Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-02
THE STORY OF A WINK.

From the Springfield Republican
The Jenkinstown high school rejoice
in a corps of eight teachers, seven
women and one solitary man. He who
was so sadly in the minority was Mr..
Senstone, the principal. For the pre-
siding officer of a large and hourishine
high school, such as that of Jenkins
town, one straightway conjures up be-
fore ones mental vision a tall, stately
figure with rather a severe and forbid
ding aspect. But that was not Mr..
Shenstone at all. He was a little man,
scarcely five feet three in height, and OF
a very Slight frame. He had the rosiest
of red cheeks, the bluest of blue eyes,
and his profile was gIrlish and fresh.
Yet he had a charming little golden
moustache fringing his ruddy upper lip.
He was young, only "A at the
time of my story, but he looked like a
sub-freshman rather than a young man
out of college two years. The big boys
of the high school nicknamed him
"Rosy," and visitors mistook him at
first for one of the students. Luckily
for my story, inches do not make a
hero. MI. Shenstone's appearance ut
terly belied his nature and character,
for there was no femininity there. He
was q bright fellow, of strong mental
CdIIpeI anu olcduy pun pooc, diu Ho
knew we'll how to govern those same
big boys who had nicknamed him SO
facetiously.
1t was the custom of the women who
taught in the Jenkinstown high school
to array themselves during morning
prayer behind the principal in a solid
phalanx at the back of the rostrum.
Among these estimable ladies there sat
at the time of my story a tiny woman,
newly arrived in Jenkinstown, who
mOdestly shrank into the last chair on
the platform. 1t was plain to see that
this little lady considered herself a
mere cipher in that row of learned Ia
dies, headed by the ~preceptress. She
was about to make her first attempt at
the pedagogical art, as she was just
graduated from Wellesley.
The first time Miss Hannah Weed
had shrunk into her corner seat on the
platform and had timidly raised her
eyes, she saw at the desk a small young
man clasping a large open bible. The
bible and the young man were out o
proportion. Miss Hannah gasped and
asked herself if that could be the prin-
cipal. The next moment she heard the
little man say decidedly: eff there is
anyone in the school who will not give
his attention during these few moments
III uCNOOlOUdl tACIC1SCS i SUdll OCIu DluI
from the room."r After hat Miss Han
nah concluded that the principal was
not so much of a boy as he looked.
Mr.. Shenstone was a shy young man,
and Miss Hannah was a shy young
woman; SO their acquaintance pro-
crossed little after their first introduce
ton to each other. One morning, how
ever, Mr.. Shenstone happened to turn
around during the singing of the hymn
at prayers, to glance at the clock on the
wall. AS he did SO his eyes rested for a
moment on the tiny teacher in the cor
ner, and a thought struck him. "By
Joye, she wouldn't tower head and
shoulders above a fellow, as all the 9th
tainly could not do that, as she was
three inches shorter than Mr.. Shen-
stone. 1t was a strange coincidence,
but a similar thought flashed through
Miss Hannah's mind that same morn
ing: "He would not take such long
strides as papa and brother Jack do,
and / wouldn't have to run TO keep up
with him." she said to herself.
The next morning Mr.. Shenstone
made some observations that his shy
ness had not allowed him to make be-
fore. He noticed that Miss Hannah
had fluffy brown hair done up in a be-
wildering little French knot behind-he
liked brown hair. He saw that Miss
Hannah had a pair of dark gray eyes,
which had rather an e~ntreating express
sion in them-he liked gray eyes CT just
that sort. He decided, also, that the
most fascinating feature she had was a
small, dainty chin, with a dear little
dimple tucked away in it. He liked all
these things, but alas, the more he liked
the shyer he grew. The two young PEG.
pie scarcely eve spoke to each other
except in reference to school matters.
Once they stood on the platform to-
gether for a moment, as Miss Hannah
stepped forward to ask the principal
some questions about the morning work.
Immediately some Of the older and more
romantic of the school girls who were
not in love with the young principal
themselves thought: "What a pretty
little couple they'd make I" This
thought suggested other thoughts, and
it did not take long for various romantic
and absurd tales about Mr.. Sllenstone
and Miss Hannah to be started. These
false stories, or rumors of them, reached
the ears of the pair involved, and had
the effect of making them shyer than
ever in each others company.
Necessity, however, frequently COM
PEELED Miss Hannah to seek Mr.. Shen-
stones advice concerning the manage
ment of her big boys. Miss Hannah had
never taught before, as | have said, and
she was, moreover, a gentle little per
son, and slow in adopting the terrOrizixg
methods of a public school. The big
boys OWNED this instantly. and decided
that a teacher SO absurdly young and