The Penn's Grove record., 1886-08-21

L He lltAE CNAlIdAI NNttAHSN NNS 1884
man sitting in a pew of the small
wooden church with his mother, and
allowing his ewes to rove about during
the rather long sermon, suddenly dis
covered n new face, and sat studying il
for the remainder of the evening.
1t was that of a young girl-not a
remarkably pretty girl, but fair, IA
fresh. and innocent, with a bright intel
ligence in the dark eyes and Il sweetness
in the full lips.
t'Who is she?'' was his first question,
after the services were concluded, adj
dressed, as it happened, to little MIR.
Larkin, who had come in late.
"That?" the latter repeated, in
establishment. F'Why, that's our teacher
that's Molly Sanborn. That's my
wife she's with, don't you see? l am
waiting TO take EN- home"
Steve Tenney found himself wishing
quite frequently after that that the new
teacher would come to him about the
broom and water pail.
Not that he should furnish them if he
should find that they were not needed;
but he felt that he should not object to
an interview with the teacher.
He even mentioned the subject to Mr..
Larkin, carelessly, when he met him one
day.
fWell, you see," was the response,
''she sort of hates to come to you. The
way you felt about her having the
school has got all around town, and |
s'pose she's heard of it. She can't help
what her father was, Molly can't, and
she's real sensitive"
The Young mar looked disturbed.
That afternoon he left his work at an
early hour-not, however. admitting to
himself his purpose in doing so-and
strolled down the street, turning Off
but he persuaded himself that it was not
intentiOnal-in the direction of the
school-house.
Il might as well go in and see about
that broom and water pail" he said to
himself, when he stood opposite the lit
tie b~are-looking building.
And he went in accordingly.
The little teacher looked considerably
startled when she opened the door to
him. She dropped the sp~elling-book she
held, and her voice was hardly steady
as she expressed her qualification at see
ing him.
Evidently, Steve reflected, some idiot
had pointed him out to her at church
the other evening. He sat down in a
front seat, feeling unpleasantly ogreish.
She was hearing the last spelling-class.
How pretty she looked, standing there in
her dark-blue calico dress and white
aproni What a sweet voice she hadl
though putting out chen, men, pen, " to
a long line of fidgeting youngsters could
hardly show it to the best advantage.
When the class was dismissed, and
the last small student had rushed,
w~hooping down the street, the teacher
and the young director stood looking at
each other with some awkwardness.
81 thought I'd come in" said Steve
at last, alphabetically, and see if any
thing was needing"
He did not mention the fact of his
being some six weeks late in the per-
Torrance of his duty.
The girl dropped her eyes timidly.
''I-don't think So" she murmured.
"What a brute she must think me!'
Stew: reflected with some self-disgust.
He turned carelessly to the corner
where the broom stood.
''Isn't this pretty far gomez" he said,
with a conscience-stricken glance at its
stubbly end.
And the little teacher nodded.
"Your WATERFALL seems to leak" the
director went on, indicating the empty
bucket and the wet floor.
Eyes" the girl assented.
''I'll see that you have new ones, -
Steve conclued.
And he was rewarded by a grateful
glance from the teachers soft eyes as
She took her hat from its nail.
lie took her lunch basket from her
arm as they started away together; and
having taken it, could hardly surrender
it short of Mr.. Larkin's gate.
lie was a little reluctant to surrender
it even then. For their first awkward
ness had quite worn off; their walk had
been far from unpleasant; and they
were feeling very well acquainted.
He walked home in an agreeable abb
sorption, repeating to himself the things
she had said, and recalling her pretty
way of saying them.
He did not pause to consider that it
was old John Sanborn's daughter of
whom he was thinking; he was only
conscious that she was a bright young
girl, whom it was charming to look at
and listen to.
His pleasant mood was rudely inter-
rupted by little Mr.. Larkin, who drop
ped in that evening.
Lyme Doty couldn't have the
school," he observed with a chuckle,
but it looks as though he was going to
nave the teacherl''
"What?'' said Steve, with a sudden,
unexplainable sinking of the heart.
Hes hanging around considerable,
anyhow said Mr.. Larkin. Went to
visit the school last week; and he was
asking me to-day whether MOlly's got
any way of getting home Friday night.
He said he'd just as lief take her in his
buggy as not. Molly generally walks;
but | guess she'll be glad of a lift"
"You don't mean to tell me-" said
Steve warmly, ''that she'd have any
thing to do with him?''
Mr.. Larkin stared. What could Steve
care with whom old John Sanborn's
daughter had to do?
But he only said, depreeatingly:
"Well, Lyme's a good, steady fel-
low"
"Humphp' was the scornful rejoin-
der.
The young man unused long and seri-
ously when his visitor was gone, and
went to bed with a lighter heart, having
come to a firm conclusion.
When the new teacher closed school
the next Friday night, she was feeling
rather worn out, as she was apt to feel
at the end of the week; nor did the pros
pect of her four miles walk home serve
to cheer her.
She locked the door and started down
the path with a sigh.
A neat little buggy was coming briskly
up the road. Molly gave a start as the
driver pulled up the horse and sprang to
the ground.
1t was the young director, and was
coming toward her.
II won't make any excuses, Miss san
born" he said, with Il humorous sol
emnity. 1 won't say that Pm going
over to the river on business, and hap
pened to think you might like to ride.
The truth is that it's a carefully laid
plot. VIII you he an aIder and abet-