The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-02

|
trembled. But at that moment the master
| stepped to the porch and made a quiet but
discomposing entrance.
CHAPTER ".
The return of Miss Cressida McKinstry
to Indian Spring and her interrupted
studies, was an event whose effects were
not entirely confined to the school The
broken engagement itself seemed of little
moment in the general estimation compared
| to her resumption of her old footing as a
scholar. A few ill-natured elders of her
own sex, and naturally exempt from the
discriminating retort of Mr.. Mckinstrys
| ''shoJ gum" alleged that the seminary at
| Sacramento had declined to receive her,
but the majority accepted her return with
local pride as a practical compliment TO the
educational facilities of Indian Spring.
| The Tuolumne Star, with a breadth and
eloquence touchiagly disproportionate TO
its actual size and quality of type and
| paper, referred to the possible ''gr with of
| a grove of academus at Indian Spring, I'M
der whose clustered boughs future sages
| and statesmen we're now me1itatingn in a
| way that made the master feel exceedingly
uncomfortable. For some days the trail
between the McKinstry's ranch and the
school house was lightly patrolled by reliefs
| of susceptible young men, to whom the ell
| franchi:ed Cressida, relieved from the dan
| gerOus supervision of the Davis Me- instry
| clique, was an object of ambitious admira-
tioJ. The young girl herself, who, in spite
\ of the masters annoyance, seemed to be
| following some conscientious duty in con-
secutively arraying herself in the different
dresses she had bought, however she may
| have tantalZed her admirers by this revela-
ton of bridal fuery, did not venture to
bring them near the limits of the play
| ground. 1t struck the master with some
surprise that Indian Spring did not seem to
| trouble itself In regard to his privileged
relations with its rustic enchantress; the
young men clearly were not Jealous of MIN:
| no matron had suggested any indecorum in
| a Young girl of Cressy'S years and aateced-
ents being entrusted to the teachings of a
young man scarcely her senior. Notwith-
standing the attitude which Mr.. Ford had
been pleased to assume toward her, this
implied compliment to his supposed mon
astic vacations affected him almost os IN
comfortably as the Stars extravagant
eulogium. He was obliged to recall certain
foolish experiences of his own to enable him
to rise superior to this presumption Of his
asceticism.
In pursuance of his promise to McKinstry,
he had procured few elementary books Of
study suitable to CresSy's new position,
without, however, taking her out of the
smaller classes or the discipline of the
school, In a few weeks he was enabled to
further improve her attitude by making
her a monitor" over the smaller girls,
thereby dividing certain functions with
Rupert Filgee, whose ministrations to the
deceitful and ''silly" sex had been charac-
| terzed by perhaps more vigilant scorn and
disparagelneut than was necessary. CreSsy
had accepted it as she had accepted her
new studies with an INDECENT good humor,
and at times frankly supreme ignorance
of their abstract or moral purpose that was
| discouraging.
Whats the good of thatg she would
| ask, lifting her eyes abruptly to the mas
| ter.
Mr. Ford somewhat embarrassed by her
| look, which always, sooner or later, frankly
| confessed itself an excuse for a perfectly
| irrelevant examination Of his features in
detail would end in giving her some severely
| practical answer Yet, if the subject ap-
pealed to any particular idiosyncracy of her
own, she would speedily master the study.
| A passing prediction for botany was pro-
voked by a single incident. The master
deeming this study a harmless young lady
like occupation, had one day introduced
the topic at recess, and was met by the
usual answer:
"But suppose" he continued, artfully,
somebody sent you anonymously some
flowers"
Tier Dol! suRReSVeu ruRec,
hoarsely, with bold bad recklessness.
Ignoring the remark and the kick with
which Rupert had resented it on the person
of his brother, the master continued:
"And if you couldn't find out who sent
them. YOU would want at least to know
what they were and where they grew"
"Ef they grew anywhere bout yer we
could tell her that, said a chorus Of small
voices.
The master hesitated. He was conscious
of being on delicate ground. He was sur
rounded by dozen little keen eyes from
whom nature had never yet succeeded in
hiding her secrets-eyes that had waited for
and knew the coming up OF the earliest
flowers, little fingers that had never turned
the pages of text book, but knew where
to scrape away the dead leaves above the
first anemone or had CROPPED painfully
among the lifeless branches in forgotten
hollows for the shy dog rose: unguided
little feet that had instinctively made their
way to remote southern slopes for the first
mariposas, or had unerringly threaded the
tule hidden banks Of the river for flower
de-luce. Convinced that he could not hold
his own on their Lowell, be shamelessly struck
at once above 1t.
"Suppose that one of those flowers" he
continued, twas not like the rest, that its
stalks and leaves instead of being green
and soft, we're white and stringy like fan
mel as IL TO protect it from cold, wouldn't it
be nice to be able to say at once that 1t had
lived only in the snow, and that some one
must have gone all that way up there, above
the snow line, TO pick 1t r
The children, taken aback by this unfair
introduction of floral stranger were silent.
Cressy thoughtfully accepted botany. on
those possibilities. A week later she laid
on the masters desk a limp looking plant
with a stalk like heavy frayed worsted
yarn.
at amt much to look at, after all, is itF'
she said. II reckon / could cut better
one with scissors outer an old cloth jacket
Of mine"
"And you found it hereF' asked the mas
ter, in surprise.
II got Masters to look for it, when he was
on the summit. described IL to him.
didn't allow he had the gumption TO get it.
But he did"