The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-09-16

imitation walnut and tugued lt slowly from slde to side as II be were trying to match the pale gray tint from his scant ribbon stock. He looked curious 'l ly at ;le deeper gray sealing wax. He was always very careful not to break the seal when hc opened her letters. He Ls,d to stndy G. stately "H' which hid whdt she said Co hun from the bustlIng. lmpcrtlnCst world.
 Not that he bad recti ,,. many such mlsslves. There were just four ln al, and he knew them by heart He read thls last one slowly and for the third time:
 Frank Dalton. Esa.. President School
 Board District No. n:
 Dear sir-Replying Co your favor Of tho 11i stating that your board had acted ta- vorably on my application for the Twig- gins school and would allow the salary Which I asked. permit mo Co say that I feel that I owe you many apologies The rnosf urgent reason for my dcsiring Co se- euro a position this sumner in Colorado Wna an inciplent throat trouble which has annoyed me for the past year. Recently, howcvor. it has yielded Co treatment and with it has gone this motive for making Che western trip. In addition have been onercd a cllss In elocution at tho Mount Clement summer school on opportunity for acQu'r ring some small reputation which | feel that I should not miss. Knowing fuu well that there are scores of worthy applicants for such an opening as your board oncrs. I am availing myself of a woman's privilege and changing my mind. Tn other words. ! withdraw my duplication fer thc Twlggins school Par don my thus going Into details. but you have been so courteous. ! may almost say SO cordial In your correspondence over 'he matter. that | feel a nlll explanation h due you Again expressing my apprecia- lion of your Kindness. T remain. yours faithniIy. ELIZABETH HARDIN.
 Dalton folded tho letter, laid it re rrctfuIly on thc desk and sat with his hands plunged deep In his pockets, There were no customers ln the store to Interrupt hts medltatlons. Even the straight. uncoL. pgJmlslng Main street bcvond the door was steepcd ln the calm of the sweet spring day. Ranch men werc home blowing. and no wag- ons rolled In noislly from mesa and riy- cr hnd. But Dalton was not worrying about the lack of trade. He was think ing of the girl who had written that letter
 Elizabeth Hardlnl She had been rec commended Co the board by m eastern teachers agency. and Frank had been !. .tr,cted to conduct the correspond cncr. From the very first letter he had been Interested In her personally. and when the salary she named was be- yond the appropriation made by the board for Twlgglns school he had cai,ly announced that the district was growing and needed better teachers, and if the board wouldn't pay Mss Hardin the salary she wanted be would make up the diferonce. The children of Twlgglns Corners must be given modern educational advantages. And the remainder of the board. real izlne that Che ma!c voters of rwirr'ns Corners were an Cnc,-tain eler gt in county elections. hls-.s a' -.s.,'rd, and Mss Hardin was "c i. Dal- ton. nervously lingering the bit of gray stationery. felt that fate had been cru el In thus requitlng bis temerity fin CO erclng the members of school district No. n.
 He walked out tho side door and mounted the steep stairs leading to the second floor. Lately Dalton had been aguring with Tompklns. the carpenter. on building Inside stairs, but somehow this afternoon he did not care whero they ran. He entered the carpetless hall and threw open the door to his front room." overlooking the street. and stlred silently at its familiar crim- son. with just O dash of olive green. The woodwork was painted dark green and the carpet was rcd Dalton had se- Iected this much and shiny oak organ before his sister Mary had come out from Massachusetts to keep house for him. But Mary had turned homeslck beforc the year rolled round and had lert Dalton to care for as best he might the four rooms he had furnished SO proudly. --s -.-.-
 Uc looked nt them now. wondering vaguely what was wrong. A comfort able Morris clgir stood In one corner. but the moths had eaten great holes In It's cushions. He could write hls name in tue dust on the center table. with It's old rose plush album. Flyspecks adorned the photographs he had tacked on the wall. A sudden feeling of desOlatlon swept over the man What did it matter that Dc held public oGlce. that he was always referred to in the Sahuaehe Eagle as "our success ful young merchant or that at the last fair of Union church be had been voted the most popular bachelor In La drone1 What mattered anything SO long as Elizabeth Hardin had declined 10 teach rwiggins Corners sehooli
 The very next morning he said to his head clerk:
 "Herman, do you reckon you could handle this store if went back east next month"; I haven't seen the old folks for Ave years
 ! And Herman reckoned that be could
 Tho summer school at Mount Clem- ent was in full sway when Dalton ar. rived. He took a room at the leading hotel and then quietly started out on hls quest At the arst newsstand he