New-York tribune., 1896-01-19

throne was Sophy Slater. who, of course, fell
TO his lot at the Skaters dnner-party Sophy
was one of those useful little women VINO
seem to be made OF horsehair-hard ana
pricky but warranted to stand any amount OF
wear and tear. She talked very sensibiy TO JACK JACK
about the school and everything that apper-
tained to it. and gave him most sound ADVICE
many matters. -
THE first thing you ought to do is to bullo
'torium. she remarked
go you think so?' .
"Of course do. How should you manage !.
an epidemic broke out among the boarders!
I'm sure don't know" answered the heao-
master. feeby.
you will have to build a sana torium-that Is
the only thing you can do-and you ought to
lose no time in setting about it. Be sure You
have II a; least hundred and fifty yards ava!
from the other school-buldinGs. or II VIII be
worse than useless. That Is the great dlsadEah-
tage Of school where boarders ana uay
scholars mixed; the day boys are sure TO
bring childish and infectious complaints rom
their various homes, and the boarders are
equally sure TO assimilate and disseminate the
lack felt as If he were listening to a medical
lecture and ought To he taking copious notes
instead Of eating and drinking; and he asked
humby:
How then, should YOU advise me TO go about
IT, Miss Slater"
II should advise you first to call meeting Of
the governing body TO discuss The matter, ana
after they have formulated II scheme tnat
scheme should be submitted 10 the Io"A
Council You Will have no difficulty about
funds, imagine many of the school govern
school, and so in their own interests womid be
glad to insure immunity from epidemic disease
there; for which reason the parents OF boarueFS
would probably literally subscribe also
Yes, yes, of course"
You will not want very large sum of
money for YOU must not go in for anything eN-
travagant or ornamental; Just a PLAIN, square
red brick building. with plenty of windows ior
ventating purposes. will be all YOU need
Jack shuddered az he thought of the b@anti-
full school-building. of which he was already
so proud, being supplemented by a staring. red
brick sanatorium: but he wisely held his pcacr.
As he sat smoking in his study lat" that night
he mediated upon what q helpmeet ioG
schoolmaster Sophy Slater would prove. Her
| common sense and efficiency knew no bounds;
but as for making love to her.-Jack remelh-
bered two old horsehair sofa cuSnions IN the
nursery at home. which he pretended were a
little brother and sister. named respectively
/ Blacke and Week From his third 10 hif skin
year he loved them with "A devoted though un-
reQut"d affection, ana felt deeply their harSh
response to his fond embraces. II now STUCK
him that making love 70 Sophv sat- W"uiG ,,.'
be quite uphill work as performing the iarI
ot loving brother to Week an Blackie, ana
he decided that he could not begin 20 pia! ;hat
long and dreary game over again.
Time would fail TO tell of all the various
fair claimants TO Jack Mortimer's hand. Some
of the maidens of Pendlebury sought To attracI
the headmaster by putting ON Minerva ana an
her wisdom; while others affected for his sub
jugation infantne innocence and Ignorance.
for which Their mothers would h9vr slappcu @
them had they been under five instead OF over f1Ne
and twenty Over one particular damsel, Julla
March by name the headmaster very nearly
lost his head. and thereby secured his master
ship; but he caught a side light one day of the
handsome Julia's temper-the light was lurid,
and the headmaster regained his head AZ an
other time he felt he really could haV" fancrd
pretty Laura Gregson. If only she had not been
a performer the violin: but Jack belonged
10 that not unnumercus class OF men WHO
hate the women who (as he expressed ~ make
noises"-that Is TO say. who are proficient In
either vocal or instrumental music. y woman
who played the piano was an evil thing in
lic hArv Of of h.sl ift
strument rot less in its intensity. But he
had his excuses: once he possessed a grand
mother who played THE Battle Of Prague on
the piano every evening: and though he was but
a child at the time he had neither forgotten nor
forgiven her.
Nevertheless though Mortimer was slow 10
he quick to work. and the school pros
pered greatly under his management. More
over. he followed In his predecessors footsteps.
and gave literature classes TO the young ladies
of Pendebury on Wednesday afternoons. which
were great success. Surely never teacher had
a more attentive audience They listened with
breathless interest to every syllable which fell
| from the lecturers lips; and they wrote sweet
little scented essays which Jack duly returned
to them embellishcd with corrections and mar
of Jacks regarded by his hearers al
most nspired, and We're By them quoted and r.
quoted till they became as household words
All this very pleasant to Jack Mortimer
until Violet Majendie joined the literature class:
then change came DER the spirit Of his dreams.
for ghastlv suspicion dawncd upon his mind
that this clevercst Of his pupils laughing
at him. Jack was by no means destitute Il
sense Of humor and the terms OF his cectlha
had tickied him GOOD deal at first: hut + ht.
body else in Pendlebury seemed TO see anything
grotesque in it-and as jokes, like dinners. are
all the nicer when they are not at ones own cX-
pense-Jack soon ceased to regard his position
as being at all unusual absurd. But when
Miss Majendic came home to Pendlebury after
an absence of some months during which period
the new headmastcr had come and seen and
conquered the grammar school. dsquieting
idea crept into Jacks head that Violet had
keener sense Of humor than an all-wisc Provi-
dence, a rule allots to women. and that this
keen whetted itself at his august expense.
1t was not that Miss Majendic was rude to him
she was far too well hammered for that: but
she had raised audacity To the level Of 4 fine
art. and could say the most imperincnt things
In the least impertinent manner. For instance.
once when they studying TennysOns
"Oenone." she asked him before the whole class.
apparently apropos OF nothing:
"Whom should you have given the apple to.
II you had been Paris, Mr.. MOrtimer?'
Jack curtly replied:
II am here to pertinent questions
Miss Majendie. not those which are the reverse"
| But though he knew he had scored this time.
| he nevertheless felt himself growing scarlet to
the roots Of his black hair. and was inwardly
furious with the cause of this unwilling turn
at rouge ct noir on his part. Violet looked 50
sweetly unconscious Of any rudeness on cithe~
| her side or his that he could not feel quite
sure If the girl had intended to make fun OF
him after all, if her question was merely
stupid hut stupidity was not besetment Of
Miss Majendies. and Jack could not help wish
| ing tnat Sne na0 Deen a DON, so tnat ne might
have given himself the benefit OF the doubt,
and soundly caned her for her impudcnce.
But one half-holiday it came to pass that
an avenging fate delivered Jacks enemy into
his hands. He was walking in Melton Woods
Uhc favorite resort of the inhabitants OF Pcndle-
bury). when he came upon Violet Majendc
vainly endeavoring to deliver her pet dog from
trap into which the poor brute had unwarily
stepped.
Allow me. Miss Majcndie," said the head
master. grimly, raising his hat. but not at
tempting to shake hands; and after great
deal Of trouble he succeeded In releasing the
prisoner and drawing upon himself shower OF
grat speeches from the prisoners mistress.
But Jack not to be bcguiled out Of his i'll
humor so easily. he was still smaring under
q remark of Miss Majendie's. which had been