The Opelousas courier., 1889-10-26
NAN.

"A sn0W-DalI WnlZzeQ through the ar,
and away over the fence sailed the Pro-
fessor's hat, battered and dishonored.
A ripple of girlish laughter 1oated up
from some one behind him, and looking
around angrily, the Professor caught a
glimpse of a pair of dark, roguish eyed
peeping at him out of a pretty hood,
which did not hide the saucy face of the
maiden who had thrown the ball.
She watched the Professor as he
climbed over tie fence and regained his
disfigured tile, and tried, rather ruefully,
to smooth its battered sides; then she
scampered toward the school-house.
i Joel Sherwood had just emerged from
the university at W, with consider
able honor and the degree of good opin-|
ion most men of his age entertain for
themselves. He really was entitled to a!
great deal of credit for the courage and!
steadfastness of purpose with which he
had toiled to make his way through the
tedious university curse. He had done
it alone, and at the same time managed
to help his widowed mother in keeping|
what had proved to be q very quaint andl
persistent wolf from the door. But the|
world, as is its custom, had been some-I
what slow in recognizing his genius; col
that when the winter term of school att
Weston was offered to him, he was only
too glad to accept it, hoping that mean
time something better would come to-
him.
He picked up his hat, with some sensel
OF disgrace, and strobe ON to the school,
house. !
1t was the eventful s'irst day." andI
it must be confessed that Joel's heart for|
o minute sank very low as he saw theI
Tognish face disappear through the door
of tie building which was to be his ~castleI
for the next few months. He had a diml
fereboding that trouble was in store for!
him. But shortly his courage rallied,
and with his lips. closed a little more
firmly than usual, he stepped to his desk.
Nan, with many a girlish giggle, was
relating her adventure to q circle of adj
mirers.
t!The idea of q young fellow like him
bringing o tall hat down herel Myl
how mad he looked when the thing went
over the fencel Well, it was rather
mean, after all; but I'll never see him
again. Idon't know who he is. Some
city chap, / s'pose, down to look at the
~nativesi''
just then the door opened and the
Professor walked in.
If Joel could have seen the glorious
crimson which swept Mans face, he might
have known how poorly priced was her
victory. But he was busy and had al
most forgotten the episode a moment Ia
ter.
It was brought back again, however,
when he CHANGED TO glance at Nan. Once
more the flood of crimson dyed her
cheeks, but she buried her face in a book
and waited until it had vanished.
4 y ~ 4 u u u
! sThss winter Joel Sherwood learned
many valuable lessons. II was a good
school for him. He knew more about
himself when the term was over than he,
had before. He put away the silk
hat, and wondered why he ever should,
have won it down to Weston.
By thisStime he did not feel himself so
very much superior to the people there
rs no had felt. They proved to be kind
hearted and intelligent, and he liked
them better the more he knew them.
He had found Nan q disturbing ele-s
nIent in his little dominion. Not that
she meant to do anything wrong; but
she had too much mischief in her nature
not to be at the bottom of many q pro-
ject which brought the new teacher into
disrspgte. She never pretended that she
had no hand iii these plots, There was
deceit III Nan. Whatever she did
was So frank that Joel's reproof was
tempered by q strange feeling hich
caused him To forgive the spirit which
prompted Mans action feeling he
knew not heW 10 a~nalyze.
Once, when she had perpetrated some
especially annoying trick 90 him, and he
had met her out of school hours on the9
way home, her pretty smile and look of
respect had driven every spark Of anger
from his heart, and he broke out:
sOh, Nan! Why viii YOU"
But she had pulled haf hand ont ofhis,
and fled before the words were ont of bis
mouth
And Nan-he Was the nagap thousht