The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-04-24

Berta sat at the little organ and ac
companied him.
The winter term drew toward close
and regretful words were heard OF
| every side. Every one was sorry tc
lose the little schoolma'am. She her
self strangely dreaded to 90. The
thought was hateful to her. Well, per
haps the trustees would hire her again
and she would come back-strange, she
thought, that she should have grown SC
attached to such lonely country place.
The place? All, Berta!
One day dreadful thing happened
Horace Gray the tallest and oldest
young man, whom all the other BOYS
looked up to and venerated, because oi
his seniority and mustache, behaved SC
badly all the afternoon that the teacher
wrote his name on the black board as a
mark of disgrace. and commanded him
to remain after school for punishme ut.
The other pupils looked at her in
amazement. never doubling that the
great fellow would promptly throw her
out of the window ii she attempted to
punish him, but loving and admiring
her all the more for the pretty, indig-
nant flash in her blue eyes.
Children she said, Il have never
used this ferule rs means of punish.
ment, but | mean to try it tonight
An audible gasp broke from twenty
pairs of lips, and Horace Gray, with 9
hot flush on his face, and his eyes down.
cast, looked at the palm of his large
hand, with queer, little smile lurking
about his mouth.
The school was dismissed. and the
amazed urchirs dispersed to their
homes to tell the news:
Teachers going to whip Horace
Gravr'
The silence in the little school-house
grew oppressive. The clock ticked
noiselessly on the wall Berta felt as
though it were her heart beating there.
Her breath came fast as she took her
ferule from her desk. Her voice
trembled.
Horace Gray, come here!"
The great, broad-shouldered fellow
rose obediently and came down the
aisle, standing respectfully before the
little teacher.
Hold out your hand" she COM
manded.
He held it out at once-his strong.
brown, right hand. Berta took it in
her own; then dropped it suddenly.
Her face flushed crimson, and the tears
came into her soft eyes.
Il can't strike you Horace" she
said, you are too big. but | am not
afraid of you. 1t would be shameful
to strike you. 1t would humilate me
as much as YOU. What shall do with
you, you great, unruly fellow?n
He raised his eyes and looked at her
his whole heart in his eyes and on his
lips:
Love me-" he said land be my
wife,
Berta turned away and put the ferule
sundry other little things about the
room before she noticed him. Then
she came back to him, and looked
straight into his eyes from the platform
on which she stood-with a strange
look in her eyes, a culver of her lips.
a paling of her face-then she laughed.
That is the greatest punishment |
could inilict upon you. Horace!" she
said )" and l will do it,
When they were walking homeward
in the dusk, he said:
II was bad purposely, Berta-I
longed for you to punish me- | loved
you so | could not help wishing to be
kept after school. l have always
made you trouble, haven't l? | can't
tell why, only that | could not bear to
be unnoticed by you, and 1 wanted
you to think of me, even rs bother
and trouble to YOU"
Berta looked up at her tall pupil, her
eyes alight with loving mischief.
Its perfectly ridiculous. isn't it.
Horace-my falling in love with one of
my own bad boys, and Squeedunker
at that! What will Aunt Marie say!'
He did not come to school any more
that term. The children never found
out exactly how he was punished. but
supposed that, being too big to ferule,
the little teacher had expelled him.
At the grand concert which wound
up the singing-school Tryphena and
Tryphosa nudged each other in the
ribs, and nodded significantly when
Berta and Horace stood up together to
sing their duet.
Must be they've made up" one vir-
gin sister whispered to the other; lust
like Horace Gray to go and marry this
highty-tighty city girl"'
Berta's wedding outfit was simple
and inexpensive. Those who knew,
said it could not have cost more than
SO, but she looked as winsome a bride
as ever the sun shone on when, in June.
she gave her life into the keeping of
Horace Gray.
Berta knew how she paid for her
pretty trosseau-and so do we.
"A girls freak" her friends called
it, but Berta can never be persuaded
that fate was not in it after all..-N Y
Ledger.