The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-09

rs Sed SMILE But the next moment he set
himself seriously to work on his correspond
| ence.
Presently he stopped once or twice he had
been overtaken by a vague. undefinable
sense of pleasure even to the dreamy halt
| ing of his pen Ii was a sensation in no
| way connected with the subje,t of his cor
respondence, or even his previous reflections
it was partly physical and yet it was in
some sense suggestive. 1t must be the in
toxicauing effect of the woodland air. He
even faucied he had noticed it before, at the
same hour when the sun was declining and
the fresh odorS of the underground were
rising. 1t certainly was a perfume. He
raised his eyes. There lay the cause on the
desk before him-a little nosegay of wild
Californian myrtle enclircling a rosebud
which had escaped his notice.
| There was nothing unsual in the circum-
stance. The children were in the habit of
making their. offerings generally without
particular reference to time or occasion,
and it might have been overlooked by him
during school hours. He felt pity for the
forgotten posy already beginning to grow
limp in its neglected solitude. He remem-
bered that in some folklore of the children's
perhaps tradition of the old association
of the myrtle with Venus, it was believed to
be emblematic of the affections. He re-
| membered also that he had even told them
| of this probable origin of their sUpersti-
ton. He was still holding it in his hand
when he was conscious of a silken sensation
| that sent a magnetic thrill through his
| fingers. Looking at it more closely he saw
that the sprigs were bound together, not by
thread or ribbon, but by long filaments of
of soft brown hair tightly wound around
them. He unwCund a single hair and held
it the light Its length, color, texture, and
above all certain inexplicable instinct,
told him it was Cressy Mckinstry's. He
laid it down quickly, as if he had, in that
act, Familiarity touched her person.
He finished his letter, but presently found
himself again looking at the myrtle and
thinking about it. From the position in
which it had tHen placed, it was evidently in
tended for HIM; the fancy of binding it
with hair was also intentional and not a
necessity, as he knew his feminine scholars
were usually well provided with bits of
thread, silk, or ribbon. If it had been some
new absurdity of childish fashion intro
duced in the school, he would have noticed
it ere this. For it was this obtrusion of
personality that vaguely troubled him., He
remembered Cressy's hair; it was certainly
| very beautiful, in spite of her occasional
vagaries of Couture He recalled how,
one afternoon, it had come down when she
was romping with Octava in the play
ground, and was surprised to find what a
vivid picture he retained OF her lingering in
| the porch to put it up; her rounded arms
held above her head, her pretty shoulders,
| full throat, and glowing face thrown back,
and wisp of the very hair between her
| white teeth, He began an Their letter.
When it was finished the shadow of the
pine branch before the window, thrown by
| the nearly level sun across his paper, had
b gun to slowly reach tho opposite wall.
He put his work away, fingered for mo-
ln
and then locked them in his desk with an
odd feeling that he had secured il some
vague way a hold upon Cressy's future
vagaries; then rejecting that Uncle Ben,
whom he had seen in town. would proba bly,
keep holiday with the others, he resolved to
wait no longer, but strolled back to the
hotel The act, however, had not recalled
Uncle Ben to him by any association of
ideas, for since his discovery of Johnny
Filgee's caricature he had failed to detect
anything to corroborate the caricaturist'S
sltire, and had dismissed the subject from
his mind.
On entering his room at the hotel he
found Rupert Fllges standing modify by
the window, while his brother Johnny,
overcome by repetition of excitement and
collation., was asleep on the single arm
chair Their presence was not unusual, as
Mr.. Ford, touched by the loneliness OF these
motherless boys, had often invited them to
come to his rooms to look over his books and
illustrated papers
"Weilr be said, cheerfully.
Rupert did not reply or change his posi-
ton. Mr.. Ford, glancing at him sharply,
saw familiar angry light in the boys
beautiful eyes, slightly dimmed by tear.
Laying his hand gently on Rupert's shoulder
he said:
whats the matter, Rupert.'
"Nothin'," said the boy, doggedly, with
his ewes still fixed on the pane.
"Has-has-Mrs Trippn the fair pro prize
trees "been unkind" he went on, lightly.
No reply.
"You know, RUPEE" continued Mr.. Ford,
demurely, 'she must show some reserve be-
fore company-like to-day. 1t won't do to
make a scandal"
Rupert maintained an indignant silence
But the dimple (which he usually despised
as feminine blot on the cheek nearer the
master became slightly accented. Only for
a moment; the dark eyes clouded again.
II wish was dead, Mr.. Ford"
"Hallo!'
"Or-doin' suthin'."
"Thats better. What doFyou want to
dor
''To work-make a livin' myself. Quit
totem wood and water at home; quit cook
in and maxim beds, like yaller Chinaman;
quit nussin' babies and dresSin' 'em and I'M
dressin' em, like girl. Look at him now"
pointing to the sweetly unconscious Johnny,
''look at him there. Do you know what
that means! 1t means I've got to pack him
home through the town jist ez he is thar,
and then make fire and bile his food for
him, and wash him and undress him and
put him to bed, and Now | lay me down to
sleep him, and tuck him up; and dad all the
while 'scootin' round town with other i'd
its, iawin' about progress and the future
of Injin Spring Much future we've got
over our own house, Mr.. Ford. Much future
he's got laid up for mew
The master, TO whom those occasional
outbreaks from Rupert were not unfamiliar,
smiled, albeit with serious eyes that belied
his lips, and consoled the boy as he had often
done before But he was anxious to know
probable relations to the fascinating Mrs
Trip.
81 thought we talked all that over some
time ago, Rupe. In few months you'll be
able to leave school, and I'll advise your
father about putting you into something to
give YOU a chance for yourself. Patience,
old fellow you're doing very well. Consider
there's your pupil, Uncle Ben"
"Oh, yes! That's another big baby to
tot round in school when | amt niggerin' at
homep
"And don't see exactly what else you
could do at Indian Spring." continued MIR.
Ford
"No." said Rupert, gloomily, "but could
get away to Sacramento. Yuba Bell says
they take boys no bigger nor me in thar ex-
nraee officeS and banks-and in q year or