Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-12-15

to family OF boys where no one ever
wept, and burst into sudden tears; and
Claudia, Nell and Lottie fell to COM
forting me.
As the weeks went on 1 grew more
and more convinced that 1 had hated
and always should hate Mr.. Tudor
that he thought me young, ignorant,
stupid, flippant, spoilt and conceited;
that he despised my intellect, remem-
bered my foolish speeches, and always
would remember them. His eyes had
way of twinkling when he looked at
me and looked away again; all the per-
picking questions seemed to fall to Inc,
and his lips twitched when | spoke of
gavelkind as custom of duty. aud
found Wolsey guilty under the statute
Of purveyance. Heseemed to enjoy my
blunders; the worst mistakes of Clau-
dia, Nell and Lottie never provoked in
him even temptation to smile.
But the bad half hour in my week
was on Saturday afternoon when went
alone to him, and sat by his side while
he spread out that weeks history paper
of mine before him and commented on
its faults and required an explanation
of its antiquities, and waited patiently
with the most courteous attention for
my answers. Now and then, glancing
up at him quickly, caught gleam Of
laughter deep down in his eyes. Yet
when lie spoke his voice was slow and
grave and weighty.
1t was Saturday afternoon in the
middle of the term / sat beside him
at the table, listening meekly to his
criticisms.
"You miss the point here, Miss
Chrystal."
"Yes, Mr.. Tudor"
And here you speak of impeach- :
ment as though it was a procedure by
bill.n
"Yes. Mr.. Tudor.n
That is somewhat grave mistake"
could not acqulesce again, And
the uonosyllable yes" was the only
form of answer that came to me.
''And here, l think, You were re
quired to discuss the constitutional.
Importance Of these eventsp"
"Yes, Mr.. Tudor
"You have not done 50, Miss Chrys-
tai"
"No-I am afraid-I am afraid not. +"
"You mistook the question, POSI-
blyP"
He was looking graveiy at me, wait
ing. My spoken answer, like my writ
ten answer, was not very much to the
point. spoke desperately.
"What is the good Of it all?" said.
"What does it matter about the judi
cial system, and who has the control of
taxationP What does 1t matter about
the parliament and the courts, and all
the dull old lawsp One can't really
care for the constitution.
1 had time while he sat surveying me
to feel ashamed of my babyish, pas
sionate speech.
What made you think OF devoting
yourself to the study of constitutional
history?" he said with gentle surprise.
His gentleness seemed like satire. My
eyes, in spite of myself. suddenly filled
with tears. Suddenly he looked away
from me. He asked me no more ques.
tiOnS.
For the next Eve minutes he talked
rapidly, without a pause. When L
resolutely blinked my tears and gazed
at him, he was diligently disfiguring
my history paper with crooked circles,
and his face was less brown than ruddy.
After that day his eyes ceased to
twinkle when he looked at me; he
passed me over in class and put the
puzzling questions to Nell and Claudia,
and was almost gentle when l went
alone to him. He gave up asking me
to expound this theory and that argu-
ment which he had failed to follow;
and, when he was forced to condemn
my work he worded his blame mildly
and looked away as he spoke.
"He has forgiven you, Cis," said the
girls. "He completely ignores you now
-.or which you are thankful, Cis, are
yeu notp"
"Very thankful" L said. / said it
impressively, for l needed to convince
myself as well as the girls.
| was inconsistent. for / began to
wish that he would find me amusing
again, and to feel pangs of disappoint-
ment in class when he passed me over,
and to desire, with quite unreasonable
eagerness, that he should look at me
again, even if his eyes should have
laughter in their depths.
But every week the laughter seemed
further away. And if he was grave in
class. he was graver still on Saturdays.
He gazed steadily at my paper as he
discussed it, and discussed it as though
in a dream. He no longer thought me
fiippant, and conceited, and foolish, and
tried to cure me. He no longer thought
of me at all.
1t was only at the end of the term
that he set aside his perfunctory tutor
manner.
"Are you going home, Miss Chrys-
tal?n he asked me hesitatingly.
"Yes. Not at once though. For
week or two 1 am going to stay with
Claudia-Miss Harrison, mean. Then
she will come home with me-"
81 may be spending my holidays near
you. Perhaps-possibly-we may meet
each other"
"Oh, yes, very possibly" I SAID.
And suddenly l felt light-hearted at
the thought of holidays. There was
little pause, and 1 rose and held out
my hand.
"It is somewhere in Devonshire. Is 1t
not?" he said.
"What?"
"Your home"
"Yes. Axetown East. Quite lit
tie place on the coast. Have you
friends there, Mr.. Tudor?"
"No," he said doubtefully. Il be.
lieye-I believe the fishing is goodp"
And it did not strike me as strange
that he should be going to a place in
which be had no friends, and Of which
he did not know the name and county.
But 1 did not tell the girls what he
had told me. 1t was only at the end
of nv visit to Claudia taat L broke the
news to her. l broke il casually.
"He came for the fishing" l said.
.sAnd father and the boys seem-accl-
dentalIy-to have come across him."
"Never mind" said Claudia.
"No, it does not matter" i" l said re-
IL