The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-29
CHAPTER VI.
THE s1NG1NG-TEAcHER SCORES ANOTHER
CONQUEST.

THE SINGING-TEACHER SCORES ANOTHER
CONQUEST.
When Dick saw Wayne's face next
morning, he had to smile. It was
purple between the eyes, and there
was bad bruise running up the, fore
head where his knuckles had cut into
the flesh.
"It'll be some days before you get
rid of my mark, my fine fellow" Dick
thought, as he looked his antagonist
over coolly.
Wayne gave him one black look, and
that was all. But it was sufficient to
convince Dick that the trouble between
them had just begun. Wayne was not
a man to forget or overlook an injury.
He would repay debts Of that kind
with interest, if possible to do so.
II wonder what's happened to the
singin'-teacher?" Samanthy called
out to Dick, across the road, when he
came to the field opposite Mr.. Porter's,
to plough.
"What do you mean?" asked Dick,
pretending to be in ignorance of her
meaning. HAS something happened
to him?"
IT sh'd say there had," answered
Samanthy, with broad grin. "He
looks as eff he's run ag'in suthin'.
His face is jest the color O. my black
calicker dress, after I washed it the
fust tilne-in spots. Neither black or
blue, but kind O. betwixt an between.
An, my goodness, don't he look sour,
though? Ezra, he askt him what the
matter was, and he growled out suthin'
about fall. / didn't know what kind
of fall it mought ha' ben, but
thought p'rhaps you did"
81 shouldn't wonder if I did," an
swered Dick. "He did run up against
something-this- and he held up his
clinched hand. And he did have q
fall. He fell over the fence. Ask him
about it, Samanthy.'
''I will So" answered Samanthy,
with twinkling eyes.
When Mamie came home from school
that afternoon, she gave Dick one
scornful, indignant look, and then
took no more notice of him.
"Wayne has filled her head with
plausible stories about our quarrel, ]
suppose" thought Dick. "Of course,
she considers me the one to blame.
am the villain, and he is the angel,
Well, I don't know as I care very
much what she thinks about it, one
way or the other"
Mr.. Wayne and Mamie went to the
singing-school together, and Dick con
cluded to go, too. He felt sure that
there would be much comment about
the condition of Wayne's face and he
wanted to hear what was said
"Tll go round by Rhoda's," he
made up his mind, and so he set of
across the woods by the path leading
to the Stevens's place. Rhoda wa:
just starting for singing-school wher
he came out to the road, in company
with her ten-year-old brother Ned
She said: "Good EVENING"" pleasant.
to Dick, and he took the path beside
her, while Ned, glad to get a chance
to get away, like all small boys under
similar circumstances, ran on aheat
and left them to come at their leisure
"How do you get along learning t.
sing?" asked Dick, presently at los
for anything else to say.
ooh, ever 80 much better than e1
pected to-" answered Rhoda. "Mr
Wayne is so kind. He takes so mucl
pains to help me. II wonder wher
he has been all day.
And then Rhoda looked rather con
fused, as if she had come near betray
ing secret.
II don't know" answered Dick
"Why do you ask, Rhoda?"
"Oh, haven't seen him, and-anC
I didn't know
Then she paused abruptly, for Dick
eyes were upon her, and she felt as /
he were reading her thoughts.
''Does he come to see yOu, Rhoda?'
asked Dick.
Eyes. once in a while-to help N