The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-29
A EAsUREG. oFENEcEs.
fSlTY.'
Yankee Blade.l

Yankee Blade.l
guile. the fires are coming nearer; I
wish you would dismiss school, and go to
town with mel don't like to leave you
here"
81 should be weak minded girl, in
deed, to shut up the school house and
send the children home for a little
smoke. I am in no more danger than
the Others"
"But the others are not so dear to me-"
"You are selfish, and-very presum-
ing"
"Oh, very well. Then I may as well
say good-by."
There was no answer, and for some
moments the two silently stood in the
hazy September sunlight, with the dull
mists and strange quiet all about
them. The young man, dark eyed,
handsome and strong, held his horses
bride In his hand, ready to leap into the
SADDLE, yet with an unsatisied, troubled
air, hesitating to do SO; while the young
girl, with her dimpled hands in her
dainty apron pockets, looked provokingly
Indifferent and pretty.
On the knoll behind them stood low,
log school house-twenty years ago log
houses were no novelty in northwestern
Ohio-and back of that "the erik"
which was a creek only in wet seasons,
and at others, as now, but succession
IF grassgrown ''swales," sleeping in the
ary heat, with a "sandy desert" appear
ince. On three sides the low oak woods,
with their dead looking branches and
curled up leaves, came down to the very
school yard, and few struggling trees
overshadowed the humble seminary of
learning itself.
The horizon was a woody circle, be-
You'd which rolled up dark, ominous
looking clouds-great purplish shadows
that filled the heavens, made the air
thick and oppressive. and disguised the
sun itself as sullen, overgrown moon.
1t was still early, but there was no
dewy freshness or breezy GOODNESS, moth
ing bright and invigorating, such as
well disposed morning is expected to
bring; the red glows that had shown out
against a starless sky all night had SIM
ply paled as the gray light crept on and
turned into black, heaving piles as the
dawn whitened the skies.
One or two farmhouses, with their
small 'clearings' attached, a winding
road with bushes on either side dropping
over it, and creeping team in the dis
lance, were the only signs Of civilization
discernible in the monotonous wilder
ness, destined to be more dreary before
the day was over.
"Have you nothing more to say to me,
Julie?"
II do not think of anything at pres
ent," the little teacher said, with aggra-
waiting GOODNESS.
''Well-you will not go to the party
tonight"
~ think shall. If you cannot trust
me by myself at an ordinary neighbor-
hood gathering, cannot be worth any
anxiety of mind on your part"
SIT is not that, dear. But l know
those fellows from town too well. They
intend to come out for the sole purpose
Of seeing the pretty little schoolma'am'
and rfdiculing the natives as they say.
You are naturally SO unsuspecting, SO
sweet and kind in your disposition they
will misunderstood and take advantage
Of what they will term your simplicity
II / come, knowing I had not intended
It, they will believe could not trust you.
cannot endure that they should even
know you, to laugh and chatter about
you for weeks afterward. To please me,
dear Julie, remain away and disappoint
them"
"Yes, and create more wonderment
and expostulations than it is all worth. 1
have promised my simple hearted friends
end pupils to be present, and shall go,
Ed don't care for your town compan-
ions, or-for you either"
"You do not mean that, surely. Come,
julia, have ridden five miles this morn
ing, left the store to the mercies of a
green clerk, to see you, and to speak one
word of warning. Give me kind word
before go, and the smile have dreamed
Of for days, to cheer and reassure me-"
b. Harry Selden bent in vain to catch a
glance from the deep blue eyes, yelled so
obstinately by their long black lashes.
II can stay no longer, Julia, and your
scholars are coming through the woods.
You are not treating me fairly, and will
see it yourself presently" He pressed
her passive hand, and vaulted into the
saddle.
''Good-by. If the fires come closely,
dismiss school and go home. The Cleaver
place is safe, think, as there are fields of
plowed ground round it. Good-by, dear"
"Good-by, Harry" she said, little
more softly; but his restless horse was
claiming his attention, and soon he was
speeding down the road like the wind.
Julia Anterior looked after. him mo-
ment with a moisture gathering in her
lustrous eyes. The shouts of the chill
dren rang out nearer, and glimmers of
pink calico and blue Bingham peeped
now and then through the branches.
Sentiment and self must be resolutely
put aside.
II don't care. He had no right to
suppose was not able to deal with those
tops from town, and he should not at
tempt to control my actions"
Nevertheless she was very heavy heart
ed as she turned to call her little flock
together. As the day advanced the air
grew more dense and suitry; the whole
sky was dark, and the sun rode through
it like dull red ball, while the smell Of
burning leaves and wood overpowered
the faint marsh and forest perfumes. The
Openings" fires were spreading rapidly.
At fhof f;r,,a L.,
of unsettled land-alternate ridges COW
cred with oak and underbrush, and
marshes where the dry grass and weeds
were like finder. Every year a few fires
were expected; but there had been Sc.
we're drouth this season, and already the
men in the various settlements had or
.ganized into companies to fight fires, and
save homes and property. From the
"Cleaver district" as the place was
called, the men had been out all night,
and at noon none had returned.
The schoolhouse stood on the rise of
ground that, in any other part of the
country, would have been called the
bank Of the stream; but here, where
streams were only heightened mud
holes, and the grass-tangled bottom rose
imperceptibly into oak-covered ridges,
one scarcely knew when he was well out
Of river bed; in the spring this same
school house had stood a foot under
water. Now it was directly in the path
Of a huge natural fuse, and the fire creep
ing along it not more than mile away.
Through sheer abstinence and pettish-
ness Julia refused to dismiss her school