The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-07-06

the nearest desk and venturing on an
apologetic bow.
"Good afternoon, Mr.. Barthorne
Miss Negley answered, with just about
as much warmth rs an icicle in her ad-
dress.
81 hope I do not ntrude," said the
trustee civilly.
"Oh, not at all" said Miss Negley.
"A-hem !" said the trustee, evident
ly i'll at ease sit amt easy to broach
the business I've come on, Miss Neg
ley
81 shodld think not said the lady.
"But | called just at this hour, when
expected to find you alone"
"Oh, yes haven't any doubt that
you did" Miss Negley Interrupted
him, in accents of fine sarcasm. "Even
you, Squire Barthorne, would be
ashamed to hint at such thing before
the poor, dear children
"Eh ?' said Mr.. Barthorne, instinct
lively retreating pace or two, for
there was something pythoness.like IN
Miss Negey's attitude, as she rose and
darted her head forward at him to en-
phasize her words.
Il know what you're going to say"
said Miss Negley; "and | won't listen
to word of it--not one word No
one but set of nalrow.m minded misers
could have thought of it. I'll leave
Wyndale school first T.
"Well, well, no harm DONE" said
| NJ, po,tbn,pn n1,,t ohiprr NJ biu hat
"If I'd have known that you'd taken
things as hard as this
"IIow did you suppose / was going
to take 'em ?" said Miss Negley, with
a scornful laugh. "Did you mistake
me for the dust under your feet 7"
81 assure you, ma'am, that nothing
of the sort was in my mind" humbly
uttered Mr. Barthorne. 81 wish you
good afternoon !"
He hurried out, remounted his gray
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. 81 may as well stay
where | am. And after all, why
should be afraid of Mr.. Barthorne 2
Mr. Barthorne checked his rein as he
saw the pretty young school teacher
there under the cedar. He nodded
pleasantly.
"Fine day, Miss Alice !" said he,
wiping his brow with the identical
yellow silk pocket handkerchief which
had but now served as duster for his
boots.
: "Yes," said Alice, standing like
some fair wood nymph beside the
spring. 'Please, Mr. Barthorne, wha,
! did she say :"
"What did who say?" said the mid
dle-aged gentleman, turning scarlet.
"Miss Negley. Don't think me in
trusive," she added: "but | know al
about it. ........
"The deuce you do said Mr.. Bar
thorne "Why, she wouldn't let m,
get in word edgewise-that's wha
she said. Perhaps, however, I've hat
$ a lucky cscape!'
l ''l5ut you must own that it is hard,
t said Alice, earnestly.
4 lizard ?" echoed Mr. Barlhorne. I"
, should have supposed it would hav,
d suited her exactly! But" a new ide;
e bursting athwart his brain, "there's a
!. good fish in the sea as ever wer
e caught out of it! Miss Alice, wha
J. would you say it were to ask you t
:, be my wife p
o Alice Hopkins looked at him il
: amazement.
n II, Mr.. Barthorne !" she exclaimed
e "You are young enough to be m
T. daughter, sure enough, said tn
worthy man, not without some bitter
Il ness. "But I'm not so very old, either
y and I've good home to offer an
e woman who will take pity on my lone
illness"
d 'IonelinesS p
Alice looked at Mr.. Barthorne j
t. surprise. 1t had never occurred to he
II little innocent heart that Mr.. Ba
p thorne, in the big white house, wit
the pair of horses and the close ca
N riage, could ever be lonely. And pc
p haps there was something in the dew
IL brightness of her eyes, as she raise
a them to Mr., Barthorne's face, that en-
a. boldened him to plead his cause wit
II more energy. ..
"a II should love you very dearl
Alice, he said, with tremble in h
y voice, Il would be very good to yo
y Won't you answer me, Alice ?"
ie Her head dropped; there was an i
"a slant of silence, and then she said in
3, low tone:
Ill "Yes, Mr.. Barthorne, I'll mari
'g you" ..
He bent and kissed her forehead.
or "iou'll not regret it, my lass" sa
Ut he. "Aud you're the very girl | won
~ have picked out of a thousand L
II, glad, now, that Miss Negley wouldl
et listen to me.
lg Alice started.
ar "Oh, Mr. Barthorne," said she, "w
that your errand?'
tn ''Of course it was" said Barthorr
rs, "Dr, Smiley said she was the We
he woman ! needed to regulate my houi
ps hold. But the moment ] limited
lr- the subject, she as good as ordered |
of off the premises. Not that I'm sor
ed for it. She has face like a man, a
,ly a figure like Prussian grenadier!'
III Alice broke out laughing. S
at could fancy EXACTLY how Miss Negl
ey had looked. There was comfort in t
he reflection that Miss Negley wot
,p- never lecture her more.
Is, Miss Negley batted with the co
ell mittee next day, but in vain. Il
to ruthless trustees reduced her sala
he one-half, and when it transpired,
some unaccountable way, that she b
ice actually refused Mr.. Barthorne (wi
out being asked she felt that life v
ice indeed failure. And the arrival
g, Alice Hopkins wedding, cards did
better matters.
,ty "Oh, dear, oh, dear!" she said,
va spoke too soon, Why didn't wait