The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-12
THE ADVERTISERS # ls NE
 x xDAuY SHORT STORMY
ELIZABETH C. WALTZ Copy

out and sometimes he walked miles un- der the starlit heavens. almost feeling his way in the dark and yet with d consciousness that never before had he been awake.
 Tn a month the old life had fallen from him. The charm of simplicity Nas with him day and nigdt. This return to urimordial things had away ened the truest life in him-and while he grew more robust and the color came into his face, he drank in real life as thirsty man takes long draughts of water.
 In behind the slope but quite out of sight of the white cottage lay the school house. frame structure sur mounted by bell, which calls the children together. It was fayorite walk of Cecil's, for he liked to see the fiutte-ing colored aprons and ! owns of the children over the green sward and the trim form of the Little Teacher. She had smooth brown hair and blue eyes. cheeks red as roses and she wore print gowns such as Cecil Van Vliet had never seen before. When she sang with the children it was in such a sweet and happy voice that it thrilled the heart like a wild birds song. That was the reason he liked to stay where he could hear it-and he so often sat on the bench under the beech trees that the teacher, as well as the child ren. came to know him.
 To them. as to his cottage housewife, he was a medical student, living cheap over the summer. Even that made the people somewhat in awe of him.
 The Little Teacher lived in the brown farm house that had survived the tidal wave of progress. After a time Cecil walked home with her and sat with her under the low brown porch. The martins built in boxes nailed there for them. Roses that seemed to hold the perfume as well as all the wealth of color in the air and sunshine nodded from bushes that were rooted deep and strong. The old life was a dream. but Cecil lived in dream.
 All that he had written of a sup positions suburban life had long since been burned. What he wrote to re- place it was alive and human-it was what he saw. what he felt, what was and is. The Little Teachers simple existence. the joy. the sorrow of every day was painted with the zest and in terest and charm of novelty.
 There came a day when he closed the last chapter, and his heart beating with enthusiasm, tied up the package and sent 1t into the great city from which he had beeen over four months an alien. It was the end "f summer. The orchards were fruit-ladsn, the red rose hios scarlet on the bushes. The wheat fields had been shorn and were becoming green again. The years work was being completed also. It :'as har- vest time.
 It would be two weeks before he could expect to hear from MT. Morris. How should he employ his time? The old ways, the sweet ways with rest and peace Then the armor must be greed on for the work of the world.
 But first. first he must go to see the Little Teacher.
 q cannot take my eyes from you" declared Lawyer Morris, you are an- book. Shake hands-you have made me shed the first tears I ever shed over ] novel,"
 Van Vliets eyes shone.
 You are sure?"
 Sure! Yes. I am! don't mind tell ing you that I have let a publisher have a peep at 1t. It's big thing, the novel of the year. Well, I'm glad, I'm glad! I've some news for you olso. Gwendolen refused Deb King point blank. The Astranhams are on the way home Now. are you happy"
 "Well-that don't make me any hap | jer-because-because, O, hang 1t all, Morris. want to introduce you to some one that's waiting for me! Don't go away"
 He was back in five minutes. nerv- ous and radiant. With him was the neatest of gray-clad small females, red-cheeket:. blue-eyed and biushing | like a shy child.
 I'm very glad about the book" reit- erated Cecil. but 1t isn't the book or the girl this time. It is the girl first and then the book and both are sue cesses I'm sure you will say MT. Nor ris." GODS" by Alia W. Peattie.