The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-28


Her voice trembled as she spoke, and
the big blue eyes, as innocent and
confdlng as a child's, looked up with
pathetic helplessness into his.
Never mind little girl. Keep up
your courage and things will come out
all right in the end" hastily uttered
Gerald Gordon, and then, with sym
pathetic pressure of the hand, hr
turned and strode away.
THE TEACHERS ROMANCE.
And during the rest of that long sum-
mer day. and the many long summer
days that followed, that dingy little
schoolroom somehow grew brighter
and brighter; but even in the sane
tity of her own chamber with only her
conscience for confessor, pretty Ethel
Ellis dared not whisper to herself what
1t was that caused the change.
That was a secret, sacred to her
heart alone, the mysterious, world-old,
yet ever new and precious secret which
many daughter of Eve has cherished,
alas in vain and carried unconfessed
to her grave.
Was that to be her fate? Doubtless
it was, she told herself, for there was
care for her. She was only school
teacher, struggling for living. work.
ing hard, not for luxuries, but for the
bare necessities of life. Mr.. Gordon
was very polite and kind to her. il was
true, but probably not more so than
he would have been to any woman
situated as she was.
Sometimes she had thought there
,fner
friendship in his looks and tones, but
no doubt this was only her fancy. Why
should "A man like Gerald Gordon, who
could have his pick of any of the pet
ted society bellies of the town, care for
young woman who was compelled to
teach school for a living?
Nevertheless the mere fact that he
had come into her life as a friend and
counselor brought a brighter smile to
her lips and a sense of contentmerr
to her bosom. If things could only
run on so forever she would be perfect
ly content and happy. But she dread
ed the awakening-the day when per-
haps she would be weighed in the bal
ance as a teacher and found wanting,
separated Derchance from the COM
panionship she had learned to treas
ure and the work that she still loved in
spite of it's drawbacks. and with shat
tered hopes turned adrift in the world
to sink or swim as fate might will.
The school term was fast drawing
to close, and yet no word had come
! to Miss Ellis regarding an engagement
| for the term to follow. For some time
! she had been in the daily expectation
of hearing from the school committee,
/ lN,VN I.Wv o.
| message came for her she began to
| fear the worst
None knew better than she her short
comings as a teacher, and how utterly
she had failed in checking the turbu-
lent element in the school until it had
been awed into reluctant submission
! by the frown of the new superintend-
ent, Since his advent she had sue
ceeded in keeping better order, but
| there were many times even yet-too
many of them, she sadly realized
when the school got beyond her control
and gave her many uneasy moments.
HER NEW POSITION.
Though she had done her best. she
felt that her teaching that first year
had been far from a success, but she
hoped, oh, how eagerly she hoped, that
they would give her another trial!
But if they did not, she felt that she
| could not blame them. 1t would be
only what she deserved. She was too
weak, too soft-hearted to teach school.
AS she thought of it she fairly hated
herself for being a woman. School had
been dismissed for the day, the schol-
ars had all gone home and Miss Ellis
was following out this train of thought
and clearing up her desk preparatory
to taking her departure, she suddenly
| exclaimed:
"Oh, dear; I'd give anything if | were
only man.
Just then a quick step crossed the
threshold, and cherry voice sung out
'Fie, fie, Miss Ellis; what a wish
that is. But, of course, you don't mean
it,"
"Of course l do, though l Gidn't ~
tend you to hear me, Mr.. Gordon" re-
sponded Miss Ellis. blushing Vividly.
as she turned toward the speaker.
I'm sick and tired of being only wo-
man.
"Why, I wouldn't have you any
thing else for the world" exclaimed