Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-06-06
WENTIETH YEAR-NO. 81
PANDORA'S PUPIL.

danger. But one day Mrs. Grimm, her
landlady, paid her visit; told her she
ought to be ashamed of herself to be-
have so unladylike-that all the neigh
borhood 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 pillar
of salt. She saw just how this repair Of
neglected education must appear to her
small circle of discarded pupils, and felt
strong desire to drown herself, or jump
out the window, or turn on the gas, or
take 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
waterproof cloak-for she had been max
ing preparations to go to bed, announced:
Mr.. Sliger.
He can't come up, said Pandora, "at
this hour of night"
No, miss, he says for you to come
down."
Pandora went down. Mr.. Sliger was
at the door,
There's telescope at the corner" he
said something going on in some star
or other, believe. Get bonnet and
shawl and come and take a peep. 1t
will be lesson in astronomy for me.
You can explain it, you know-same
terms as the other lessons.
Pandora without word obeyed.
The door was closed after the two,
leaving Mrs. Grimm staring at Nora.
That's the capsheaf, said the lady.
"Shall 1 sit up for 'em? ?" asked Nora.
~No, said Mrs. Grimm. II will. +"
Meanwhile Miss Pandora and Mr..
Sliger peeped through the telescope and
saw the rings of Saturn, which Mr.. Sliger
supposed to be phenomenal and tempo
rary, and which were explained by Miss
Pandora to be fixtures, and then ad-
journed to an ice cream saloon of much
elegance.
This, indeed, was desperate dissipation.
Miss Pandora said to herself, as she sat
before the cut glass goblets on the damask
cloth and 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 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 instruction to
him.
He was ordering every indigestiblc
luxury on the bill of fare, the damon
on his little finger flashed like small
sun, obsequious walters bobbing about
behind them. He looked kindly 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, pleas
ant looking man.
"All over! All over!" she said to her
self. 81 might have known what wicked
world this is, and how ill it thinks of in
nocent things. Why might not go on
teaching him forever without harm?"
People were coming in from concerts
and 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 behest. Suddenly he turned to
her and took a letter from his pocket.
Read that, Miss Piper, he said.
Pandora opened the missive and pc
rused it.
1t was from firm of lawyers speaking
in plain terms of Mr.. st. Leger as a gen
tleman and man of honor and fortune.
II did not need it, indeed" said Pan
dora sadly. "And this is the way your
name is really spelled3 st. Leger! It's
beautiful name"
1T sounds little curious to me, he
said. my mother wrote it Sliger l
never knew, but you see was all right
They never took me without character
when I-went for place-in the old
time, and I couldn't expect you to take
me without character either. II
don't know whether you despise me for
my ignorance or not; but if you do not,
why, want you to take me for your
pupil for life-to marry me, you know.
Pandora. Will you think of itl"
1t was dreadful thing to do in such a
public place, but Pandora Piper felt that
she was going to faint.
at was in my mind the first day I
came, he said. Il had seen you often
through the window, when you gave les
sons to that little girl at Bells. used to
watch you with my opera glass. I felt
sure that you were just the woman for
me, and every lesson you gave me proved
it, shall learn everything from YOU
goodness as well as spelling. Oh, say
yes!"
Pandora said:
"Yes."
Mrs. Grimm was sitting up for her,
pale with wrath, when she returned but
Pandora took her by both hands and said:
"You won't turn me out till after my
wedding day. will you, dear? You'll let
me get married here? It's next week.
Mr.. ST. Leger won't wait. You see, we
shall have to go to England to live on the
estate. And, after all, poor little teacher
needs no great preparation,
Servants and diamonds and a country
house and city yhouse-everything heart
could wish, Mrs. Grimm says, in telling
her story. "A great lady, now. Its like
O romance"
The latest English style of shaking
hands, judging from the description, re-
srmbles the well known popular method