Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-06-22
al am 50 frlrhtenodm !, ....-.-,

1H "Au, lmpatlently |
responded Miss Nsgley; that is, if YOU
haven't the courage to stand m for
yourselfiand your rights
eBut Mr. Barthome has always baer
SO kind to me" falterea Alice Honl,;ns
..and il he should tell me that i w,s
best, I.almost know that should con.
sent to having my salary reduced.
you know, dear Miss Neglev. that ifi
hadn'tsbeenfor him, / never sbonld
have received the appointment at an
Il don't wonder" said Miss Neu,ev.
apostroPhizing the ceiling, "that thev
aren't wiling to allow women the
privilege Of suffrage in this benighted
country. And You, Alice Hopkins.
you may gohomel You certainly will
be of no use at all to me in fighting
this battle"
And Alice heartily thankful for
this grudginsly-accorded reprieve, put
the copy bool1I into the deslx-drawer,
piled up stheadictionary and deGner.
caught her litsle pink lawn sun-bonnet
from its nail and vanished like a fvine
shadow into the nearest patch Of cedar
woods. go
Miss NeglsT sat very upright. with
folded arms saad prominent elbows,
her nose slightly tfnctured with the
rosy hue Oft coming battle, her lips
slightly conipfessed; while Mr.. Bar
thJrne, pleasqnt-faced gentleman of
lye-and-forty Or thereabouts, trotted
up to the school house door, leisurely
dismounted, tied his horse to the hitch
ing posts and, totally unconscious that
he was observed, alike by Miss Negley
from her post Of authority on the
school room dais, and little Alice Hop
kins by the spring in the woods,
paused to dust his boots with his
| yellow silk Rocket handkerchief, and to
| adjust ihisBhjck. dark locks before he
fapped om4he door.
sim glad I'm not there" said Alice
Hopkins, with long sigh of relief.
And then. having cooled her face
and hands il the transparent spring,
she sat down to think.
10 heEi a reduction Of her scanty
salary meant nothing less than starva-
ton. Asthings were she could scarce
| 1y pay her.' rd and other expenses.
Anil sshera in the shifting
shadows o. g wind-blown branches
she cried rthe, to think how solitar,
and frienldless she was in the world.
Miss Negley, however, was in yer,
different mood.
"Come inp' she had answered
brusquely, to the knock at the door
without taxing the trouble to move
from her seat.
And when Mr. Barthorne entered he
espied her sitting stiff, silent. STRAIGHT
Good afternoon, Miss Negleyl' SAID
the trustee, depositing his hat on the
nearest desk and venturing on an apollo.
getic bow
Good afternoon, Mr.. Bartbornep,
Miss Negley answered. with Just about
as much warmth as an icicle in her
address.
q hope | do not intrude," said the
trustee, ciyilly.
"Oh, not at air. said Miss Negley.
"A--hen" said the trustee. evident
ly i'll at ease. ut amt easy to breach
the business I've come on, Miss Negley." :"
Il should think not, said the lady.
''BQt ! called just at this hour, when
l expected to find you alone"
"0h, yes, haven't any doubt that
you did" Mss Negley interrupted him,
in accents Of fine sarcasm. Gwen
you, Squire Barthorne, would be
ashamed to hint at such thing before
the poor, dear children
"Eh?' said Mr.. Barthorne, instinct
lively retreating a pace or two, for
there was something pythoness-like in
Miss Negley's attitude, as she rose and
darted her head forward at him to en-
phasize her words.
81 know what you're going to say"
said Miss Negley; "and I won't listen
to a word Of it--not one world No one
but a set Of narrow-minded misers
could have thought of it. I'll leave
Wyndale school first"
"Well, well, no harm done, said Mr.
Barthorne clutching at his hat. If
I'd have known that you'd taken
things as hard as this"
"How did you suppose l was going
TO take emf" said Miss Negley, with
a scornful laugh. "Did you mistake
me for the dust under your feet?"
Il assure you, ma'am. that nothing
of the sort was in my mind" humbly
uttered Mr.. Barthorne. Il wish you
good afternoonF'
lie hurried out, remounted his erav
steed, which, poor beast, was just com
posing itself for comfortable doze in
the sunshine, and rode off, making. to
Alice Hopkins intense dismay, straight
for the shady cedar-woods, where she
still sat arranging ferns around the
ribbon of her hat.
"There's no use trying to run
away" thought she. a may as well
stay where am. And after all, why
should be afraid Of Mr.. Barthorne ?"
Mr. Baritone checked his rein as he
saw the pretty young school teacher