Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-09

time | was twenty-five years of age
| had become second mistress in a
fOuTiShing private school with a sal
airy of $50 per annum.
The school where [ was teaching
when my story recOmmences was in a
London suburb, Where, as the prOSpec-
tuS said, we had "rhe advantages of
the town combined with the salubrity
! of the country" The name of the head
mistress was Murray. In a girls
school, of all places in the world, one
would suppose ones self safe from eX-
element, romance and mystery: never
| theless, it was while within Miss Muir
rays sacred inclOsure that the second
chapter of the story OF my lost bank
note found its way to me.
Miss Murray was an ambitious
woman, and as the importance of her
school really demanded it, she was in
the habit Of paying a university man
to come down once year in the sum-
! mer to examine the pupils This
event had taken place annually ever
since my coming to the school; the ex-
animation occupied three days. and it
W L
always been a prOsaic and somewhat
arduOuS undertaking, and it's sole re-
deeming feature was that it preceded
the long vacation.
One year. however. the monotOny
was broken by an extraordinary event.
On warm midsummer'S morning |
rose early. my mind full of eXamina-
tiOn matters. 1t was my habit to take
care that the eXamination-rOOm was
fresh and cool. | helped the maid to
set the place in order before break
fast, and as soon as the meal was over
went to make final arrangements.
1t was fifteen minutes past nine
After a final glance round l was about
to hurry from the room to call the
pupils when the rustic of Miss Muir
rays silk and a manly tread accom-
panying hers warned me that | was
late. | stepped toward the door in
some yeNatiOn at being discovered be-
hindhand, and there confronted Miss
Murray with a tall man by her side,
She was in one of her happieSt
moods; the examiner had not neglected
to bring his cap and gown, and this
was a point in his favor; for Miss Muir
ray stickled for ceremony and felt
sighted if the hOnorS of the university
were not accorded. At this moment.
however. l only saw him as one sees
a shadow; my mind was taken up with
my seeming inattentiOn to duty. and I
directed a somewhat anxious glance to
my superior.
quite right, Miss KEITH said she.
I'VE are early. Allow me to introduce
our examiner. He expressed a desire
to see the room. This will be your
table, Mr.. Marston. Yonder Miss
Keith will sit Call the pupils, my
dear, We will retire to the garden"
l vanished while Miss Murray still
flowed on; and soon l had my pupils
in their places, and was endeavoring
to suppress the rising tumult of in
quiries as to the appearance and prob
able temperament of the examiner
iascible, easy-to-be-e ntreated, or other
wise
In the midst of a ripple of whispers
the door opened and he entered the
room. Every head was Instantly
turned. and through the dead silence
certainly twenty-five pairs of eyes di-
rected inqui>itive glanceS toward him.
l looked up with the rest, neither in
quisitively uor with interest; it was an
automatic movement OccaSiOned by the
opening Of the door and someone's en-
! trance-that was all. My gaze be
came, however, gradually concentrated.
Mr.. MarStOn had a striking face, re-
fined, handsome; in figure he was tall
and athletic, and he appeared to be
about twenty-eight years of age. But
had l not seen him before? No, that
was surely impossible; l must be mis-
| taken.
! He applied himself at once to the
! duty Of christening the bundle of
| papers which he carried. and then
! went down the room handing a list of
! questions to each pupil in turn. When
| he reached my end of the room and
! had delivered the last, he paused for
a moment and called out:
! Half past nine! The examination
will now begin.'
! Then he walked back again to his
| seat.
But that Voice! most assuredIy l had
! heard it before. This second impress
| sion was one too distinct to be disre-
| garded or set aside. What did it
mean? My eyes followed him up the
room. l seemed to know beforehand
! how he would walk. l had some in
delible recollection connected with thai
easy. swinging gait.
! | looked out of the window. making
a mental effort to compel something
| clearer from my memory. In this at
! titude | remained some moments, then
turned my head sharply and suddenly,
and again directed my glance upon Mr..
Marston. He was leaning over his
table looking steadfastly at me: the
gaze l encountered was a singularly
penetrating one from a remarkable
blue pair Of eyes; for one brief second
our thoughts We're like written SEN
fences one to another Stay! Was not
all this delusion? Had 1 really en-
countered his glance at all? Appar-
emily he had not moved a muscle. vet
now his eyes certainly We're fixed alb
sently over my head on the open win