The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-31

driven him head, first into snowdrift That
settled the question of mutiny. Later on,
when he had worked up the courage to call
on the new teacher, she was lying down with
a headache and asked to be excused Two
weeks later. when he called again, she hap
pened to the out. Seth did not try again. He
got the idea that she didn't care to see him,
and, though willing to acknowledge TO him
self that he was homely, angular and awk-
ward, it hurt him that she should think SO.
She must think so, Of course, as she was
always '.at home to other young men. and
they lost no opportunity of boasting OF how
Hatteringly they were received.
Six weeks after school opened Seth was
driving past the schooIhouse one day when
the sounds of a disturbance reached his ears.
Joe Whitman had forgotten his shaking up
and decided to break loose. That meant
carrying Miss Baker outdoors and ducking
her in a snowdrift, but there was loose
wheel in the program. He had just started
| Tor the door with her in his arms when
Seth Thomas walked H. Presto, it was Joe
who found the snowdrift!
The schoomaam would have taken Seth by
the hand and thanked him, but when he
had concluded the performance he drove away
| without look toward the schoolhouse. Then
the girls intuition told her that the awkward
Seth was an admirer who felt himself snubbea
and for the newt four weeks she hoped he
/ might call on her OF that they, might meet
| elsewhere and have an explanation. He
avoided her. however, though, if he had but
known it, she gave more thought to him than
to all the others. 80
There was always midwinter spelling
school at the Corners. Teachers and pupils
Of other schools were invited, and the victor
of the contest was regarded as the smartest
thing EARTH At the spelling school the
year before the championship had been
| wrested from No. by No. G. and the school
of ba 1oft 5icfr jct had
raised So per month. This fact invested the
coming contest with more than usual excite
ment. - H.-.- -
A day or two before the contest Miss Baker
learned that Seth lived Just over the line in
district No. g. He would therefore be an
opponent, and, no matter how deficient ne
was in other branches, he was accounted
prodigy in photography = @.-- ez.''s
''He feels that l have snubbed him, and
he is now going to have revenge me.
wish he only knew how sorry 1 am: -. =.
| The schoolhouse was damned with teach
ers, pupils and parents, and all recognized
the fact that it was No. versus No.-6 The
teacher of No. 6 was young. man, but he
was there to win if he could and so were
| his best spoilers. Queerly enough, it came
! about that Miss Baker and Seth Thomas
| headed the opposition lists, and they We're
opposite each other as Squire Jameson took
the spelling Look and gave out the first word
Things went easy at first but when he came
! to the four syllable words the ranks began to
| thin. Fifteen minutes later there were only
five on side. Ten minutes more and only
! six in all were standing, four Of whom were
No. 6's Then the word separate" knocked
| down two of the latter, and the contest went
on for a few minutes with two on, a side.
| Then came the word ''impecuniosity and
! Miss Baker and Seth Thomas We're alone On
| the floor. There were yelling and cheering,
| followed by silence, as the squire looked for
| the hardest words. go 's~ S-17r @4-'-@ -
Il shall be beaten" sighed the school
\ ma am, and the whole district will he
Inundated If it We're anybody but Seth, who
thinks meant to snub him. wouldn't care
! so much: + wsh-I wish--'z-~- -. -.---i
eve will now resume interrupted the
| squire and with solemn deliberation he gave
/ out score of big words in succession In
i time he must reach the word "epldemolos-
4 ical.", Miss Baker, knew it was there, and
I she knew she always blundered ever 1T. and
4 if it came to -her; the championship was gone.
4 It came to Seth however, and for the frs
time he raised his eyes from the floor and
! looked into hers. She did not read revenge
i there, but self-saerifce. An instant later.
! with the audience holding its breath, he De-
I gan on the word and atE'the fifth division OF
! it put in an ga for the so" with such en-
\ phasis as to give her the cue, and as he sat
/ down She spelled the word right! at which
i the champions of No. 5 almost lifted tthe
4 roof with their yells. An hour later as he
1 walked up the road to Carsen's beside her
she asked: = - -S2t -. 80
4 "But why did you do it? am sure you
misspelled the word on purpose. ---.5. sls-
| -s'I-I guess it was for love, ;" replied Seth
| as he turned his head away and stubbed his
i toes into the snow 80 - .s=--.ss