The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-18
CHAPTER IL

AS the children were slowly strag Cling to
their places the next morning, the master
waited for an opportunity to speai to Ru-
pert. That beautiful but scarcely amiabla
youth was, as usual, surrounded and i'm
peded by group of his small female adj
mireis for whom, it is but just 20 ad |, he
had a supreme contempt. Possibly it was
this hea thy quality that inclined the master
toward him, and il was consequently with
some satisfaction thai he overheard frag-
ments of his openly dsparaging comments
upon his wOrshipers.
"Therer TO Clarinda Jones, don't 6op!
And don't you" to OcJavia Dean, Ego on
bredt ing over my head like that. If
there's anything | hate it's having a girl
breathing round me. Yes, you We're! I
felt it in my hair. And you, too--you'fe
always snoopin' and snodgin'. Oh, YES, you
want to know why I've got an extry copy
book and another 'rithlnetic, Mis- Curiosity
Well, what would you give to know! Want
to see if they're pretty" with infinite scorn
at the adiective). mo, they amt pretty.
Tha]s ali you girls think about-what's
pretty and what's curiousi Quit now!
Come! Don't ye see teacher lookin' at you.
Amt you ashamed"
lie caught the masters beck ming eye and
came forward, slightly abashed, with flush
of Irritation still on his handsome face. and
and MS chestnut curls slightly rumpled.
One, which Octavia had covertly accented
by twisting round her forednger, stood up
like a crest on his head
i've told Uncle Ben that you might help
him here after $ hool hours" said the mas
ter, taking him aside. "You may therefore
omit your writing exercise in the morning
and do it in the afternoon"
The boys dark eyes sparlled
And if it would be ali the same to you.
sir" he added, earnestly, you might sor-
ter give out in school that l was to be kept
in"
"Im afraid that would hardly do" said
the master, much amused. "But whyn'
Rupert's color deepened.
80 ez to keep them darned girls from
fooiin' round me and follown' me back
here"
I'VE will attend to that, said the master
smiling; moment after he added more Sc
riously: II suppose your father knows
that you are to receive money for this2 And
he doesn't objectF
"Hel Oh, mo-" returned Rupert with a
slight look of astonshment, and the same
general suggestion of patroniziug his pro
Renitor that he bad previously shown to his
younger brother you needn't mud
him."
In reality Filgee pere, widower of two
years standing, had tacitly allowed the dis
cipline OF his family 10 devolve upon Ru-
pert. Remember 6 this, the master could
only say: Very well, and good-naturedly
dismiss the pupil to his seat and the sub iect
from his mind. The last laggard had lust
slipped in, the master had glanced over the
occupied benches with his hand upon his
warning bell when there was quick step
on the gravel, iiutter of skirts like the
sound OF alighting birds, and a young
woman lightly entered.
In toe rounded, untouched and untroubled
freshness of her cheek aud chin, and the
forward droop of her slender neck, she APP
peared a girl OF Is; in her developed figure
and the maturer drapery of her full skirts
she seemed a woman; in her combination of
naive recklessness and perfect understand
ing of her person, she was both. In spite of
q few school books that jauntily swung
from a strap in her gloved hand, she bore
no resemblance to pupil; i'll her pretty
gown Of dotted muslin, with bows Of blue
ribbon on the skirt and corsage, and a clus-
ter Of roses in her belt she was as inconsst-
ent aud incongruous to the others as fash
ion plate would have been in the dry and
dog-eared pages before them. Yet she car
ried it off with demure mingling of the
naivete Of youth and the aplomb of a
woman, and as she swept down the narrow
aisle, burying few small wondering heads
in the overflow of her flounces, there was no
doubt of her reception in the arch smile
that dimpled her cneek. Dropping a half
10 inc tDo only suggestion
of her equality with the others, she took
her place at one of the larger desks, ana
resting her elbow on the Ind, began to
quietly remove her gloves. IL was Cressy
McKinstry.
Irritated and disturbed at the girls I'M
ceremonious entrance, the master for the
moment recognized her salutation coldly.
and affected to ignore her elaborate appear
ance The situation was embar-
raising. he could not decline TO
receive her, as she was no longer &C
companied by her lover, nor could he
plead entire ignorance of her broken en-
gagement; while to point out the glaring
inappropriateness OF costume would be a
fresh Interference he knew Indian Spring
would scarcely tolerate. He could only
accept such explanation as she might
choose to give. He rang his bell as much
TO avert the directed eyes OF the children as
to bring the scene to climax.
She had removed her gloves and was
standing up
II reckon / can go on where / left OFF,
she said, lazily, pointing to the books she
had brought with her.
"For the present" said the master, dryly.
The first clas was called. Later, when
his duty brought him TO her side, he was
surprised to find that she was evidently al
ready prepared with consecutive lessons, as
ifshe were ssrenely unconscious Of any dou I