The Colfax chronicle., 1903-10-17
be executed for fellow townsmen. Most,

Darcy came. He was from the office
of the state superintendent of public
education. and his cards bore the
formidable title Third Assistant Super
intendent Of Public Education" He
was visiting the schools of the state and
collecting data with view to reporting
how bad they were He met all of the
| teachers everywhere, and made various
| impressions upon them. Most OF the
women liked him; most of the men
wanted to punch his head. He was
very superior person, and his drawl
rubbed the males the wrong way.
Paul Darcy was 35 years old and
looked 80. He was pale, soft-voiced.-
| with exquisite enunciation and exquis-
| ite nails. His thin, straw-hued hair was
beautifully parted and brushed, and he
was fascinating in ladylike way. He
spent three days in Aldborough, two
| of the three in the room dominated by
Miss Ware. He was tremendously In
| terested in primary education, and he
talked fuently of Europe. He said that
he had lived for two years on the con-
tinent
He went back to the capital, leaving
| behind him an interested memory.
Jane Ware thought of him with an un-
| easy fiutter of the heart. She did not
know what this meant, but the poor
little heart fluttered when she thought
of him and when his name was spoken
Unexpectedly she had a slight catch OF
the breath
She knew nothing of love. She had
been utterly untouched by 1t. She was
not an unhandsome woman, but she
had been too busy saving for Europe to
waste time upon men. She had gone
little into society, because society even
in modest way requires new clothes
and new clothes cost money that should
be devoted to continental travel. Any
one of the chits In the high school
could have told her what was the matter
with her before half of her Symphonic
were described, but she was ignorant.
Early in June Paul Darcy came back
Ito pick up some neglected data" He
boarded at a private house within .
block of Miss Wares small room. He
saw much of her. Indeed, he saw her
every afternoon as soon as she was re-
leased for the day, and every evening.
He made love in slow, beautifully
enunciated way, much as he would have
recited carefully prepared address to
a board of trustees, but she found no
| fault with 1t. No one had ever made
love to her. 1t seemed altogether noble
| and delicious. His straw-colored hair
was never disarranged; his linen was
never rumpled; he uttered fine senti-
ments of the school of Martin Farquhar
Upper; he was to her knight and
prince. Love poured it's silvern light
upon him; in 1t he stood tran1fgured, Q
worshipful thing, hero.
| Any listener to their conversations
would have noted, between maps. that
he talked a great deal about himself,
but this never Jared upon Jane. What
finer, nobler subject could he have
found? Largely, after they became en-
gagged, his talk was about his book. for
he was an author. This book was to
make him famous: this book was to
make him rich; this book, once 1t was
printed and its merits understood of a
few, was to run through countless edi-
tions; there was to be constant, ever
increasing demand for this book; IT
was to be translated into all modern
tongues, because the nations were to re-
alize that it was the one thing needed
to their development. The name OF
was THE Level of Pedagogic Motion. t"
1t presented all the science of pedagogy
so succinctly, so eloquently, SO mastery
that the education of the races was as
sured There was a conspiracy of the
publishers against 1t. He knew il to be
a conspiracy because 1t was not to be
supposed that ten publishing firms could
be so fatuous as to fail to see its merits.
The conspiracy was inspired and ei-
rected by the textbook trust" there
could be no earthly doubt of that
Therefore he intended to publish 1t al
his own cost, cost certain to be re-
turned to him thousandfold within Q
| year. Then he and his wife (happy
bushes here!) would visit Europe to-
| gether, viewing and instructing its
great educational institutions. Tie
nearly approached eloquence at this
| juncture. The sum needed, joined tc
his own resources, was $4,000. and he
hoped, by careful economy and industr-
GUS essay-writing. to amass that much
in years time. Then wealth and posi-
tion would be assured.
Jane Ware leaned forward, faint
flush tinging her thin cheeks. all of a
woman's beautiful devotion and SELF
sacrifice In her eyes:
Dear" she said, Il have that much !;
| it is yours"
But your visit to Europe!" he re.
monstrated, in faint protest.
1 II can wait, until-until we go to-
gether.'
That was two years ago. She got a
chilly letter the other day. The writer
was going over the pages of The Level
| of Pedagogic Notion" 1t needed con-
| siderable emendation and amplifying:
he could not say just when It would
be published; he was pressed for time
| to attend to his business correspond
| ence.
Faded is the dream of the Coliseum s
hoary walls and of the trees that grow