The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-18

supported by testimonials. I don't mind
telling you that I'd write an excellent
testimonial for Sophy Slater"
Miss Slater Is a most admirable
young lady" said Jack stiity.
"Of course she is. Do you think
she would get testimonial from me
If she wasn't? Then, again. Emmeline
Grover Is treasure. You couldn't
go far wrong with either Sophy or En-
meline."
Indeed. these young ladies are for
innate in having secured your good
opinion" remarked Mortimer, satiri-
cally.
But il was beyond the power of schol-
astic sarcasm to abash Violet, so she
calmly continued:
IF Emmeline has fault, she is al
| most too adaptive. / remember once,
when she wanted to make herself spe-
| cially agreeable to Colonel Delaware, a
| great racing man, she told him that
she 'adored Jockeys: they were always
such big fine men, 1 suppose she mixed
them up in her own mind with guards
men, but you should just have seen
the colonels face of utter bewilder-
| ment,"
Il do not think it is very kind Ot you
to laugh at people behind their backs
said Jack, in his most headmasterly
manner.
Still, they don't seem to care for 1t
much when ] do it before their faces.
do they?" replied Violet, looking up Mt
him like a puzzled child.
Jack grew rather red, but having no
answer ready, took refuge in silence.
Look here, I really don't want to
10 tnn ~ Ii.
tormentor magnanimously, but It
really is awfully funny, you know! 1
can imagine your writing to the fathers
of Pendlebury as one writes for the
character of a kitchen-maid. and in
quiring if their respective daughters
are steady, sober, honest, clean and
obliging."
you are very rude." cried Jack.
angrily; and then he marched home
in ferment of righteous indignation,
feeling that he did we'll to be angry
with such an insolent young woman.
After this--what with meeting him
at dinner and garden parties, ana sit
ting under" him at lectures-Vio'ct
Majendie saw a great deal of the new
headmaster, and the two became quite
intimate enemies. She never grew
'N"i VI tIdSihS llllil putting ilU
into a bad temper, and this custom Of
hers interfered with Jacks peace of
mind more than little. He contir-
ually writhed under her politely veiled
ridlcule. and felt it grow increasingly
distasteful to him to select a wife from
among the maldens submitted to mis-
inspection. And. alas! his year of pro-
baton was fast drawing to a close.
"Of course you'll take no notice of
that ridiculous stipulation of the gov
ernors," remarked Violet, airilv, one
day at a garden-party. Il should treat
the whole thing as a huge joke ii l
were you"
But | cannot treat it as a Joke; I
am bound in honor either to comply
with the condition under which | lc-
cepted the appointment, or else to re-
sign it,"
Bother honor! There is no one more
stupid and tiresome than a man of
honor; he is seltishly oblivious of every
thing and everybody else, and gener-
ally ends in sacrificing himself and all
his friends on the altar Of this most
unsatisfactory Moloch. But If you
cling to this effete tradition, why not
marry Sophy Slater, and be happy az
well as honorable"
How dare you say such things to
me?"
81 could not love Sophy Slater SC
much loved 1 not honor more" mis-
quoted Violet; whereat Jack turned on
his heel in high dudgeon.
Not long afterward it happened that
Jack Mortimer again met Violet in Mel.
ton Woods.
ct 70 oil
Majendie." he said, after the ordinary
greetings; II have resigned my ap.
pointment, and arranged to leave
Pendlebury at the end of next term"
What on earth induced you to dC
such an idiotic thing as that?" crieC
| Violet, in amazement.
You partly, and partly my owl
common sense. After you had ono,
pointed out to me what ridiculous
figure l cut, | realized the force of you
> observations. and decided that 1 coulC
,, not go on making a fool of myself an,
, | longer. So you see you were unjus
> when you said had no sense OF humor
till you reused it,"
II certainly made joke at your ex
. pense, but / didn't mean it to be at tn
/ expense Of your whole income, my dea
= sir: you are carrying my joke too far
4 believe me. Besides. what on earth cal
- it matter To you whether / laugh 4
5 you or nOt?''
1t matters 50 much that l wolu,
+ rather throw up my means of liNelihOo,
I than submit to it any longer"
n For a moment Violet was silent; ther
j looking up with very penitent face
1 she said softly;
II II am 50 awfully sorry. 1t was
= shame OF me to go on like that, but
u never thought you really minded"
n wen, I did mind, you see; moreover
G you We're right, and your remarks
though hardly pleasant hearing-wer
Il salutary. But there is just one thin
that ] must say i'm my own defence
r when / consented to that most undig
Il niiled stipulation l knew nothing at a
about the sacredness of love, and
d thought that if | must have a wife
= one woman would do as well as an
Il other. So ] really was more ignoran
e than base after ALL
II How did you discover what YOU ca
the sacredness of love?'" " inquired Vic
let, with much interest
o 81 shall not tell you.
You needn't because / know; l dis
= coy Nered it myself about the same time
: We are like the two astronomers
, forget their names-who discovered tn
y planet NetpUne at the same momen
= from opposite sides of the globe"
But we are not at opposite sides q
the globe you see; otherwise this mu