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

- - '"' mean es' or do not asl,
me- or My heart is broken. - or
well almost anything. As saw IL "a
expressive but l do not know what ~
expresses and | can hardly wait pnt;I
the ehd OF the lesson, when | intend 20
NaNlay Kathleen and demand an az.
Plihatlon, 1t is evident that Lon aud
llor'ehse have the same little plan for
"hen the bell rings for recess and wo
are dismissed we three make a rush for
'he door and on reaching the hall loolr
at each other and eagerly saw. Where
Is Kathleen She has evidently liner.
ed behind, but for what?
On, girls, exclaims Lou. "tbera
must be something between Kathleen
and Mr. Wrinkle. She was so peculiar
last evening about asking his name az
II She wanted to be sure it really wac
Wlnkle, and yet could not bring herself
TO question us about him. And sun.
pose they are talking now. Do 20 back
one of you, and see. -
Il will, " say, and l turn bacl, to
the door and open it quickly. Kathleen
Is standing very close to Mr.. Wrinkle
talking most earnestly-too earnestly.
think, for any subject connected with
literature. She starts violently as an.
pear and moves little away.
You seem nervous, Miss Walford, "
says Mr.. Wrinkle. Kathleen flashes her
dark eyes at him and exclaims: Merry.
Gus! Oh, noP' AS much as to say,
You know did not start from nerv
business -
l murmur something about having
left my notebook, and go over to my
seat and hunt for it most carefully. 1t
Is not there, of course. as left it with
Lou, and while l am looking for it Mr..
Wrinkle leaves, after a few words to
Kathleen about how long he will keep
us ON the early writers. AS if did not
know he changed the subject on my en-
trancel AS soon as he is gone turn to
Kathleen and see her hurriedly putting
a note i'll her pocket.
kathleen Walford" I exclaim. and
just then Lou and Hortense burst in the
room. We beseech and implore her to
tell us how and where she met Mr..
Wrinkle, for met him we are certain she
has, and what there is between them,
but she laughs at all our questions and
declares she has no idea what we mean.
She never saw Mr.. Wrinkle before She
did not hesitate about asking his name,
She only meant, when on entering the
room she said, ooh, 1 cannot" that
she could not learn literature. The note
l saw her hide was only piece of pa
per with her French exercise on it, etc
But when we ask her to let us see the
French exercise, " she will not. Tells
us we must trust her word. etc. We
treat all her explanations with the con-
tempt they deserve and tell her mysteri-
ously that "She will see, which is
equal to the darkest threat But we dc
not get hold of the note and we are tor
tured with burning desire to see its
contents.
In the evening Kathleen comes to us
and proposes to have some fun, but we
inform her that we are not wing fun
with people who do not contide in us.
She gives us a look of reproach and ex-
claims in heartbroken tone, "Oh, il
you only knewl" But we tell her un-
sympathetically that is just what we
want-to know-and until She reposes
in us the confidence we deserve she is
not one of us.
Nearly two weeks have passed. Mr..
Wrinkle seems to take no special notice
of Kathleen, but every day one or the
other Of us sees Kathleen hiding a note
She is not good at deception. really
think could do it better myself. We
wonder if Mr.. Wrinkle knows that We
suspect He seems perfectly at ease ant
meets our eyes with the utmost equa
nimity, but then he's a man, and ont
can never tell what a man is up to. A
| least that is what our French teacher
always assures us, and she has beer
married and ought to know. AS tlm'
goes on we only grow more anxious t
have "our little mystery" as we cal
It, explained, and at last we decide W.
will not sit tamely by any longer ant
have a romance enacted before our yer.
eyes without knowing all the partlcu
lars. So we waylay Kathleen afte
school hours and explain to her calml.
but firmly that although we dislike ex
tremelv to resort to force, still, unles
she consents to tell us all about hersel
and Mr.. Wrinkle, she will have wv
pitchers of cold water-one after tn
other-poured over her, dress and all
After which dire threat she reluctant.
consents to comply with our demand
and tells us to come to her room ate
dinner and we shall hear all. SO we lie
her 20 and exist until o'clock when
nv various strategies, we meet In ne
room.
"Imagine a girl very much like m
visiting at the country home OF her un
ole last summer, she begins, lookln
around with rather amused expresslo
Mt our interested faces. -,
Imagine how soon q girl OF llVel
disDosition would tire Of utter, ceasele
monotony-no companion of her oW
age. no gayetias, no new noyels[
short a most unenjoyable period OF II
life She would have left for her non
in the city, but this could not be ma
aged without giving offense, SO 81
spent her time consulting calenua
which hung upon the wall OF Der rooi
and noting with rapture the passing
tedious days and the slow Dut sure a
nroach to the beginning OF the ne
month when she was expected az
friend S house for visit
Zone day, when there were apo
tbrae weeks of monotony still before ne
she happened to be at the village ho'