The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-19
BY G. w. ROSE.
Copyright, 1896. by c. W. Rose)

Copyright, 1896, by G. W. Rose)
PLAY checkers. schoolmaster?"
'1Oh, yes, play checkers"
The tone betrayed the rash con-
hdence Of youth. but the old farmer
met it with a serene smile, born Of
the memory Of many victories.
Hattie. bring that checker board.
What kind Of a game do you play,
teacher, side or center?"
II don't understand your terms, re-
Piled the schoolmaster. but play the
regular openings. and then gauge nay
play according to my opponents
play"
well I'll be switchedr exclaimed
the farmer. Il always thought check
ers was checkers the world over, but 1
never heard Of openings, nor gauges
nu.her."
I see your board is not numbered,
said the teacher. DO you object TO
my marking the numbers with pen
clio"
Mark all you want to. schoolmas-
ter" replied the hilarious farmer.
Put a sum in mental 'rithmetic IN the
middle. an algebra round the edges.
Turn me board over an write out
some examples in botny an hist ~ on
the back of 'er! Can't hurt the oo1ra
any! Ernest, git some Of that cider
After the farmer had Won four games
in succession. he said to his son:
Here. Ernest, you come an play with
the schoolnaster This amt exciting
enough for me. I'll go an set by the
fire an think"
Ten minutes later Ernest said: Well,
father, this may be fun for you, pul
it's rather monotonOus for me. on
better play with Hattie, schoolmaster:
You may get a game OCCASIONALLY II
she's good-nature
So the teacher and his Oldest pupll
-laved together. But the memory OF
certain caustic remarks anent the al
ternoon's algebra recitation ranked
in the Young girls bosom, and she
showed him no mercy. She forced ms
pieces into unavoidable corners; she
coaxed him after apparently unprotec-
ted "singIe men" only to slaughter
the pursuer. and at last in complet-
ing an innocent looking eoIi llo;r,
swert the hoard time and again.
Looking up in the midst Of the fifth
f-ame he became conscious that their
moral conditions were reversed. he
knew that his face was flushed, and
his brows in a tangle, while she was
watching him with d cool, amused
smile
"W hat are you thinking OF ne
asked suddenly.
Il am thinking of algebra she an
swered demurely. 1T does seem :
she gave him 4 man though
checkers''-she gave him two more
was so much easier" and she swept
the board.
When the teacher retired that night
he registered a vow that he would
beat that girl at checkers, even If ne
had to give UP his school and devote
his whole time . studying the game.
lie lay awake long time, gazing at
4he rafters above his bed. at the silver
gray in the moonlight that streamed
through his uncurtained window, ana
thinking of this remarkable checker
PLAYING family. He remembered the
ioviaI old mars way of pretending to
be in extreme fear, and how he would
calculate: "Ah! now you've got me!'
Look at shat, nowi 1 never expected
that Now. you have got me-" etc,
and the way his knotty hand would
hover over the board in simulated IN
certainty.
He remembered Ernest keeping up a
laughing conversation with his mother,
and apparently not paying any atten-
ton to the game. He remembered
Hattie, always watching him with that
keen, amused smile, and moving her
pieces with swift, sliding touch of a
slim. white hand. Then he wondered
why he bad never noticed her hands
before. Also, he remembered certain
vivid color in her cheeks, and won
dered if it showed the same by day
light