Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-09-07
They Met by Chance But Remained 10
gether Intentionally.

She didn't ask him in, and after paus'
ing a moment he said a regretful GOOD
night and went on down the road.
She stood at the gate watching his Pc
treating figure. The walk home had
not been lively, for how could Oiive
chat cheerily as usual, with her cheeks
burning and her heart beating indig-
nantly at the recollection OF the scrap
OF gossip She was standing In the
vestibule waiting for him at his request
when the words reached her ears.
$50 schoolmarm's after the minister
now?"
'La, yes, and she's got the inside
track. Goes home from meeting with
him regular, and they do say he's down
there ev'ry week"
That was all, but It meant that she
was being watched and talked about,
and so she stood there thinking. The
moonlight seemed to mock her. Every
object in the landscape was visible in
its brilliant rays, yet there was nothing
in it of warmth or vitality. 1t struck
her that her sense of duty Illuminated
her path in life with similar cold, pale
rays. She shivered in the fresh spring
scented air and turned To go in, but the
chill and sting of her new resolve went
with her and drove sleep away.
She had been SO innocently happy
Why could not prying eyes and gossip
| ing tongues have turned elsewhere for
employment?
OF course he came home with her.
Any gentleman would He went her
way and knew that Mr.. and Mrs. Hop
per never came out nights. AS for the
weekly visits, they were nothing but
psychology lessons. A progressive
schoolma'am, Of course, must know it,
and he had offered TO assist. And she
must give ii all up when she needed it
so? She set her lips firmly. She must
keep her position and couldn't afford
to be talked about 1t made no differ
ence if neither had ever had thought
beyond the lessons, and no matter how
hard it was to give them up.
"t's always we'll to stop before one
gets fond of anything she reasoned,
'and I'll give it all up and never speak
to him again?
She had no idea how she had depend
ed op the lessons until there were no
more to which to look forward. "WeH
talk it over at the psychology lesson, "
had grown To be her habit of meeting
schoolroom puzzles, and now that there
was to be no such way of solving them
there were more puzzles to meet. The
following day was hard one. Her
own sad and distraught manner was not
without its effect upon the children.
A full half hour of the noon recess the
school spent as prisoners, because IL
was found that some one had broken off
the knob of the door, and it could only
be opened from the outside. And they
We're compelled to wait until some one
passing released them.
-Four o'clock brought welcome relief.
"It's the embarrassment of writing TO
the minister that ails me-" she told
herself. ''If get that off my mind,
I'll be all right and forget about it.
And diligently she set to work, but
each attempt was more unsatisfactory
than the last. The old folks had re-
tired, and the clock struck $3.50 just as
she signed and sealed the letter, and
then suddenly she remembered that
the school report must be made to the
commissioner on the morrow, and the
roll books were at school.
an have to get them tonight" she
said to herself, late as it is. Serves
me right for being 40 careless
Going to the kitchen shed, she took
down the lantern only to find it empty.
Supplying herself with matches, she
peered cautiously out upon the moonlit
road and then ran swiftly the short dis
lance TO the schoolhouse, not seeing the
gathering clouds behind her. BY the
light of the moon she unlocked the
outer door, and, in order not to repeat
experience of the morning, she took up
a block of wood and carefully placed it
in front of the inner door to keep it
from shutting.
The dingy lamp above her desk gave
scanty light, and the task heightened
itself out until a muttering of thunder
and dash Of rain upon the roof startled
her. Olive was not timid, as her trip
to an empty schoolhouse In the dark
would prove, but to be alone in thun
derstorm was the one thing that un
neryed her. Hastily rising, she looked
up at the lamp. IL was nearly empty.
1t would be safe to leave il to burn out
of itself, and she could more easily find |
her way to the door, but as she reached
it she came into violent collision with |
the minister. He had come In hur-
riedly, tripped upon the block in the
doorway, kicking it out OF his way, and
the door slammed shut behind him.
Olive stepDad hack and stood trem- |