The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-04
,epyright. lvT. ey Racheller synaiease.

Copyright. 1877. by Bachelor Syndicate
l.
Bill Miller and Alice Moore srSt met face
TO face at a donation" rendered" ac-
cor6ing 70 annual custom. as a make
weight for his decidedly slender salary. 10
Elder" johnson, pastor OF the little
church st Barkiey's Corners
She was the Corners choclmistress-a
normal school sra4uate-end the nrst
woman 10 whom the school had been In
trusted IN the winter time for many years.
She was q perhaps. slight. OF middle
height. with plain, pale face colored only
by the red Of her lips. and lighted by eyes
generally thought 10 be gray, but which
70 BIZ seemed deep dark brown She
boarded az the parsonage with the minis
ter's family. Bill was six feet two in his
stockings. but so broad of shoulder and so
heavy OF limb that his great height was
not apparent except when surrounded by
q crowd of smaller human beings He was
the new farm foreman of the big Barley
estate, from which the Corners took its
name. Among the men of the Corners he
had gained q reputation for enormous
physical strength. and q most incompre-
hersfble disinclination TO talk unless IL
was positively necessary.
His meeting with Alice Moore took place
IN little side room IN the Barley man
sion--where. because of its size. the dons-
unoccupied the moment before their en-
trance through opposite doors. They had
both sought the little room because Of the
romping kissing games that were going on
In every other part OF the house. He would
have fed when he saw her. but she held
him with a glance. and he stood still: big.
hlushing with bashfulness. awkward. At
Barkley's Corners. where there was no
social level TO which q school ma'am or a
ia fVh we
not be specially unconventional for the
school ma'am to open the conversation
with the foreman. even II they had not
been formally introduced. Besides, who
was to know about II?
You don't seem TO care for The Needles
Eye and the other pretty games they are
playing in the other room, Mr.. Miller"
she began tentatively.
HIS frank, smooth-shsven face flushed a
deeper red in his effort TO answer; then ne
shook his head with an sgonized smile.
And why not. pray?'' she pursued teas
insly.
Why I'm so almighty big and clumsy
he finally said, with great frankness. "snd
! step on so many feet when try 10 get
round In crowd. II must be a fine thing
TO be light On your feet. like you are"
Her eyes grew almost black with sup
pressed merriment.
IF you'll excuse me, mas am" he went
on with difficulty. I'm get out and not
bother you. l didn't mean TO intrude on
you
mo. don't 60" she protested "Slt down
and tell me about the West Nobody Will
miss u.s.
Her quick perception OF his Western
origin from his speech made him quite
forget himself, and before he knew IL he
was drawn into his first long, easy con-
versstion with an educated girl. She had
heard of him and his reticence. and she
drew him out of himself and by the same
methods she used in encouraging awk-
ward and seemingly stupid school chill
dren. In fact. he was only big. over
grown child. in spite OF his twenty eight
years. and he told her all there was TO
tell of his commonplace struggles and
narrow life. from the time he was left to
shift for himself in prairie frontier town
till his meeting with her.
His frankness made her forget herself
somewhat also, and she became rather
confidential regarding her school. espe-
cialy as TO young Jim Simmons. the
biaoksmith's 1s-yesr-oid son. the sole un-
ruly one among her sixty odd pupils Jim
had said mo womeru can teach the
Barley Corners school through this win
ter" and she was afraid he would keep
his word. All her tact. every form of
persuasion. seemed lost on Jim.