The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-07-15

81 am hungry, my lord, and want to
get home to dinner"
"You can easily DO So"
"How?"
by letting me kiss you," said Lord
Willowbrook, calmly.
The schoolmistress thought for O mo-
ment.
Il will let you do so, on one condi-
tion," she said. at last.
''What is that??" said Lord Willow
brook.
"If you will promise to remain here
until I've had lime to get half way to
Willowbrook village"
agreed" said Lord Wllowbrook,
cheerfuly.
The schoolmistress came from behind
the blackboard and waited shyly for the
young man to approach her. Lord Will
lowbrook stepped forward, and, lifting
up the girls head and looking into her
blue eyes, he imprinted a kiss on her
lips.
"You shall pay dearly for this. my
lord!" she cried, with flushed checks
and an indignant frown.
Anything you please" said Lord Will
lowbrook, with perfect good humor.
$50 great a pleasure is worth any
price"
But he was not quite prepared for the
little schoolmistress' next move. Before
he could realize the situation she had
darted out of the little house. the great
oak door was slammed to and the bolts
were thrust into their sockets.
The young man started up and ran to
the door.
Caught, by Jove!" he cried
1t was true. The door was securely
fastened from without and resisted all
efforts to bulge, the little lattice Win
dows were too small to admit of egress,
and he was imprisoned like a rat in a
trap.
81 wish you good day, my lord!" cried
the schoolmistress, with a triumphant
peal of silvery laughter, and then the
young man heard the sound of her re-
treating footsteps, which gradually
grew fainter and fainter. and finally
died away.
Taken prisoner he was. There was
not the slightest chance of escape, and
his only hope was that his captor would
repent and come back to liberate him.
But hour after hour passed and the
schoolmistress did not return. He ex-
amined the maps on the walls, the in
itials carved on the desk, the ink stains
on the floor, and still she did not come.
Hour after hour went by until the light
began to fail and twilight crept in
through lattice windows, and Lord Will
lowbrook became very cold and hungry.
Still he did not lose his temper, or wish
that he had not been so eager for kiss,
and he paced up and down, holding
imaginary conversation with the little
schoolmistress, in which he expressed
his undying admiration for her trick.
and offered her his hand and heart.
But the schoolmistress did not come
to answer him, and at last the twilight
deepened into darkness, and he realized
that he would have to spend the night in
the little schoolhouse. At last he fell
into confused sleep, disturbed by
dreams of the little schoolmistress, and
he awoke next morning feeling very
cold and hungry.
1t was Sunday, and the church bells
in Willowbrook village were ringing for
service. He could picture all his friends
trooping into the little church and
wondering at his disappearance. What
a fool he should look when the story be-
came knownl He, the lord of the ma
nor, who had disdained the advance of
the combined female forces of Willow
brook, to be caught in the tolls of lit
tie schoolmistress. He would be the
laughing-stock of the country side. He
would not dare show his face outside of
the manor house.
The day passed tediously for the
young man, and he was beginning to
picture death by slow starvation,
when the sound of approaching voices,
the clatter of horses hoofs and the
tramp of many feet sounded joyfully
in his ears.
"At last!" he cried, springing up from
a bench on which he had been reclining.
The sounds grew nearer, and pres
entity stopped before the little school,
and Lord Willowbrook blushed when he
heard the laughter of many voices.
Nov for a nimble witt" muttered the
lord of the manor. Help me, all We
powers, to get out of this pretty
scrape!"
The bolts were drawn back, the door
was thrown open and disclosed to the
eyes Of young Lord Willowbrook half
the population of Willowbr ook village,
foremost among whom was the pretty
schoolmstress with the golden hair,
accompanied by Messrs. Frank Cowley,
Tom Hardy and William Ecclcs, while
the rear was brought up by old Parscn
Cowley, In the threadbare coat and
white bands, with old DR.. Featherfew
and Mrs. Bodkn.
A burst of derisive laughter greeted
the young man as he stepped out iaunt-
lily into the open and bowed low before
the assembled company.
The pretty schoolmistress stepped
forward and curtsied to her former pris-
oner.
"My lord" she said, with pretty i'm
pudence, 81 have had my revenge"
Lord Willowbrook bowed with pleas
ant smile.
"'Tis true, madam" he said. in so low
n tone that it could be heard by none
save the schoolmistress, land will now
have mine"
So saying, he took the young girl in