The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-04-24

And business went on just as it had
done before.
"By Georgel" muttered Gilbert Bligh,
outside, "ain't she a plucky little
thing? Well, suppose may as well
go home. | reckon Jack will have to
work out his own salvation, for all OF
me. How those black eyes did snap,
thought"
To Gilbert's infinite amazement-
somewhat to his discomfture-when he
came in at night from a horseback ride
to the sx-mile distant postofiicc, he
found Miss Root sitting at the domestic
freside.
"Gil," said Mrs. Bligh, uneasily,
'here's the school-ma'am-come to
board out her week. 1t was Widow
Dunn's week by rights, but they've got
the dumb-ager over there and flowed
they'd ruther she'd come here first.
School-ma'am, this is my eldest son-or
| least ways my husbands son. l never
had none o. my own, but l set 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
| lid .Ct-UuSu SWuJ0u ny IuC Wluus
81 hope you don't bear malice, said
she, half-smiling, while soft pink flush
rose to her cheek. "You see, it was alb.
solutely necessary for me to enforce dis
clpline, and really you were sailing un-
der piratical colors-now, were you
notY'
81 was altogether wrong" said Gill
bert, reddening also. 81 beg your par
don"
(which John has already DONE" said
Miss Root, resuming her seat and her
knitting work. "John's not bad fel-
low, after all, when once you appeal to
his reason and common sense. We shall
get along capitally after this. d"
''Ile hadn't no business to sass the
schoolma'am, said Mrs. Bligh, who was
bustling around to get out the best china
for tea. "She ssrved 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; if he does,
he'll get good latherin' to hum that l
can tell himp
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. 81 .axed pardon
afore all the boys, and she promised to
| lend me 'Mastermau Ready to read
arter Pm done my sums at night. And,
Gil, she knows geometry and 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 be-"
Once more Gilbert colored, but Miss
Root knitted quietly on.
81 shall be glad to be of use" said
she.
~ wonder where you learned all this J"
remarked the young man awkwardly.
81 am a graduate of Tassel College, in
/ Rhode Island" said Miss Root. "They
lay special stress on mathematics there. {"
Gilbert sat down, staring moodlly at
the fire. Here was he, q strong, muscu-
lar giant, six feet high, and broad
shouldered to correspond-there she sat,
round, rosy and dimpled, 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
AdSllNs Ndu lClD ~. DuCh u
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 it was to
be under the same roof with her
If Gilbert had only known it, he was
| falling in love with Emma Root.
The school-ma'am stayed two weeks
at the Bligh farm, because the Widow
Dunn's ''ager' stubbornly held on; and
toward the end of her sojourn, there
came out one of those terrific transforms
that sometimes sweep the Western
slopes.
'Pm going to hitch up old Sorrel aud
go after Miss Root" said Gilbert, at
noon. "The Red Bridge foundations
are pretty nigh washed away, and I'll
have to bring her around by Piney
| Point"
81 low it's a good idear," said Mrs
Bligh, scratching her head with knit
ting needle. ''l'm glad you thought
ont it."
But either he had miscalculated old
| SorrePs rate of speed over the muddy
roads, or else the family clock was
wrong; for when he reached the red
school-house, it was closed and locked
and Miss Root was gone.
lie drove at railroad rate to overtake
her, but just on the edge of the river he
saw that he was too late.
The tlimsy timbers of the bride had
gwen way beneath her weight, and she
was struggling in the black waters
"Gilbert-oh, Gilbert-save mem
/ Through the rush Of the swollen
stream, the roaring of the wind, her
frenzied cry reached his ears.
He flung off his heavy boots, his
clinging coat, and jumped into the
river. And as he did so, an odd fancy
eddied across his brain.
Geometry was of no use here. Mathe,
MATES could be of no avail. 1t was
mans strength, an experts skill, a hero's
heart that counted now Yes, he was
her equal-more than her equal-at last
'Is she dead d?-Emma9 For heavens
sake, speakm
"Deadm rumbled old Abraham Gay.
Tor. "No moren you be. Look at the
color comm back into her lips. But |
say, though, it was narrow squeeze of
it, one time. That currents powerful
strong, aud the bridge timbers was
sweeping down on ye like a thousand o.