The Penn's Grove record., 1894-02-23

desk, clasping he
aching temples with her slim whit
fingors-a young woman of perhaps two
and-tweuty, with q fair, oval face which
seemed to have been made fol- smiling
but was now wearing an expression o.
WEAKNESS and dependency.
The day had been u trying one.
Though only the middle of February,
the weather was close and sultry, and
she had sat all dsy in the stoveheated
room, not daring to open the doors and
windows lest the children should take
cold.
These latter-girIs as we'll as boys
had shown themselves unusually rest
less, in~attentive and provoking, with an
amount Of giggling aud whispering go.
Jug on ghich had sorely tried the nerves
acd temper of the usually patient
teacher.
As she now sat, resting her achlng
temples in her hands, she almost con
cluded that it would be better to give
up her situation az tue end Of this her
first session, and seek sone less weary
ing il less "gen.ecl" meals of support.
And she would be glad to get away from
Lynnyilie.
At first she had liked it, and fauc.ed
that the people liked her; but since the
new min's;er, the Reverend Frank
Deane, had begun to show her some lit
tie kind attention when they CHANGED to
meet at the various church sociabies,
sewing societies and other similar enter.
taiments gotten up after his arrival, Miss
kate Morrison could not but becom,
aware of the great dlminution of he
popularity among the female portion o.
her acquaintance.
It had even come to her ears that she
was generally accused of s'settiug her
Gap" for the minister, and that Miss
Peachy Perkins, who, when Mr.. Deaut
was suffering from a cold, had sent hin
a pair of embroidered slippers and nc
end of cake and jelly ''of her own max.
Ing" had publicly declared her convic-
ton that ''that Ka.c Morrison was a sly,
designing MINK" while Patty Merriman
had pronounced it downright impudent
10 a school teacher to force herself upon
Mr.. Deane's attention, as she did tina.
night =zAen she went to church without
az umbrella, aud it rained, aud he WAS
compelled to sec her home
And so poor Kate, in mingled pride
end modification, had since felt herself
obliged, in self defense, to treat Mr..
Deane with a GOODNESS and reserve which
had evidently put an end to his attea-
tons.
And the faint, sweet dream OF a dawn,
Ing happiness, which had for a brio.
moment checred her lonely life, had an.
ished, leaving only a shadow behind.
She was thinking OF those things nov
as she sat at FER desk, until thought be-
came a torture; and to escape from it
sie arose and left the .school-room, and
stood for awhile resting in the shade Of
the big elm tree which grew behind tbs
house.
The two bad boys looked after her,
and then moved cautiously toward each
other and commenced Whispering and
khuuluS.
Say, Dick, did yer give that volun.
tine to Liz Miller2"
.tYer betl An she was so pleased
fhe most jumped out o. her akini"
.'Guess Hattie Smith warp't pleased 8
bit. She tore up her Voluntine, aud
lowed she'd ramsack the whole school
bat she'd finS out who called her q splay-
foot, snaggle'tooth pollywog. He, he
Twas fun"
"What yer Think Tom Neal didn'
send them Voluntines to Mamie and
Sallyl He was sort o 'fraid. Here they
arc in his desk. Amt they stunningi
He, hel"
He held up two coarse sheets of paper,
on which were emb.azoned wreaths Of
vermilion roses, and bleeding hearts
skswered with Srro vs. roasting before
ganboge flames. Beneath each heart
were some printed lines.
"Hush, Dick; the teacher IL hear
Jcrl'
"Wonder il she'll git a VolunIine9'
"Duuno. Herd brother Ben say the
minister was spoony on her Say"-his
frecS..ed face became suddenly radiant
s's'pose we send her one o these Volun-
tines-from hiL,?'
san t'other one to him from herr"
They chrS'kled in fendish glee. But
there was no time for i~ndulging 10 mer-
riment. So while Dick hastily scrawled
a name beneath the verses on the Valcn-
tines, TIN directed a couple of enve.
lopes.
''Hurry, TimI" Dick whispered. -.
see Lem Miller COMM down the road on
That old yallcr horse; and he'll leave the
Voluntine at the minister's as he goes
W."
The two Valentines were hastily shuf-
fed into the envelopes. and Dick, sneak
ing out Of the front door, met Lem as
he reached the door.
'.Say, Lem, please just leave this hero
letter at tn minister's for the teacher,
won't yeri I don't want to go down
there just to carry it,"
"All right" Lem answered, as he
dropped the letter into his coat pocket.
And as he rode off he called back: "You
better get home soon's you an. I:s
goin' to rain"
The last words reached the teachers
car where she stood under the elm, and
Ihe 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
to place it inside, where she would have
,ound 1t before leaving school.
Unfortunately he missed his aim and
The envelope fell to the floor behind the
,eacher's seat, where it attracted her at.
,ention as she entered.