The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-08-11

Hopkins with long sigh OF RELIEF.
And then, having cooled her face and
hands in the transparent spring, she sat
down to think,
To her, reduction of her scanty sal
airy meant nothing less than starvation.
AS things were. she could scarcely pay
her board and other expenses.
And sitting there in the shifting
shadows of the wind-blown branches,
she cried little, to think how solitary
and frlendless she was in the world.
miss Negley, however,was in a very
different mood.
"Come inn she had answered
brusqucly, to the knock at the door,
without taking the trouble to move from
her seat,
And when Mr.. Barthorne entered he
espied her sitting stiff, silent, straight.
Good afternoon, Miss Negley,' said
the trustee, depoSiting his hat on the
nearest desk, and venturing on an apol-
ogetic bow. -.
Good afternoon, Mr.. Barthorne'
Miss Negley answered, with just about
as much warmth as an icicle in her adj
dress.
81 hope | do not ntrude. said the
trustee civilly,
"Oh, not at allN' said Miss Negley.
"A-hem!" said the trustee, evidently
i'll at ease. at amt easy to breach the
business I've come on, Miss Negley.'
II should 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 Neglel interrupted him
in accents of fine sarcasm. Even you,
Squire Barthorne, would be ashamed TO
hint at such thing before the dear poor
children.
"Eh?" said Mr.. Barthorne, instinct
lively retreating pace or two, for there
was something pythoness-like in Miss
Negley's attitude, as she rose and dart
ed her head forward at him, to empha-
size her words.
Il know what you're going to say"
said Miss Negley; land | won't listen
to word of it-not one word! No one
but set of narrow-minded miSers
would 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
chow did you suppose was going to
take emp" said Miss Negley with a
scornful laugh "did you mistake me
for the dust under your feet?'
81 assure you, ma'am, that nothing
of the sort was in my mind, " humbly
uttered Mr.. Barthorne; Il wish you
good afternoon. y
He hurried out, remounted his grey
steed, which, poor beast, was just com
posing itself for comfortable doze in
the sunshine, and rode off, making, to
Alice Hopkins intense dsmay, straight
for the shady woods, where she still sat
arranging ferns around the ribbon of
her hat.
There no use trying to run away
thought she; II may as well stay where
| am. And after all, why should | be
afraid OF Mr., Barthornc?"
Mr.. Barthorne checked his rein As he
saw the pretty young school-teacher
there under the trees. He nodded pleas
antly.
Fine day, Miss Alice, said he, wip-
ing his brow with the identical yellow
silk handkerchief which had but now
served as a buster for his boots.
yes said Alice, standing like some
fairy wood-nymph beside the spring;
please, Mr. Barthorne, what did she
say9'
what did who say?' said the mid
dle-aged gentleman, turning scarlet
Miss Negley. Don't think mcintru-
sive,' she added "but know all about
it.
1.-The deuce You do!N said Mr. Bar.
thorne. "Why, she wouldn't let me get
in q word edgewise that's what she
said. Perhaps, however, ! had a lucky
escape.
But you must own that it is hard,
said Alice earnestly.
"Hard?' echoed Mr.. Barthorne. Il
should have supposed it would have suit
ed her exactly. But, new idea burst
ing athwart his brain, there's as good
fish in the sea as ever were caught out
of it! Miss Alice, what would YOU say
if were to ask YOU to be my wife,
Alice Hopkins looked at him in
ama2ement,
Il, Mr., Barthorne, y sheeXclaimed.
you are young enough to be my
daughter, sure enough, said the worthy
man, not without some bitterness, "but
I'm not so very Old either, and I've q
good home to offer any woman who will
take pity upon my loneliness. v
"Loncliness!'
Alice looked at Mr.. Barthorne in sur
prise,
1t had never occurred to her little in
nocent heart that Mr. Barthorne. in the
big white house with the pair of horses
and the close carriage, could ever be
lonely
And perhaps there was something in
the dewy brightness Of her eyes, as she
raised them to Mr.. Barthornc's face, that
emboldened him to plead his cause with
more energy
II should love you very dearly
Alice, he said with a tremblo in his
voice, 81 would be very good to YOU.
Won YOU answer me, Alce?n
Her head dr0oped there was an in
slant of silence. and then she said in u