Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-04-10

mean by it9
Harry felt an all but uncomfortable
wish to go back and shake her.
He thrust ais hands into his oyercoat
pockets and vhistled dismally. Why,
he shouldn't even see her again, he didn't
know when.
He was moro than dismal; he was an
CRY and sulky. He felt tho need of
little comfort ond mental quietude, and
he thought he would go around and see
Alvira; and acting on the resolve, turned
into side street and knocked q. modest
door.
The week yhich followed was one
which he never forgot, for in it lay his
first taste Of real unhappiness, which
grew into settled gloom.
He went to the lecture alone. lie had
been wont 10 take Molly Paine to every
thing of merit shat came along. He went
sleighing, and felt so wrctchedly lonesome
that he got home rs quick as possible.
He went to small party, and grew to
positively DISLIKE the pretty girl he took
in to supper and went home with, because
she was not Molly Paine.
He fused ard moped aud chafcd, and
on Friday afternoon he went to SEQ
Celia.
"Do you expect Molly tonight" he
asked.
And when Celia said no, he got up
and went out like one in dream, or like
Il young man possessed of single idea
an idea he had battlcd against, but
which had overcome him. He went
home, got his horse into his cutter, took
some hot bricks and q soapstone and
went off in search of district number
twelve.
lie found it by dint of industrious in
quiry. Within short space he was pull
ing up at the door of n little schoolhouse,
which had been white once and was
brown now, set in the middle of big,
bare yard.
Tho snow was up to the fence on
either side, being tramped down IN the
middle by many small feet.
| "Dismalest hole ever struck" Harry
muttercd, and tied his horse at the one
post and strobe to the door.
Molly answered his knock-lIolly her.
self; Molly in u brown dress and white
apron-loolsing rather pretticr than ever
|
Her lovers heart rose to his throat,
and he stammorcd over the greeting he
had meant to utter with dignity.
He fancicd that Molly gaspcd and
shrank little. In view of the sclf-pos-
session he had always known in her, he
doubted it.
At least she recovered Immediately,
and shook hands and said, allow do you
do7" and replied to his inquiry that she
was well, and walked before him across
the room.
The platform held two chairs. Harry
took one. He was rather discomposed.
He had supposed that school would be
out.
But the round clock on the wall point
cd to hnlf-past three, and he knew the
barbnrous four o'clock rule of district
schools.
Molly, who held IN open book, was
going on with recitation, pacing slowly
up and down before her class, her head
high, her lips demurcly adjusted, her
eyes clear and bright. And the visitor
was in for half an hour of it.
Oddly enough, he was conscious of q
feeling of comfort such rs he had not
known for many days. Molly was here,
at least, and near him, though she was
giving all her attention to geography
class.
he felt thrill of happiness in her
mere bright prcsence-brown dress
white apon and all. Besides, the room
was clean aud pleasant, in spite of hack.
ncycd notices on the walls and floating
chalk dust.
And the school, which numbered
twenty five, WIS very decent-appearing;
Harry admitted that. The children were
red-cheeked and healthy, the older girls
were good-looking and the boys manly
The cracking fire made the great
black stove seem cheerful, and the littlc
old melodeon by the platform created {
homelike atmosphere. There were ever
green festoons over the windows ant
some plants on the stills. 1t was decided
ly coy.
Molly's lover sat in sort of lcthargic
calm. The geography class was recitine
chief cities and principal rivers in
monotonously soothing way.
The warmth of the room, after hi.
long, cold drive, had dulling effect
as did his subtle, growing happines
after his long dreariness. He was al
most sleepy.
He wore bland, contented smile
which puzzled the school---the scholars
admired him, however. He was mo-
very distinctly aware of anything; he
! knew history class succeeded the
geography, and spelling class the his
! tory, and that two additional spelling
classes followed, and that Molly was
speaking to the school in her bright
tones--something about next week.
work; and that she was giving mill
tary-sounding order-one, two, three
and that the school was filing out with
well-trained precision; and that at last
at last, he and Molly were left alone in
the warm, CHEEKY, dusty schoolroom.
, "Did you-dld you come to take M
home2" she said, hurriedly and breath
lessly, as though afraid of the silence.
And she went to the far end of tn,