The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1891-02-06
PANbORA's-PUPIL.

Poor Miss Piper little thought when
she began to teach Nj. Singer, a gen.
tleman OF neglected education, how to
read and write that her fair fame was
in danger. But one day Mrs. Grimm,
her landlady paid her a visit, told her
she ought to be ashamed of herself to
behave SO unladylike, that all the
neighborhood was talking about the
scandal, and wound up by asking the
poor little old maid to leave the
house.
Poor Miss Pandora! AS her friend
and landlady walked out of the door
with her handkerchief to her eyes she
stood motionless, as though turned to
q pillar of salt. She saw just how
this repair of neglected education
must appear to her small circle of dis
carded pu ills, and felt a strong desire
to drown herself, or jump out the
window, or turn on the gas, or take a
box of matches in her tea, and she
might actually it seemed to her after
ward, have died of modification, but
that the gong at the front door pulled
violently at this moment, startled
her, and Nora, running up, wrapped in
a waterproof cloak, for she had been
making preparations to 60 to bed, an
nounced:
"Mr. Sliger."
"He can't come up" said Pandora,
':at this hour of night"
"No, miss; he sap for you to come
down"
Pandora went down.
Mr.. Sliger was at the door.
There's q telescope at the corner"
he said: "something going ON in some
star Or other, l believe. Get abonnet
and shawl and come and take q peep.
1t will be a lesson in astronomy for
me. You can explain it, you know
same terms as the other lessons"
: Pandora without a word obeyed.
The door was closed after the two,
leaving Mrs. Grimm staring at Nora.
CHATS the capsheaf," said the
lady.
'shall I sit up for 'em?" asked
Nora.
: NO." said Mrs. Grimm. ~ will"
p: Meanwhile Miss Pandora and Mr..
Sliger peeped through the telescope
and saw the rings of Saturn, which
Mr.. Sliger supposed to be phenome-
nal and temporary, and which We're
Explained by Miss Pandora to be fix
lures, and then adjourned to an ice
cream saloon of much elegance.
. This, indeed was desperate dissipa-
ton, Miss Pandora said to herself, as
she sat before the cut-glass goblets on
the damask cloteHnd saw the water
splash from the little fountain in the
center into the aquarium and over
the glossy plants, all reflected in the
long mirrors. However, what did it
matter? She was already "talked
about" turned out of her lodgings as
a person who had gone wrong. She
would keep this merry moment to re-
member when she had put an end to
all by saying to the neglected pupil
that she could no longer impart in
struction to him.
He was ordering every indigestible
luxury on the bill of fare, the diamond
on his little finger flashing like a small
sun, obsequious walters bobbing
about behind them. He looked kind
ily at her, and asked her if she liked
this or that. He was as simple as an
old baby; as kind as an old lady, and
he was a nice, pleasant-lool(ng man.
"All over! All over!" she said to
herself. 81 might have known what
a wicked world this is, and how i'll it
thinks of innocent things. Why might
not 1 go on teaching him forever with
out harm?"
F. People were coming in from concerts,
from the theaters; tables were filling,
but theirs, between the two columns
beyond the fountain, was very quiet.
, The walters were gone to execute Mr..
Sliger's behests. Suddenly he turned
to her and took q letter from his
pocket.
"Miss Piper" he said, "read that"
Pandora opened the missive and Pc
rused it.
1t was from a firm oflawyers, speak
ing in plain terms of Mr.. st. Leger as
a gentleman and g man of honor and
fortune.
II did not need it, indeed" said
Pandora sadly. "And this is the way
your name is really spelt? st. Legerl
It's a beautiful name"
sit sounds q little curious to me-"
he said. Mother wrote it Sliger. |
never knew; but you see I'm all right.
They nevertook me without a charac-
ter when went for a place-in the
poor times, andI cauldn't expect you
to take me withouts character either.
II don't know whether you despise
me for my ignorance or not; but if you
don't why l want you to take me for
your pupil for life-to marry me, you
know, Pandora. Will yon?"
1t was a dreadful thing TODD in such
a public place, but Pandora Piper felt
that she was going to faint-the room
grew black.
!; at was in my mind the first day I
came,"he said. 81 had seen you often
through the window, when you gave
lessons to that little girl at Bells. l
used to watch you with my opera
glass. I felt SURE that you were just
the oma for me, and every lesson
you gave me proved it. l shall learn
everything f2m you-goodness as
we'll as snelInHeS Oh. saw ves' want