The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-07-03
"a GIRLS FREAK.
olBerta Richards entered the morning.
ssom with an open letter in her hand
s,d q shine of triumph on her piquant

I'D HOLLOW.
Aunt Marie sighed in martyr-like
Nay she had, that always amused her
liece immensely. She had long since
ssteased to be greatly astonished ut
i ert's odd ways. She simply resigned
i rsef meekly. with now and then
= bic expostulation. Now she said, in
7ather startled tone:
Child! who do you mean! Explain
! self, you inconprehensible girl!'
I tia laughed, and said slowly. with
&C emphasis:
I OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES hol-
w! Pm engaged as schoolma'am for
coming term, which begins next
! lay, at salary of 81 week. It's
i d embarrassing amount you see,
i is something, and do want to
/ =. some real money of my own!"
j But, child. property
4 oh. yes, l know, Aunt Marie; of
III lrse. I'm what folks call rich; but
" Try single cent of all my fortune was
me by poor papa. never really
q ned a dollar in my life, and now I'm
= ing to; so don't waste time in OBJ
3 ting"
Berta was decidedly independent.
Il 1ery one knew that, none better than
4 gentle maiden aunt who made her
>me with her orphan niece; and tried
, take care of her. Every one knew
le girls odd ways, and liked her none
.e less for them. There was spici
] less about her that was bracing and
1 refreshing as sea breeze, and magic
something about her unexpected say
/ ings and doings that made her popular.
4 So Berta started for Squeedunk hol-
\ low, and found herself snugly estab-
\ Iished in her new boarding-place a
Az W days before the opening of school.
3S The residents of the hollow viewed
her with unfeigned ouriosity-t'so
pretty, so pretty, so stylish. SO socia-
ble," they said to one another. The
1country girls were awed by the beauty
t!and style of her gowns, and the pretty
Ctwist she gave her bright, brown hair.
b Berta made friends with every one,
gfrom the trustees to the smallest tow.
theaded urchn in the primer class.
1People were astonished at the innova.
Itions she introduced into the little
Aeountry school, at the elegant little
organ that arrived one day from the
city. and which she played every morn
ing at the opening Of school, and
every night, at the close. The boys
surprised themselves, and each other,
~ the readiness with which they
E1rned to march to Berta's music.
The children were delighted with the
fright pictures she bought and hung
4 on the bare, whitewashed walls, with
the poisoning house-plants she beg
iged or borrowed of the willing-hearted
women, with the colored chalk she
bought for them, with the story-books
she lent them.
Tryphene and Tryphosa Spencer, the
Two old maids, who lived next door to
the schoolhouse, complained of too
much ''singin' an marchin' an sech,"
and were scandalized by hearing oc-
casional peals of unrestrained lau ghter,
the schoolma'am's clear voice among
the others.
'Twa'n't SO in our days, Tryphena,
was itP" Tryphosa would say, solemnly,
with doleful look at her twin-sister,
over her spectacles, as they sat to-
gether at their patchwork, and Try
phena would respond with melan-
choly shake of her head: mo, 'twa'n't,
Iryphosa; but to be sure, nothin' amt
the same nowadays
In spite of Tryphena and Tryphosa,
the school in Squeedunk hollow sue
ceeded gloriouslY. The school was
large that winter, and Berta had
several pupils older and taller than her
self.
# Among them was one who troubled
her sorely sometimes, not by misbe-
hayior, for he was model for the
school, but she was strangely puzzled
sometimes at his questions, and only
her quick wit saved her from disastrous
failure, as, with the eyes Of the school
upon her, Horace Gray would come to
her innocently with some difficult
problem or puzzling catch-question.
Many a night she sat up late, in her
room working for hours at some elu-
sive problem. until she solved it;
triumphant next morning when she
saw the mischievous, brown eyes sober
into a look of quiet surprise as he
looked at the plucky little teacher.
5# The days went on happily. There
were sociables, and donations, and
4 surprise parties innumerable. Squee-
dunk hollow had never before seen 50
lively winter. Berta was responsible
q for all the merry-makings and good
times. She ornanized 4 singing.
school, and secured the services Of .
teacher from the city, who came up
snd held his class in tho bright little
schoel-house. Tryphena and Tryphosa
bjoined the class, and sent their quaver-
ling voices along the notes persever-
tiEgly, if not very tunefully. Horace
ff1ray's fine tenor attracted the notice
.b7f the professor, who praised it highly,
tisnd took special pains with its cultiva-
ion.
", Horace and Berta were thrown much
sol'gether by means Of their voices,
Mich blended finely. Often he would
e-emain after school and sing while
4Rerta sat at the little organ and ac-
,IeH npanied him.
al The winter term drew toward close,
4 81 regretful words were heard on
fol' ny side. Every one was sorry to
fhIe the little schoolma'am. She her
ifAi strangely dreaded to 60. The
slabught was hateful to her. Well, per-
Ik lbs the trustees would hire her again.
j she would come back strange, she
y hit, that she should have grownso
SSSsss,, led to such a lonely countTv ~ 80