Connecticut western news., 1888-07-11

But Steve was uuimpressed.
 "My opirion has yet to be altered" he said rather stiff1y.
 And MT. Larkin looked discouraged.
 "She spoke about needing new broom and water pail" he said as! ho rose. 'I told her she'd better come to you about it."
 "That schoolhouse had new broom last term, and water pail term before lastv' said the y oung director emphati- cally.
 And Mir, Larkin took a discomfted leave.
 The next Sunday evening the young man, sitting in the pew of a small wooden church with his mother, and al- lowing his eyes to rove about during the rather long sermon, suddenly discovered new face, and sat studying it for the remainder of the evening.
 It was that of a young girl-not re- markedly pretty girl, Lut fair and fresh and innocent, with bright intelligence in her dark eyes and sweetness in her full lips.
 "Who is she2' was tho first question after the services were concluded ad- dressed, as it happened, to little MT. Larkin, who had come in late.
 "That2" the latter asked in astoaish- hof that's Mollic San bornl am waiting to take them home."
 Steve Penney found himself wishin g quite frequently after that that the new teacher would como to him about the broom and water pail.
 Not that he should furnish them if he found that they were not needed, but he felt that he should not object to an in- tervicw with tho school teacher.
 He even mentioned tho subject to MT. Larkin carelessly when he met him ono day.
 "Wcll, you see," was tho response, "shc sort of hates to come to you. The way you felt about her having tho school has got all around town, and l s'posc she's heard of it. Sho can help what her father was, Molly can't and she's real sensitiv.."
 Tho young man looked disturbed.
 That afternoon he left his work at an carly hour-aot. however, admitting to himself his purpose in doing so-and strolled down tho street, turning off but he persuaded himself that it was not intea tional--in the direction of the school house.
 T might as well go in and see about that broom md water pail" he said to himself when he stood opposite tho little bare looking building.
 And he went in accordingly.
 The little teacher looked considerably startled whom she opened the door to him. She dropped tho spelling book she held, and her voice was hardly steady as she expressed her qualification at seeing 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 uapleasantly ogreish.
 She was hearing tho last spelling class. How pretty sho looked, standing there in her blue calico dress and white apron. What a sweet voice she had, though putting out Chen, men, pen,' to lot of fdgeting youngsters could hardly show it to the best advantage.
 When the class was dismissed, and the last small stulent had rushed whoopiug down the street, the teachc, and the young director stood looking al each other with some awkwardness.
 'I thought I'd come in," said Steve al last, apologctically, land see if any thing is needed"
 Ho did not mention tho fact of his being some six weeks late in the per. formancc of his duty.
 The girl dropped her eyes timidly.
 'I-don't think so," she murmurcd.
 ''What brutc she must thi lk me P Steve reflected, with some sclf-disgust.
 He turned carelessly to the corner where the broom stood. '1sn't this pretty far gone?" he said with conscien ce-stricken glance at its stubby end.
 fho foo o6I o1
 "Your water pail seems to leak," the director went on, indicating the empty bucket and the wet floor. "Ycs," the girl asscntcd.
 'Tll see that you have new ones, ,' Steve concluded.
 And he was rewarded by a grateful glance from tho teachers soft eyes as she took her hat from it's nail. | He took her lunch basket from he1 hand as they started away together, and having taken it, could hardly surrender it short of Larkiu's gate.
 He was little reluctant to surrender it even then. For their first awkward ness had quite worn off; their walk ha6 been far from unpleasant, and thcy were feeling very we'll acquainted.
 He walked homo ia an agreeable ab sorption, repeating to himself the thing; she had said and recalling her pretty way of saying them.
 He did not pause to consider that i was old John Sanborn's daughter o whom he was thinking; ho was onl, conscious that she was bright young girl. whom it was charming to look at and listen to.