The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1891-05-29
into a side stree and knocked at modest

Inc week WITCH followed was one
which he never frgot, for in it lay his
firzt taste of rea unhappinessi which
grew into settled goom.
He went to the lecture alone. He had
been wont TO take Molly Paine to every
thing of merit that cana along. He went
sleighing; and felt so wrechedly lonesome
that he got home as quicl as possible.
He went to a small party, md grew to
positively dislike the pretty SRI he took
in to supper and went home witt, because
she was not Molly Paine
He fused and moped and chafcc, and
on Friday afternoon he went to see
Celia.
ADO you expect Molly tonight" h
asked.
And when Celia said no, he got up
and went out like one in a dream, or like
a young man possessed of single idea
an idea he had battled against, but
which had overcome him. He went
home, got his horse into his cutter, took
some hot bricks and a soapstone aud
went off in search of district number
twelve.
He found it by dint of indus trious in
quiry. Within short space he was pull
ing up at the door of little schoolhouse,
which had been white once and was
brown now, set in the middle of big,
bare yard.
The snow was up to tho fence on
either side, being tramped down IN the
middle by many small feet.
''Dismalest hole ever struck" Harry
muttered, and tied his horse at the one
post and strobe TO the door
BIOIfy HUT
self; Molly in 4 brown dress and white
apron-looking rather prettier than ever
before and ten times as captivating.
Her lovers heart rose to his throat,
and he stammered over the greeting he
had meant to utter with dignity.
lie fancied that Molly gasped and
shrank little. In view of the self-pos-
session he had always known in her, he
doubted it.
At least she recovered Immediately,
and shook hands and said, ''How do you
dog 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
ed to half-past three, and he knew the
barbarous four o'clock rule of district
schools.
Molly, who held an open book, was
going on with a recitation, pacing slowly
up and down before her class, her head
high. her lips demurely adjusted, her
eyes clear and bright. And the visitor
was in for half an hour of it.
Oddly enough, he was conscious of a
feeling of comfort such rs he had not
known for many days. Molly was here,
at least, aud near him, though she was
giving all her attention to geography
class.
He felt thrill of happiness in her
mere bright presence-brown dress,
white apon and ALL Besides, the room
was clean and pleasant, in spite of hack
neyed notices on the walls and floating
chalk-dust.
And the school, which numbered
twenty-five, was 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 little
old melodeon by the platform created
homelike atmosphere. There
green festoons over the wind
some plants on the sills. 1t was
ly coy.
MoIly's lover sat in sort of
calm. The geography class wa
chief cities. and principal RI
monotonously soothing way.
The warmth of the room, after his
long, cold drive, had dulling effect
as did his subtle, growing happiness