
tant mountain which shone like beau
tiful 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
surrounded one like a dream. The
schoolnaster hung his head in deep
thought. He must speak to Phebe. All
his subtle plans to accomplish tins end
had failed heretofore, and the time wien
he should leave the place was nearing.
He had been trying to find some excuse
to keep her after school for long time,
in spite of its being held great dis
grace by the older girls TO endure tiiis
punishment, though the boys and the
smaller girls we're often kept until near
" dark in the afternoon. But when was
Phebe known to miss alesson, or to COM
nit ms lemeanor of any sort ? 1.-The
only thing / can resort to is to keep her
after school on the pretense OF having
discovered her whispering or laughing,
he said to himself cit 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 phehe WIS in an absent-miDded
mood and Numbered unaccountably IN
her grammar lesson. Having once
failed. she went from bad to worse,
and got into such maze of bewilder-
ment that all the other girls laughed at
her.
aYou viii stay while after school
-nI. ~l,n and wall goo