The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-07-26

! "Dear me 7 said the professor to him
self. aWhat pity However, / sup
pose it's none of my business He
stepped softly across the room, deposited
the letter on the desk, and returned to his
seat near the door, II shouldn't have
read it; but, somehow, [ WASH t thinking.
Never dreamed of her getting into debt,
poor thing Knew she wasn't making
much; ut-well, well | suppose it $
none of my business Tut, what fool ]
am She was crying when [ came in.
That was why she blew her nose Bless
me but it's rough on woman. ]
wish -
The flow of his thoughts was interrupted
by the return of Miss Peck, who handed
him the book he had inquired for, and
smiled brightly as she did so.
'sShe's been washing her face, poor
thing r thought the professor. ''Many
thanks, he said aloud, flushing because
of the feeling of guilt that possessed him.
"Now, II won t intrude further. You
you let me know about the next session,
please, when it suits you.
"Oh yes; | shall inform you in good
time, returned Miss Peek bravely. "And
hope you will have larger class than
you had last session, Professor Bumpus,
she added, trying to laugh.
ssHa ha It can't be much smaller,
anyhow But shouldn't wonder if you
have very full school in the autumn,
Miss Peek. really shouldn be the least
surprised In fact, from conversations |
had with the parents of your pupils yes
terday, I'm inclined to believe-no, L m
certain, Miss Peek that you will have many
new pupils next session. Indeed, IL
r. But Professor Bumpus was not
practiced liar, and his attempt at invention
suddenly collapsed.
ssThank you, said Miss Peek, turning
to look out of the window. ssIt's good of
you to try to cheer me up, professor To
tell you the truth, it hasn't been very
O-brilliant session.
aAh, well, you must look forward, and
hope for better things. Good-by," he
said abruptly.
Miss Peek escorted her visitor to the
front door, where they parted with COM
monplace exchange of wishes for pleas
ant vacation Then the schoolmistress
returned to mourn over her ledger, and
the professor hastened to his humble lodg
ings to attend to some correspondence and
to prepare his modest belongings for the
journey to London. At half past eight
his portmanteau was packed and strapped,
and few minutes later his landlady en-
tered the sitting room to inform him that
her boy was ready to assist him with his bag
gage to the station.
The professor took a 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 worn purse.
s'Give your boy this sixpence, Mrs.
Stewart, = he said, looking past his land
lady. sI-I find l can't t go to London. !"
'.Well, of all the queer folk = mutter-
ed Mrs. Stewart when she reached the
kitchen. ssNot that I'm wanting him
away, poor man r she added more gently.
By the post of the following afternoon
Miss Peek received two letters.
The first, which she opened with trem
bling fingers and perused with misty eyes,
began, dearest Maggie-Success at
last r and ended, s'I'm afraid you've
been having hard fight, though you We
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. y
ssOh, what long ten years it has
been p sighed the schoolmistress, after
which she dissolved in tears of joy.
1t was fully an hour before she remem
bered the ether letter; but when she opened
it slip of blue paper fell on her lap, and
she read that 'sMessrs Curle 8 Coyle had
great pleasure in returning her promissory
note, with their best thanks and compli-
ments.
Shame and gratitude and love struggled
in her heart, and under heS breath she
cried, s'However did John find out And
how can face him p
Yet, when John, her sweetheart-all
the way from Queensland arrive, she
managed to face him tolerably well, and
the evening passed without mention of such
unscntimental and sordid things as debts
and promissory notes; and though the fol-
loving night she plucked up courage, and,
with averted eyes, attempted to thank
him, he stopped her at the first word and
refused to hear second. The fact was
that John, having spent the morning in
tidying up the financial affairs of his fu-
ture father-i law, naturally through 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 cor
respondence, and thanked God for sending
John home to her, and prayed to be made
worthy of his love.
One evening, about the end of August,
Professor Bumpus, who was in an unus-
ually 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, ''it
was no business of his.
It was dusk when he passed the 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 flower boxes,
and that the big brass plate which used to
shine on the door had disappeared
''Poor thing = sighed Professor Bum
pus, 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 middle 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
oornar the professor seemed to waken from