The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-03-20
NOT AN ORDINARY GIRL
By HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
ooh, the West is the place to come
to-" said Edna Evals. "Only fancy, |
might have advertised mortal year in
our Eastern papers, and sat waiting Il
quarter of a century on the benches OF q
New York employment Office before /
could have got such II choice of positions
as this.h
The landlady of the Mahcotah board
ing-house set Miss Evals's long postponed
supper ON the tabe---a withered egg or a
shadowy slice of bacon, cup OF over
stepped tea, two soda-green biscuits, and
half II canned pear swimming Il lake of
saccharine juice.
But grim Western landady though she
was, her ossitied sympathies were stirred
in behalf of this fresh, enthusiastic
seeker after work.
"What We heerd of now" said she.
"Three places, said Edna, valiantly
attacking the egg and the tea biscuit
with courage which could belong only
to an eighteen year-old digestion. Zone
as telegraph operator on Platter Mount
ain, Wages good, but place frightfully
lonesome Not another woman within
nine miles. One as teacher of music in
the Fanstraw Seminary share in the
profits of the institution promised me-"
"Sounds good" said Mrs. Riggs.
''But, you see, the academy is newly
built, in six months old settlement.
There are no pupils yet, and the pianos
aren't even ordered from Straw City.
And if l share the profits | must share the
risks also"
"Humph." said Mrs. Riggs.
''The third is to teach the Arkand
district school, half mile out of Ark
and Station. Twenty dollars month
and board around. A new place, but
still place, with a church and general
store, a telegraph office and national
bakery. The inspector of schools told
me that it was his duty to notify me, be-
fore my final decision, that the neigh
borhood had a bad name-that no
teacher had ever remained longer than
six weeks-in short" with little laugh,
as she pushed back her cup, 'that Ark
and School was haunted"
"Stuff and nonsense" said Mrs Riggs.
$50 I say" gaily cried Edna. 'And
mean to risk it."
Arkand School was Il pretentious
wooden structure, painted red, with II
porch and belfry. Ii had been erected
half mile from the station, with refer
ence to the town growing in that direc-
ton.
But the town had not grown; and the
youthful asrirants after the ''Pierian
spring" of knowledge were compelled
to trudge down long road through pine
thickets, passed the graveyard, already
well populated with the pioneer settlers
who had succumbed to the climate in
the early days of Arkand, and through
blackberry fields, now starred with fair
white blossoms.
Three or four-and-twenty scholars
were assembled to greet the "York
State" school-teacher, and Edna's ears
had already been filled with encouraging
rumors as to her new position.
ooh you won't stay." said Mrs Girls
como, with whom her first weeks
boarding around" commenced, "Miss
Merriam, she began as brisk and chunky as
yourself; and when she went away, Ia
mel she was that pale and nervous you
might have knocked her down with &
feather. A hundred dollars month, sht
said, wouldn't be no Involvement for bel
to stay. And Lucy Harper, from Mugs
well Corners, forty year old, and as big
round as a cider barrel, you'd "a sale
norniu could upsut iIor. WoA, she lisin
stay the month out We hain't nevel
kept no teacher over the first quarter
Arkand Deestrict has bad name. Some
thing always happens to the teacher. Mi
randa Swope broke her ankle over rop,
stretched across the grass, opposite tn,
burying ground gate. The trustees Civ,
it out it was the root of a tree, but seer
the rope myself. Can't fool me. Mi
randa she came from the State O AIichi
gand. Lulie Burton, she got badl,
burned tryin tdsave her photograph ma
chine, that time the school us was Sc
a-fre. Never III get the use of her RICH
MANU- Ehuu AIN tdittT--
81 really think shalt be Late sal,
Miss Evais, "if don't start pretty soon
lis this my lunch basket Oh, thanl
you. What superstitious creatures thes
Western women are" said she to her
self, as she walked along with springing
elastic tread. 'I'm only surprised tina
Mrs. Griscomb didn't treat me to tn
whole story of the ghost.
And she looked with a curious inter
est at the wooden tombstones that thrus
themselves at all sorts of angles out G
the tall grass and weeds as she passe,
the sunken, zigzag fence of the grave
yard.
'.Who is there?" she added, as little
slim figure skunk out from behind tree
trunk a few PAGES in advance.
''It's me"
"And who is 'mel' with smile.
.'Ann Buttonball, was the answer.
"You are an Indian girls'
eyes
''Coming to SCHOOL,"
Ann Buttonball shook her head.
"Why notf' persisted Miss Evals.
The girl hung her head.
They won't let me. mumbled 81,
'.Why won't they letyou9"