The morning call., 1892-06-30
How He TOLD Her.

How HE TOLD HER.
She'll have TO go; amt no way out Of
that She'll have to skip" said Dave Ken
new He squinted In a crosseyed manner at
bit of cracker on his tawny. scraggy beard
and transferred it carefully to his mouth.
There was a wedge Of cheese on his left
knee.
When the Fence Corners School Board
originally Feunetts Corners. but thus apuy
abbreviated-had meeting it was by gen.
eral agreement in old Hank grocery, where
crackers and mayhap a herring might relieve
lis tedum. But tonight there was an ale
Waiting interest,
About the size of it," said Silas Saun-
ders. He preferred tobacco and rolled a
quid under his tongue. This amt no place
for her here. Why, I wouldn't answer for
the consequences If she stayed; there amt
no tellin' what might happen nor what Gus
sedness them boys might be up TO- Look at
COrny ROuke, six foot two or three II he's
an inch, and chuck fun, chuck full. He's
always been the one to put the teachers out
and there amt no doubt but what lCs MS
idea this time BarTiCadiu the SchOOlhOuSe
who but C0rny would have thought OF
shat?"
There was something Of contemplatiye adj
mrauOn IN his tone.
Coin 10 be done, whOeyer's dom D"
said Kinney, exploring his cracker bag.
@Goin' to get in at o'clock tomorrow
mornln' and shut up the door and faSten
the windows, ana any teacher that gets ID
will have 10 get in through the keynote or
crack; that's what they said"
A-Hsa a.,rr Ia Nr.N COLI = n
meeting for the purpose Of telling it. But
it was interesting TO dwell upon, There
was an impressive silence.
"WeH, wen have to give her notice.
You're just the one TO do II, IEOrntOn-eh? p
Saunders observed TO a third member Of the
board He was himself uneasy. "Sbe got
along irSt-rate with the summer term" he
added He appeared to feel q vague and
imDOtent regret Needs the money, l
should judge"
''She needn't have made no calculations to
teach no winter term heTe-n0t TO Fence
Corners" Kinney responded, with some
contempt III there hain't been a winter
for five years but what there has been
rumpus, and generally school shut up; why,
she needn't have looked for there going TO
be-"
Il was unauswera bic; but the store
keeper offered q weak suggestion over his
motley counter.
I should think that gang ought to be
broke up" be said.
He expected no Tejoinder, and got none.
The school boards attention was centered
upon no snch whimsical iTreleYancy.
Reckon you're the one TO notify her,
Thornton" said Saunders again.
He wFiggled unquietly on his stool.
Thornton sat motion less. Whether in
fact or by q trick Of the ill-buTning lamp on
the counter his goOd-lO0king face, with its
heavy mustache, appeared pale. He sat
with his arms crossed on his knees and his
eyes on the floor silent
Just so, said Kinney with an air Of
impartial decision. You can get it of
better than Saunders or me, Thornton.
You're a better lookin' man, anyhow, and
you're better rugged "" he concluded with
polite amlableness.
They made an attempt at a careless dis
missai Of the subject Kinney got NJ and
threw bis cheeseTind into the stove. Thorn
ton passed his hand over his mouth and
swallowed hard.
You can Just put it easy" said Kinney,
encOuTagingly. "1 on can tell her Just how
It is, and that it's for her own good and amt
TO be put of nor avoided. You can tell her
she done first class. the summer term. Why,
you can tell her just what you're a MUD
To-" cried Kinney, mRgnanimOusly.
Their colleague rose. lie was a tall and
powerful young fellow but there was an
odd laXlty IN his movements now as he went
toward the door. He held his hat brim TO
his lips, too, and turned his face from the
light Hanks stared at him till the door
closed
Il supp0se you've found out that Jim
ThoTnton's about the bashfGlest feller in
town, hain't you?" he queried.
There was no response.
And you've probably suspiciOned, same
as other folks. that he's kind of sweet on
that schOOlma' am, or would be il he dared ?''
pursued the stOrekeeper.
The school board was silent.
oil he Ind lis A
disgust, bali OF admiration, you couldn't
have hired me to be that mean 10 a yeller
dOg-not to yeller dog"
Thornton made his way up the road
through a warm and lightly falling snow
that whitened and beautifed it. dark as it
was, from the infTeQuency OF buildings and
hubby with the frozen mud. He forgot to
put his hat on till he met man in wagon
who stared at him. His face and hair were
damp with melted flakes. He went SLOWLY.
almost ereepngly, for there was In his
heart terrible, sinking dread Of what he
must do. 1t was almost more than he could
master.
Where was she2 BisseFs; he knew she
boarded at BissePs, and it was not far: he
could see its light through the snow-laden
trees. The pain at his heart was all but
physical; he wnched, and kept his hand on
his nervous mouth; there was a mist in his
eyes, which grew into tears. He was not
surprised at them, nor ashamed Of them: he
wiped them on mechanically with his rough
strong hand. he did not know whether
they were from pity Tor Der or himself: he
was not clearly conscious of either, but Of a
dull happiness such as he had never known
he looked down at his clothes with a feel
ing OF shame; they were not his best ones
He had readymade suit at home, but
these bis mother had made. He wished
they looked better. The light in BissePs
window cast It's long shadow Oh the whole
ground. II waved there, shrinking and
HDgeringi then 1t pushed on and up to the
door.
1t was not the custom Of Fence Corners to
rap; 1t would have been looked upon as a
useless f0rmslity. He stepped into Bssers
large scantily furnished, Tag-carpeted best
ROOM He gasped as he stood there He
bad vaguely hoped for e little Teprieve, but
she sat there by the lamp, alone, bending
over some work. She rose at his entrance
and came forward little to offer her hand /;
but be did not see it, and she drOyped it
back in awkward haste
Wont you take chair?" she asked.
She brought one forward. Thornton sat
down. He dropped his hat as ne did so
and picked Il up with red face. Then he
sat still. De would have tried to speak, but
be knew be could not; his tongue felt thick
and immOvable.
1T is showing isn't it?" as ked the school
teacher; she bore the marks Of dlfidence
herself In her timorous voice and look
Thornton nodded; 1t was all he could do.
He stared at her fxedly. almost vacantly.
His mind wandered back and strove to
anchor itself on something. Once he had
spent an evening at BissePs, on the occasion
OF party, and taken her hand in one of the
games; once be had overtaken her. in a
wagon, on her way TO school, and gwen her
lift That was all. He thought it might
have been less hard for him II there had
been something more, but that was all his
morbid self-distrustlulness had allowed
him.
TIE ticking of the clock on q stand In the