Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-02-25

tr1G s-SSTSSSpkS CT 80
desk, claspipg her
aching temples with her slim white
fngers-a young woman of perhaps two
and-twenty, with fair, oval face which
seemed to have been made foi smiling,
but was now wearing an expression of
WEAKNESS and dependency.
The day had been a trying one.
Though only the middle of February,
the weather was close and sultry, and
she had sat all day in the stoveheated
room, not daring to open the doors aud
windows lest the children should take
cold.
These latter-girls as well as boys
had shown themselves unusually rest
less, inattentive and provoking, with an
amount Of giggling and whispering go.
ing on which had sorely tried the nerves
and temper of the usually patient
teacher.
As she now sat, resting her aching
temples in her hands, she almost con-
cluded that it would be better to give
up her situation at the end of this her
first session, aud seek some less weary
ing if less "genteel" means of support.
And she would be glad to get away from
Lynnville.
At first she had liked it, and fancied
that the people liked her; but since the
new minister, the Reverend Frank
Deaue, had begun to show her some lit
tie kind attention when they chancel to
meet at the various church sociabIes,
sewing societies aud other similar enter
taiments gotten up after his arrival, Miss
Kate Morrison could not but become
aware of the great dIminution of her
popularity among the female portion of
her acquaintance.
It had even come to her ears that she
was generally accused of "sethng her
cap" for the minister, and that Miss
Peachy Perkins, who, when Mr.. Deane
was suffering from cold, had sent him
pair of embroidered slippers and no
end of cake and Jelly "of her own max
ing" had publicly declared her convic-
ton that "that Kate Morrison was sly,
designing MINK while Patty Merriman
had pronounced it downright impudcnt
in a school teacher to force herself upon
Mr.. Deanes attention, as she did that
light when she went TO church without
an umbrella, and it rained, and he was
compelled to see her home
And so poor Kate, in mingled pride
and modification, had since felt herself
obliged, in self defense, TO treat Mr..
Deane with GOODNESS aud reserve which
had evidently put an end to his atten-
tons.
And the faint, sweet dream Of dawn
ing happiness, which had for a brief
moment cheercd her lonely life, had van.
ished, leaving only shadow behind.
She was thinking of these things now
rs she sat at her desk, until thought be-
came torture; and to escape from it
she arose aud left the school room, and
stood for awhile resting in the shade OF
the big elm tree which grew behind the
house.
The two bad boys looked after her,
and then moved cautiously toward each
other and commenced whispering and
grinning.
Say, Dick, did yer give that Volun,
tine to liz MiIer?'
''Yer bet Al she was so pleased
she most jumped out o her skim"
"Guess Hattie Smith warn't pleased q
bit. She tore up her Noluutiue, and
lowed she'd rsmsack the whole school
but she d find out VINO called her splay
foot, suaggletooth polIywog. He, he.
Twas fun"
"What yer Think Tom Neal didu'
send them Voluntiues to Mamie and
Sally! He was sort o 'fraid. Here they
are in his desk. Amt they stunning
He, hel'
He held up two coarse sheets of paper,
on which we're emblazoned wreaths of
vermilion roses, ami bleeding hearts
skewered with arrows roasting before
gamboge flames. Beneath each heart
were some printed lines.
"Hush, Dick; the teacher Il hear
To
wonder If she'll git voluntiuel'
"Duuno. Herd brother Ben say the
minister was spoony on her. Ssy"-his
freckled face became suddenly radiant
"s'pose we send her Que o these Folun-
tncs-from him7"
An t'other one to him from hera"
They chulkled In tiendish glee. Blu!
there was no time for INDUCING in mer-
rlment. So while Dick hastily scrawled
a name beneath the verses on the Valen-
tines, Tim directed a couple of enve-
lopes.
Hurry, Timl" Dick whispered. al
see Lem Miller couin' down the road on
that old ysller horse; and he'll leave the
Voluntine at the minister's as he goes
by"
The two Valentines were hastily shut
fed into the envelopes. aud Dick, sneak.
ing out of the front door, met Lem as
he reached the door.
Say, Lem, please just leave this here
letter at tn minister's for the teacher,
won't yeri don't want to go DOM
there Just to carry it,"
"All right Lem answered, as ne
dropped the letter into his coat pocket.
And rs he rode off he called back "You
better get home soon's you can. It's
goin' to rain"
The last words reached the teachers
ear where she stood under the elm, and
she turned to re.enter the school room.
Dick had just time to regain his seat,
tossing the second letter on her desk as
he skipped past, for there was no time