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


| the handsome Julias temper-the light
was lurid, and the headmaster regalnal
| his head. At another time he felt he
| really could have fancied pretty Laura
| Gregson, If only she had not been
performer on the violin; but Jack be-
longed to that not unnumerous class Of
men who hate the women who Gas he
expressed iD make noises"-that is
to say, who are proficient in either
vocal or instrumental music. A wD-
man who played on the plano was an
evil thing in Jacks eyes; and his hor-
ror of any other instrument was not
less i'm its intensity. But he had his
excuses; once he possessed a grand
mother who played The Battle of
Prague" on the piano every evening";
and though he was but a child at the
time, he had neither forgotten nor fo:-
given her
Nevertheless. though Mortimer was
slow TO WOO he was quick to work and
the school prospered greatly under his
management. Moreover, he followed in
his predecessors footsteps and gave lit
erature classes to the young ladies of
Pendlebury on Wednesday afternoons
which were a great success. Surely
never teacher had n more attentive
audience. They listened with breath
less interest to catch every syllable
which fell from the lecturers lips, and
they wrote sweet little scented es-
says, which Jack duly returned to them
: embellished with corrections and mar
ginal notes in rcd ink. These rosy
comments OF Jacks were regarded by
his hearers as almost inspired and were
read by them, quoted ana requotcd till
| they became as household words.
All this was very pleasant to Jack
Mortimer until Violet Majende Joined
. the literature class; then n change came
DER the spirits Of his dreams, for 81
ghastly suspicion dawned upon his
| mind that this cleverest of his pupils
was laughing at him. Jack was by no
means destitute of a sense of humor.
t and the terms of his election had tick
led him a good deal at first; but as
| nobody else inPendlebur seemed to see
| anything grotesque in it--and as jokes,
I like dinners. are all the nicer when they
I are not at ones own eXpense-JaCk
soon ceased to regard his position as
l being at all unusual or absurd. But
} when Miss Majendie came home to Pen
t dlebury after an absence of some
; months, during which period the new
head-master had come and seen and
l quieting idea crept into Jacks head
= that Violet had a keener sense of hu-
| NOR, than all-wise Providence allots to
t women, and that this keen sense whet-
$ ted Itself at his august expense It.
was not that Miss Majendie was rude
l 10 him-she was far tCO well hammered
, for that; but she had raised audacity
1 to the level Of a fine art and could
say the most impertinent things in the
9 least impertinent manner. For instance,
i once when they were studying Tenny-
sons "Oenone," she asked him before
S the whole class, apparently apropos of
1 nothing:
1 Whom should you have given the
> apple to, it you had been in Paris, Mr..
d Mortimer"
e Jack Curtly replied:
Il am here to answer pertinent ques-
l. tions, Miss Majendie, not those which
= are the reverse"
T But though he knew he had score
II this time, he nevertheless felt himself
growing scarlet to the roots of his
II black hair, and was inwardly furious
II with the cause of this unwilling turn
at rouge ct nor on his part. Violet
e looked so sweetly unconscious of any
e rudeness on either her side or his that
', he could not feel quite sure If the girl
u had intended to make fun Of him after
l. all, or If her question was merely
= stupid; but stupidity was not a beset-
e ment of Miss Mejendie's, and Jack
/ could not help wishing that che had
been a boy, so that he might have
Is given himself the benefit of the doubt
l. and soundly caned her for her impu,
dence.
u But one half-holiday it came to pass
1t that an avenging fate delivered Jacl S
enemy into his hands He was walking
Ut in Melton woods (the favorite resort
of the inhabitants of Pendlebury). whel
m he came upon Violet Majendie vainI
- endeavOring to deliver her pet dog fror
g a trap into which the poor brute hal
st unWarily stepped.
m ALLOW me, Miss Majendie." said the
'e headmaster, grimly, raising his hat
1T but not attempting to shake hands
l. and after q great deal of trouble h
he succeeded in releasing the pris )ner anl
Id drawing upon himself a shower q
i grateful speeches from the pris oneri
ly mistress. But Jack was not to be be
10 guiled out of his ill-humor so easily
as he was still smarting under re
a mark of Miss Maiendie's, which haC
X been repeated to him by the never
I'd falling "kind friend" whose duty anC
delight it is to repeat such uuilatter
to ing comments. So in reply 10 Violet.
profuse thangs he merely said,
a You are unnecessarily grateful 70
s. so slight a service. Miss MlicLdie.
We could not let a dog remain helpless il
ne a trap, whOmever 1t belonged 10, so
n have in no wise earned YOU: speCia
ut gratitude. But in return perhaps yo,
ol would not mind answering Il straight
We forward question. Did you, or did yo1
ln not, say that no one but n buffOol
IL would accept an appolHtmens on tn
e; terms that / have done?
d. Violet looked up at the Offender
be headmaster with an ingenucus smile.
Il don't remember saying so, MI
Mortimer but / have always though
m it."
or Jack grew pale with anger AN
Il; modification. and wished more devOut
d. ly than ever that this impertinenr gin
n had been a boy SO that he might hav
l." meted out to her the measure whie
he she 50 richly deserved.
he Thank YOU" he said, shortly.
e. Violet, however vas not going I
a. let SO entertaining n subject drop.
But, Mr. Mortimer" she suggested
tie I'm a CoaNing voice, surely you can Sc
a how liillingly funny it is. II is yer
hy sad for you to be minus wife, hu
Sc IL would be far worse IL you were minu
as sense of humor l thought you ha
NJ Gone 1t for joke from the first"
nS lack felt slightly 1nnili,ip1 fnr il