The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-08
JUST A MAINLY HOVER.

/.
school Is dismissed" said Annie
Mills, and the ten or twelve little cuun-
try Children that wcrt her charge walk
ca VIGOROUSLY to the door and then cS-
capped jumping and whooplng Into the
open air.
Annie changed ns QuIckly from tho
dlgniilol young teacher to tho chIllIgl,
girl, and took q little mirror out ot her
desk and prinkcd md pulled at her curls
rs the FIRST JOY OF liberty. Then she
took her lunch basket aud went down to
tho big beech tree by the brook to tut II,
TINS wns the way her thoughts We're
running:
II wish | knew n real hero, one like
those In tho story papers. Nothing ever
happens like them. When | got mar
rled, II ! ever did. Ia wnnt to marry
some ono who was brave ana grand und
did something wonderful, not going on
jnst like other people. . Hes 10 Very
nice, hes big andEtrong upd kind, but
The thoughts grew more confused and
contradictory,
After this you will not be surprised
to learn that WIN Harvey came 10 the
beech tree almost as soon. as Annie did,
and that she was quite Surprised to See
him.
III Give You SONG OF my lunch" she
said, Grnciously, TO the tall fellow, fresh
nom the pillow, who was Sacrificing
most OF his dinner hour for fcr sOci-
ETY..
II don't want your lunch. Annie. l
want you--therc, it'R out-you know.
v been wanting to tell you.' lie
reached tinlidly to take her hand, but
Just then she found 1t necessary to drop
down and peer a~nSiously into her bas-
kot.
Harvey sat beside her and begged
her 10 try to love HIM; he loved her 30
much; he'd be 80 good to her; he didn't
want 20 live if-but she dM care for him
4 little, didn't she? Annie drew invisible
patterns with her finger on the old
beech roots, and kept her eyes on that
important Industry.
Il don't know Will" she answered.
at last, In Il very small voice: then,
With a ghost oga laugh: Yes: | do, too.
| don't a r enough toto want to say
yes, n care too much 10 say no. I'm
u bad girl, and | don't mean to be n
coquctte and u illrt. but that's lust
what l would be II | behaved the way l
want to-"
With this She flashed or him for an
instant her beautiful brown eyes. They
were both merry and troubled.
But In the end, at last. you'd love
me. too, wouldn't you. Annie?"
II don't know. l don't want to give
you my answer"
"But ! have to have an answer"
VIII spoke In Il new tone. his deep
voice vibrating. ~ can't 20 on this
way, Annie. You know to-day as we'll
as any other day whether you have
Just been playing with me or not. 1
sha'nt blame you; | sha'Tt call you any
hard name, but must know now what
you mean: what there is in your heart
for me. II you won't have me. l want
10 know the worSt"-he stopped sud-
denly and shut his mouth tightly. It
seemed he feared to trust his voice TO
say more.
Give me n few hours to think. VIII;
I'll tell You after school,
Harvey made nc answer except 70
nod hi head: then he got up, stopped
over swiftly and kissed the top OF ler
head and was gone. Annie with the
pat of her hand felt the kissed place
meditattvcly, as II she expected to find
II changed by this novel experience.
Her face was very serious. 1t was little
lunch she ate, and then she went back
10 the schoolhousc a quarter OF an hour
before time to ring the be-
II.