Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-07
. .,ou;.ition," said Mr.. Dow.

"Ycs: there seemed AZ H. Wanshv.
all directions" contlnuua a.dIsvort IN.
"but especially In the he shn r.nsj.~o,t
uc. .mv ni,rsv. now IL Is admirable"
w ~ o.dsn smilcd incrcdulously.
MS oo,ua ~, have received very neat
| ASSURE yJ hrtton. holing," said the In
srsc.nr "The department cannot fail
~ sp1bo a ,,l.sa.ed with them. ! can show you
them after dinner, II you ike;
AZ should very much Ike W SEQ 'no"'
| said Miss Jordan. drviy. a.. ,;,,s
After dinner ACCORDINGLY vnv spcclmsenI9
were produced, and very noA''y eAe0u'ou
they we're. ;,,s ava, Ala tbs,
work y said Miss Jordan soiemnly. as sne
bent over the button -hoies. ~.
Saw the stuff in their hands. dare
sav." returned the lady. wnat 40 gen.io-
men know about things OF tnat sor'' Blu
added contemptuously. u.r
az have always to report as 10 the quail
~ n tho needlework," said tho Inspector
si,fl,v and with a slight blush. But, II
Won assure me from your own knowledge
Of the children that they could not nave
done tbis work themselves it will be my
| duty TO institute further inquiry
~ am certain of it." said Miss Jordan. :.
That evening Mr.. Wensby compared
notes with his host, and the, rector con-
| fessed that no was surprised-secretly ne
was startled-to find what large nuihoeI
of "attendances" mad peen nnaae ehI
| by the most irregular OF tho village chill
| dren. -
1--WE have board meeting Tomorrow"
said Mr.. Dowthwaite. :. f.,
Then ask Miss Crawling to attend IT,"
said MIR. Wensbv, land ask her whether
the children actually did the needlework
| themselves. II she says they did Will h1
a day-I can come over in about three
weeks--to see them do some more speci-
mems. and Miss Jordan can BIO present.
If there Is q marked discrepancy between
the two sets of work-why.. OF course,
| must report accordingly. and you can con-
slider the matter at the next poaro ineo'-
ing"
| All this made the rector feel very uncom;;
| Portable. But there was no help tor II, ana
the next day he sent a verbal message 10
the schoolmistress, requesting her 10 step
over to the rectory, where the School Board
was then sitting.
Miss Crawling" said the rector. not
without embarrassment, II believe thaI
| her Maiestys inspector will be able 10 re-
| port very favorably olthe condition OF the
| SCHOOL, Miss Grayling bowed politely;
There IS one point, however, on when L
should like to ask you one or two ques-
tions. These pieces of sewing. now" and
he produced them from drawer rs he
| spoke, "seem to me very neat, very creolt-
| able, but are you sure that the chlidren
| whose names are attached 10 tnem uiu
| them themselves. unaided!
Quite sure" said Miss Grayling tran
And the attendances-they seem much
| larger than they used to be. Are you sure
you have kept the register accurately Z"
Perfectly sure.p said Miss Crawling,
| looking the clergyman full in the face.
One or two members of the board moved
uneaslly in their seats. and MIR. Sower-
butts seemed to be on the point OF protest
ing audibly againt these aspersions on
Mss Cravings good faith. The rector
| felt very uncomfortable.
VERY good, Miss Grayling." he said !:
II am glad to hear you say say So. And l
| think we needn't detain you any longer "
The schoolmistress slowly rose, bowed
| in her usual dignifed manner, and with
| drew.
Before long it got abroad in Little Pud-
| dington that Miss Crawling was in disgrace.
or at least in a condition Of suspended
| favor. Various reasons were given for this,
| the most popular theory being that the new
mistress had been caught stealing the
| school-pence. The matter was discussed
| in the ale-houses, at the doors OF the cot
tages, in the church-yard after service.
| Through it all Miss Grayling went On her
way, serene as usual, preserving exactly
| the same manner to every one as II the
voice of scandal had never mentioned her
| name.
4 little before o'clock one evening tho
Rev. Augustine Cope knocked at the door
| of the pretty cottage in which Miss Gray
| ling lived. For some months-ever since
| he had first seen her, in fact-the sus-
| ceptible curate had been under the spell of
| the young lady's sweet brown eyes. lie had
struggled with himself long and manfully.
| He was not in a position to marry; and
Miss Craving was not suitable match for
him. He knew all that very well. He did
| not like to think of what his aunts, Miss
Cope and Miss Georgina Cope, would say
| on beng presented with village school
mistress for niece. But. then, he had
not looked on the face of any other woman
| who could be called lady-save Miss Jor-
| dan's-for nearly eight months. lie was
in love: he could not help 1t; and now
this unpleasant matter, added at once 10
| his love and to his embarrassment. Even
| now he did not know his own mind. His
ostenslble object was to exchange one of
| the harmless novels. with which he now
| kept Miss Grayling well supplied. for an
| other of the same type.
Miss Crawling" began the curate, as he
seated himself in the little parlor, this
cannot be true.
"What Is not true, Mr.. Cope?"
These shameful accusations, these as
persions--"
"Of course not, and did not think that
Won. Mr.. Cope, would pay any attention to
| them said the schoolmistress. with quiet
"Oh, no! not for worlds" exclaimed
| the cllrate: 81 believe IN you as | would in
a saint. Dear Miss Grayling-Laura-l
nav call you Laura ?-I find 1t difficult to
saw how | feel for you-and how much
long to shield you from the ca dummies and
| troubles of the world IN the shelter OF an
honest mans love"
| As he spoke. the curate took Miss Gray
linp's white and well-formed fingers be-
tween his own.
~ offer you my heart and oil / have, u
he continued. his eyes searching her down.
cast face. ALAS, that is so little know
well we cannot marry. on my present
stipend, but have youth and strength on
nv side. Sooner or later must get living,
and then-and then Oh, Laura. Say that
you love me!
mir. Cope. feel honored and fattered
more than can say. and my heart tells me
il ls not Indifferent to you. but"
She paused, and the tones OF the church
clock striking fell on her ear.
MIR. Cope" she exclaimed, withdraw.
inc her fingers as she spoke. you are
more than generous, but | cannot trust
myself to give You an answer now: must
not be rash or unjust to you. Leave me
now-leave me, | beg you. will write to
| YOU tomorrow"
Somewhat surprised at this sudden dis
missal, the agitated curate took his hat
| and stick and departed.
Next day he received dalntily-scented
note from Miss Grayling. in which she
said that much as she honored him. and
highly as she valued his friendship, she
could see that it was not for his interest
to marry dowerless girl, and she there
fore declined his proposal. Her decision
she added. was quite "irevocable." There
was but one n" in "irreyocable," and
somehow this circumstance did something
toward mitigating the grief with which
Mr. Cope received his letter of dismissal
The testing examination. which was to
confirm or overthrow Miss Grayling'srepu
tation, was fixed for Friday afternoon
The school-board meeting happened to fall