West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-04-04

Calmly Miss Root returned to the
little wooden platform upon which stood
her chair and desk.
''Now, Peter Dorsey" said she. ssyou
may give me the boundaries Of South
Carolina over again"
Aud business went on just as it had
done before.
"By George" muttered Gilbert Bligh.
outside, ''aint she plucky little
thing! Well, L suppose l may as well
so home. / reckon Jack will have to
work out his own salvation, for all OF
thought"
To Gilberts infinite amazement-
somewhat TO his discomfiture-when he
came in at night from a horseback ride
10 the six-mile distant postofIice, he
found Miss Root sitting at the domestic
fireside.
"Gil," said Mrs. BIigh, uneasily,
'hcre's the school l-ma'am-come 10
board out her week. IL was Widow
Dnnn's week by rights, but they've got
the dumb-ager over there, and lowed
they'd ruther she'd come here first.
School-ma'am, this is my eldest SON or
least ways my husbands sou. l never
had none o. my own, but / set a deal o.
store by Gilbert and John"
Gilbert Bligh bowed rather awkward
ly.
Miss Root rose up and dropped
dainty little courtesy, like slim young
ha el-bush swaycd by the wind.
81 hope you don't bear malice, 4" said
she, half-smiling, while soft pink flush
rose TO her cheek. "You see, IL was ab.
solutely necessary for me TO enforce dis.
cipline, and really you were sailing un.
der piratical colors-now, were you
not2"
81 was altogether wrong" said Gill
bert, reddening also. II beg your par
don ("
WHICH John has already done" said
Miss Root, resuming her seat and her
knitting work. 90, ohn's not a bad fell
low, after all, when once you appeal to
his reason and common sense. We shall
get along capitally after this"
HE hadn't no business to sass the
schoolma'am, said Mrs. Bligh, who was
oustling around TO get out the best china
Tor tea. ''She sarved him right when
she shet him up in the pantry where the
states an the big dictionary was KEEP.
And he won't do it again; II he does.
he'll get good latherin' TO hum, that ]
can tell himl"
John, who was roasting red apples in
the hot ashes, ehuckled. He knew well.
from long experience, that his step
mothers bark was many degrees worse
than her bite
me and the schoolma'am are GOOD
friends now" said he 'I axed pardon
afore all the boys, and she promised to
lend me 'Masterman Ready to read
arter I'm done my sums at night. And,
Gll, she knows geometry aud them
things like book. And she says she'll
show you without your goin' to school
and settin' among the boys that is littler
than you ben
Once more Gilbert colored, but Miss
Root knitted quietly on.
II shall be glad to be OF use," said
she.
81 wonder where you learned all this !"
remarked the young man awkwardly.
81 am graduate of Tassel College. in
Rhode Island" said Miss Root. "They
lay special stress OF mathematics there. "
Gilbert sat down, staring moodlly at
the fire. Here was he, a strong, muscu-
lar giant, six feet high, aud broad
shouldered to correspond-there she sat,
round, rosy and dimpled, a mere dot of
a woman, yet how much more she knew
than he did
"She must despise me-" he thought,
uneasily tugging at his rich brown mus.
tache. "She can't help IL! Such a
dumb-head as must seem to her. Yet
how pretty and soft spoken she is"
Poor Gilbert He was very wretched
that night, because Miss Root knew
geometry and he did not.
Yet what vague happiness IL was to
be under the same roof with herl
II Gilbert had only known it, he was
falling in love with Emma Root.
The school-ma'am stayed two weeks
ut the Bligh farm, because the Widow
Dunn's lager" stubbornly held on; and
toward the end of her sojourn, there
came out one of those terrific rainstorms
that sometimes sweep the Western
slopes
"rm going to hitch up old sorrel and
90 after Miss Root" said Gilbert. at
noon. "The Red Bridge foundations
are pretty nigh washed away, and pll
have to bring her around by Piney
Point"
81 low it's a good idear,D said Mrs
Bligh, scratching her head with a knit
ting needle. ''Pm glad you thought
ont it."
But either he had miscalculated old
Sorrefs rate Of speed over the muddy
roads, or else the family clock was
wrong; for when he reached the red
school-house, IL was closed and locked
and Miss Root was gone.
He drove at railroad rate 20 Overtake
her, but just on the edge Of the river he
saw that he was too late.
The flimsy timbcrs Of the bride had
given way beneath her weight, and she
was struggling ia the black waters
"Gilbert-oh, Gilbert-save meiD
Through the rush Of the swollen
stream, the roaring Of the wind, her
frenzied cry reached his ears.
He flung of his heavy boots, his
clinging coat. and jumped into the
river. And as he did 30, an odd fancy
eddied across his brain.
Geometry was Of no use here Mathe.
matics could be Of no avail. It was
mans strength, au experts skill, hero's
heart that counted now Yes. he was
her equal-morc than her equal--at lastl
'1s she dead d2-Emma7 For heavens
sake, speak Z"
Dead w rumbled old Abraham Gay
Ior Ono moran vor1 ba ooU a a..