The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-05-02
Mollv's Experiment.
BY EMMA A. OPPER.

"Going to-teach SCHOOL," Harry Bur.
ton echoed, much as though Molly had
said she was going to Sonth Africa.
81 commence next Monday" said
Molly, merely. and commenced mend.
ING the lace ruffle of white apron,
Harry strove for like indifference
and composure. This was made difficult
by the fact of 1Iolly's older sister, Celia.
having gone behind Motley for the pur-
pose of communicating her sentiments to
the caller, in dumb show. Her senti-
ments seemed to be humorous despair and
resignation.
"Where is the schooll" Harry inquired,
stiflly.
-Four miles north of here. District
number twelve" said Molly.
"Have you-positively engaged it2
For the life of him, Harry could not
help gasping. He had been at dance
with Molly the night before, and she
had worn pink roses on a pink China
silk gown. Not that the Paines were
rich; but-good gracious neither were
they poor.
"Certainly!" said Molly. 81 applied
two weeks ago, and l had a card from
the directors yesterday. 1 am engaged,
and am to begin next week"
Molly went to the work table for
some thread. Molly was rather petite,
with pretty complexion, a straight
small nose, a charmingly moulded
mouth. She was always as proudly self
posed as though she was twice eighteen
and half, and to-day she was, to Harry
Burton, maddeningly so.
"For how long term2" he aueried,
the bewildered, exasperated, miserable
feeling which had taken possession of
him deepening every minute.
"Ten weeks"
Molly threaded her needle.
Until February, them" Harry muir
INJURED. "Shall you-come home for
Sundays"
''PrObably not often" said Molly.
care you fixing that thing to wear2"
Harry demanded.
"This apron. Yes. You can hardly
be school-teacher without an apron"
said Molly.
She raised her pretty brows lightly at
his angry vehemence. The sun struck
through the window on her hair, which
was rich red-brown; her lips, softly
parted, showed her white teeth; her blue
gray eyes were lowered.
Harry Burton, throbbing with his
honest love for her, which had been long
growing within him, suffered such a
wretched pang that he WINGED.
He would not be treated so like bow
"a baby! He would not pretend
anything but disgust for the nonsensical
prank she was playing, it seemed to him,
chiefly for his tormenting-and succeed
ing, if so.
"Good-by, them he said, coolly ris-
ing. "rm going to Pomeroy to-mor-
row, and if you leave next week, good
BY"
He shook hands with Celia warmly and
with Molly distantly, and stalked out.
Celia took him to the front door.
Celia was pretty, too.
II don't know" she murmured, frown-
ing in sympathy with the irate young
man, and smiling because she couldn't
help it, "what ails Molly. It's ridiculous.
We've all talked and argued and implored
and here's the result. WAS sure she'd
back out, and haven't said a word to
any body about it. I've been positively
ashamed to. But she's going to do it
she actually is-and now it will have to
come out. don't know what all the girls
will say. If she'd ever done anything of
the kind before-or if she needed the
money-or lf-anything! But for Molly
to do it,"
Celia laughed, helplessly.
But this was unsatisfactory.
"Dont you know what her reason is,
anyhow" Harry asked, bluntly.
Celia dropped her eyes. Being wo.
man and sister, she thought she knew.
But how could she say to Harry Burton
that she suspected Molly's freak to have
a not very remote connection with him
selfl