Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-06-21
VOL. LVII.

hand, Sc that everything shall seem
smooth tomorrow when the commit
tee meets. But he'll find that he has
mistaken his customer this time!"
Little Alice began to tremble all
over, and to grow pink and white by
turns, after her usual fashion when she
was disturbed.
IL am so frightened" hesitated
she "Please may l go home?"
Eyes, you little coward" impatiently
responded Miss Negley; that is, ifyou
haven't the courage to stand up for
yourself and your rights"
but Mr.. Barthorne has always been
so kind to me" faltered Alice Hopkins,
'and If he should tell me that it was
best, l almost know that l should con-
sent to having my salary reduced
You know, dear Miss Negley, that if it
hadn't been for him, 1 never should
have received the appointment at ALL"
Il don't wonder" said Miss Neg,ey,
apostrophizing the ceiling, that they
aren't willing to allow women the
privilege of suffrage in this benighted
country. And you, Alice Hopkins,
you may go home! You certainly will
be of no use at all to me in fighting
this battle"
And Alice, heartily thankful for
this grudgingly-accorded reprieve, put
the copy books into the desk-drawer,
piled up the dictionary and defner,
caught her little pink lawn sun-bonnet
from its nail, and vanished like tlving
shadow into the nearest patch of cedar
woods.
Miss Negley sat very upright, with
folded arms and prominent elbows,
her nose slightly tinctured with the
rosy hue of coming battle, her lips
slightly compressed; while Mr.. Bar
thorne, pleasant-faced gentleman of
five-and-forty or thereabouts, trotted
up to the school house door, leisurely
dismounted, tied his horse to the hitch
ing post, 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 pocket handkerchief, and to
adjust his mick. darn 1oe'--- ~erVlo Az
raped on the door.
"T'm glad I'm not there" said Alice
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
salary meant nothing less than starva-
tion. AS things we're she could scarce
ly 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 friendless she was in the world.
Miss Negley, however, was in very
different mood.
"Come inp' she had answered,
brusquely, 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 apollo
getic bow.
"Good afternoon, Mr.. Barthornep
Miss Negley answered, with just about
as much warmth as an icicle in her
address.
II hope I do not intrude," said the
trustee, civilly.
"Oh, not at allp' said Miss Negley.
"A-hemp said the trustee, evident
ly i'll at ease. "It amt easy to broach
the business I've come on, Miss Negley.''
"I should think not" said the lady.
"But 1 called just at this hour, when
1 expected to find you alone"
"Oh, yes, 1 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"
"Ehp" said Mr.. Barthorne, instinct
lively retreating 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 won't listen
to a word of it-not one wordl No one
but a set of narrow-minded misers
could have thought of it. I'll leave