Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-12-17


yet, am sure. But tell us when you
discovered our literature teacher and
your fiance were the same.
''It flashed upon my heroine in sec
ond, when she heard man was coming
to fill the vacant post, that hi was her
Frank and that he had rashly followed
her and in his determination to see her
had become a teacher for her sake. -
"How romantic!' signs Lou.
"And how we'll he teaches | add.
"He graduated from Harvard, you see. y
explains Kathleen, "and of course he
knows enough to teach "
"How do you feel when YOU are in
love?' asks Hortense anxiouslv.
ooh, all kinds of cold and shivery
and glad ~ answers Kathleen somewhat
vaguely. Who could ever tell what
love was?
Kathleen" say coaxingly, "show
us some of your love letters '
"Well, " bashfully, Il will let you
see one if you will promise never to tell
and if you won't laugh"
We promise, and she takes note
from her pocket and hands it to us
thus apart, my darling?' it begins
"You do not suffer as l do, for you
have cheerful, bright companions to
help you forget, while I But l will
not sadden you with my complaints
Try to see me for one minute after the
class tomorrow and assure me once
again that you love me, for the llnowl-
edge that you do is all | have To make
life bearable. Have not succeeded well
with my disguised writing? am sure no
one would ever recognize it as mine.
Love will always find out the way, my
peerless one. Devotedly, Frank w.
"And now, girls" says Kathleen,
"are you satisfied? You have been con
fded in fully and freely. Prove your
selves worthy of trust and do not show
in any way that you know this story. -
We assure her we will be careful,
and, awaking to sense Of the honor,
we depart reluctantly, for we are crazy
to stay and talk it all over
During the next two or three weeks
Kathleen shows US every now and then
notes from Mr.. Wrinkle, written in the
same-well, appreciative manner He
certainly is very devoted to her, but
one would never imagine from his man
ner that there was anything between
them.
Nothing is talked or thought of among
us but Kathleen and Mr.. Wrinkle. The
sensation 1 longed for has indeed come
and the monotony is relieved i'll a Won
derful measure Verify am indebted
to Kathleen for this change of affairs
and l tell her so, whereupon she ex-
ecutes pas seul and, to explain it, in.
forms me that shall be her first brides
maid at the wedding she is sure will
take place some happy day.
We spend all our spare moments, and
many that can i'll be spared, planning
the brides dress and how her veil shall
be arranged, what the something old
and something new, something borrowed
and something blue, shall be, etc
One day, as the fact dawns upon me
that Walford and Wrinkle have the same
initial letter, l electrify Miss Banks
who is explaining to Kathleen and me
some difficult problem in natural phi
losophy-by exclaiming abruptly:
Change the name and not the letter,
Change for the worse and not the better!
Miss Banks stares at me in amaze
ment and Kathleen succumbs to a fit OF
, the giRgles.
, am still in diSgrace-in fact. even
: more So it seems. than when | proved
= beyond doubt To Miss Banks that all
her explanation went for nothing with
me.
1t is the hour before recess And we
are, of course, in Mr. Wrinkles class
"Now, young ladies' he is saving,
J 1--WE will stop right here and read -
Pardon this interruption, Mr.. Win
| kle, but have something of importance
to say to these young ladies " And Miss
: Banks advanced into the room with un.
S mistakable signs of displeasure stamped
/ on her face What have we done: She
t stands and looks at us for a moment in
g a way she has when a little later she
S intends TO annihilate one. Then, I'M
folding piece of paper, she begins
| without preface to read from it:
l My Own DARLING-one month. since / fol
lowed you and we are no nearer the happiness
| for which we long Ny heart is sick with
| waiting Each hour that passes only strength
= ems my love for my sweetheart, but it bring
me no nearer to her. write me Few lines
[ my own, and extend 10 me again the precious
, hope and words of cheer you know wei
how to give. Your ever faithful
3 FRANK ".
Q We are all gasping at this point anC
decidedly pallid, excepting Kathleen
r who is crimson. Mr.. Wrinkle seem
Q perfectly calm and composed, littl
n amused perhaps. AS Miss Banks tinishe
s the note her eyes fall upon me with evi
n dent severity.
3 "Let me beg of you, she says, "no
= to add untruthfulness to this distress
!, ing conduct There is no address ON thi
i note, but must say am suspicious O
d the young lady who made in my hear
ing two or three days ago the remark
y able speech about changing the nam
u and not the letter, etc, as this youn
t. mans last name begins with W, and tn
o young lady's name also begins wit
J. that letter.
u lam speeches. If my name is Wal
n ker, is not Kathleen s Walford? Her eye
g are still on me and mine on her.
- "This note" she continues, "wa
i brought to me this morning by Katie
lie who found it when she was sweepin
after the literature class yesterday. A
es no one else had occasion to enter TIL
< room it is evident it must belong to on
IF of you four. Denial will only make ma
tors worse and will besides distress IN