Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-07-24

ready to assist him with his bag.
gage to the station.
The professor took q final pull at
his old pipe, knocked the ashes out
Of the bowl, and slipped it into his
pocket. Then he sighed, and took out
q worn purse.
"Give your boy this sixpence, Mrs.
Stewart" he said,. looking past his
landlady. I'll find I can't go to
London"
"Well, of all the queer folk!" NUT
tered Mrs. Stewart when she reached
the kitchen. ''Not that I'm wanting
him away, poor mani" she added
more gently.
BY the post of the following aft
ernoon Miss Peek received two let
ters.
The first, which she opened with
trembling fingers and perused with
misty eyes, began, Dearest Maggie
Success at last!" and ended, ''I'm
afraid you've been having a hard
fight, though you've never said much
about it. But I'll put that right as
soon as you'll let me. In other words,
when will you marry me? My train
arrives in the morning, and I'll come
for your answer soon after you re-
ceive this.-John." .
"Oh, what long ten years It has
been!" sighed the schoolmistress.
after which she dissolved in tears OF
joy.
It was fully an hour before she re-
membered the other letter; but when
she opened it a slip of blue paper
fell on her lap, and she read that
''Messrs. Curle & Coyle had great
pleasure in returning her promissory
note, with their best thanks and com.
pliments."
Shame and gratitude and love
struggled in her heart, and under
her breath she cried, "However did
John find out? And how can I face
him."
Yet, when John, her sweetheart
all the way from Queensland-did
arrive, she managed to face him toll
erably well, and the evening passed
without mention of such unsentimen-
tai and sordid things as debts and
promissory notes; and though the
following night she plucked up cour-
age, and, with averted eyes, attempt
ed to thank him, he stopped her at
the first word and refused to hear a
second. The fact was that John,
having spent the morning in tidying
up the financial affairs of his future
father-in-law, naturally thought Mag
gle was trying to thank him on that
score; wherefore, for the sake of
her pride and his own, he begged her
to consider the matter over and done
with. So, when he had gone, Maggie
burned the slip of blue paper and
Messrs. Curle & Coyle's correspond
ence, and thanked God for sending
John home to her, and prayed to be
made worthy of his love.
One evening, about the end of Au-
gust, Professor Bumpus, who was in
an unusually restless mood, left his
lodgings and his beloved books, and
strolled west in the direction of
Blankview Terrace. He had received
no word about the reopening of the
school; and, while he had no intention
of calling at No. 80, he was curious
to learn if Miss Peek was in town.
He hoped she had been able to go
away somewhere for holiday,
though, as he reflected, 1T was no
business" of his. 49,
house; but something about it struck
him as being unfamiliar. A few yards
beyond the gate he halted and looked
back. Then he perceived that the
once bare windows were adorned
with curtains and fower-boxes, and
that the big brass plate which used
to shine on the door had disappeared.
'Poor thing!" sighed Professor
Bumpus, "she's had to give up. Bless
me! might have sold some of my
books and"
At that moment the door opened
and his late principal came down the
steps on the arm of handsome, mid
dle-aged man. They did not notice
the solitary figure standing in the
dusk as they turned out of the gate
in the opposite direction.
When they had disappeared round
the corner the professor seemed to
waken from a dream. He looked at
the house for half minute, then
took out his old pipe, filled and lit it,
and walked slowly homewards.
II wonder who he is" he said to
himself. ''I'm thankful she never
found out about the bill. Still, if
However, I suppose it's none of my
business" -Chambers' Journal.