Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-07-28
THE NEW SCHOOLMA'AM.
Naomis Unworthy Jealousy and
Her Reparation.
us supper ready, Naomi2"

David Pole had brought with him n
breath OF the cold outside air into the
room where his sister was ironing. The
young people were alike-tall, we'll
shaped, swarthy complexioned, with
regular features and large gypsy-black
eyes, where the jetty lights seemed TO
swim at every breath.
A very old woman covering over
the stove had the same strange eyes,
although her hair, under its close
frilled cap, was bleached snow-white,
and her skin was the color of old parch-
ment.
what yc gotp" the crone demanded,
as young Pole flung q bunch Of birds on
tho table.
"Something for breakfast, granny"
said he. I've been hunting In Callet
woods. Not much luck, though. /
say, Noami, l wishd you'd hurry up
supper"
what for? IL amt supper time
yet, and I've got all the towels 70 do
yet"
"Oh, bother the towelsl ] want 10 go
over to skene's Corners tonight and see
Miss Stuart's now piano"
"Ilumphw Naomi ironed away with
redoubled zeal "Miss Stuart's new
piano indeedl I wish Miss Stuart was
further, and her new piano, tool But
you're like all the rest, Dave-a new
face tuSns your head. Hessie Holt and
her poor little parlor organ amt much
account now"
"Eh? What ye talkin' 'boutp Who's
Miss Stuartp Is Ilessie IIolts organ out
o. tune ag'in2" crooned out tho old
woman by the FIRE.
Granny don't know said Naomi
81 guess she's the only one that don't.
Miss Stuart, granny Why, she's the
latest fashion at Skenc's Corners. She's
the new schoolma'am. Ask our Dave
IL you want TO know all about her. Ask
any OF the young fellers"
ASK John Classon!" added David, an
grily. "Naomi's jealous-that's what
ails Naomi"
Naomi compressed her full red lips
and ironed resolutoly on Tho old
grandmother fell into sort of doze and
nodded over the stove. David Pole took
the lantern down from Its nail against
the chimney piece.
III can't get my supper here" said
he, "Ill get II over to Classons. III
look after the cattle first"
And in n moment David was gone.
"lle can do as he pleases," thought
Naomi, vindictivcly. There's nothing
but cold pork and picked beets for
supper, anyhow. Perhaps they'n have
something better at Classon's. Miriam
dy - II good cook"
Tho clock had Just struck six, and
granny was stirring the homcly brown
sugar into her first cup Of tea, when u
gentle knock sounded ON the warped
panel Of tho outside door. Naomi rose
to answer the summons.
A beautiful young woman, with red
gold hair large light-blue eyes and a
complexion as tglicate as roscleaf,
stood there, wrapped in a scarlet and
dark plaid shawl
"Miss Polc?" she said, hesitatingly.
Naomi inclined her head stiiIly.
yes" she said, that is my name"
81 am Eda Stuart"
Again Naomi bowed frigidly.
"And," hesitated the new school.
teacher, with II smile that might have
melted the carthenware Cinnamon ON
the lid of grannys teapot, but which
produced no sort of effect on Naomi
Pole, "Ive started ont to visit n sick
pupil-Louisa Ledyard-and I'm afraid
I've lost my way. hadn't any idea II
would grow dark so soon, and / must
be back by seven o'clock, for | expect
some friends to try new piano that /
have had sent me from Boston. Your
brother has half promised to come,
Miss Pole. Won't you accompany
him?'
David isn't at home" said Naomi,
with a sidcwise glance at the road down
which her brother had strobe some time
ago. And don't care nothin' about
pianos"
Miss Stuart colored and shranl back.
She felt as II this hard, handsome bru-
nette had slapped her in the face.
perhaps, them" said she, you can
tell me the nearest way home. It's
quite dark, you see, and" brushing
tome white, needle-lllie particles out
of her face, "it's beginning to snow"
Keep right along the path till you
come To the old stone tavern" said
Naomi, indifferently. "Thcn turn TO
the right, and 1t amt more'n half a
mile, or maybe three-quartcrs."
The bright-dressed girl stiu fingered
on the doorstep.
81 am not very well acquainted with
the roads around here" said she. "If
you could send boy to show mc?"
1--WE don't keep no boy, said Naomi
And we've no one TO send"
Again Miss Stuart recoiled.
Good evening"" she said, gently.
Good EVENING""
And Naomi banged the door shut.
As she sat eating her supper and
helping granny TO fresh supplies OF
homemade bread and butter sudden
thought darted into her mind.
In giving Miss Stuart the directions
for finding her way back to Sltcnc's
Corners, she had forgotten the young
strangers ignorance Of the neighbor-
hood characteristics.
10 was true that the regular road
branched Off 10 the right of the ruined
pile which had once been an old stone
tavern, but there was also disused
thoroughfare which led through u dis
NAL swamp towards long abandoned
stone quarry, across rotten corduroy
rond, which had nearly sunk into one
OF those frightful quaklng bogs which
sometimes appear in dense and swampy
woods.
To one unaccustomed TO the local to-
pography It might be perilously easy 10
stray off into the weed-grown and de-
serted truck, especially when every
thing was whitened with fast falling