The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-10-01
By MRS. EDWARDS PAINE.

SoG> Ida was a country school
( uuu marin, teaching her first
9 w 9 school ten miles from
4 w home. She taught five days
1SE one week and six the next
AMI ut the end of every fortnight il
was her fathers custom either to come
for her himself or send some one to
bring her home for over Sunday.
On one particular Friday night the
uncle whom her father had delegated
to go for her failed to put in an appear.
ance, and Wilda, after vainly watching
until after 10 o'clock for some one to
come, decided to set up early in the
morning and start for home Oh foot,
with a possible hope that she might
either meet her father. or catch a-ride
with some one else, at least for part Of
the way home.
The reason Why she was so deter
mined to reach home before Saturday
night was to keep an engagement with
certain young man by the name of
Walter Mather, whom she had prom
ised to marry. In point OF fact. there
had been considerable difficulty con-
nected with her engagement to this
young man. In the first place she was
an Independent little woman. and
wanted to test ner own powers at earn
ing living Ia the second, she wasn't
Just sure whether she cared enough
for Walter to marry him, and in the
third he had met With an unconscious
rival in the person Of one Theodore
Graham, Wilda'S fathers hired man,
who, by the way, could not be called
such, according to the common sacccp-
tation Of the term. On the contrary he
claimed to be a broken-down athlete
from neighboring university who had
begged the privilege Of working for her
father for the purpose Of recGDerating
his wasted strength.
Vida had felt no little trepidation in
regard to her enga cement with Waiter
Mather. Her father had cautioned her
repeatedly about the consequences OF
making an unwise choice. and some Of
her numerous friends had felt it their
duty to tell her in plain English that he,
wasn't half good enough for her; that
he possessed some traits of character
that would surely bring her to grief.
However, Walters father was 4 very
wealthy farmer, which counted for
considerable in those Gays, bat that
didn't amount to much in Wilda's esJi-
nation, for her own father had enough
and to spare, and there was no need Of
her teaching school had she not wanted
to. The main proposition with her was
whether in her uncertain state of mind
she was justified in marrying him at
all. 8 Ex$ssss (
Theodore Graham had Oh several oc-
casions tried to make advances to
Wilda, which, under the circumstances,
she was wise enough not to- encourage,
and wise enough to keep to- herself
His menial position would not warrant
him in advancing very far, albeit,
Wilda did not doubt his being col
lege-bred man, judging from his habits
and knowledge of books. But she knew
nothing Of his life and character, eX-
cepting what she observed for herself,
and as far as he was concerned he had
his own reasons for not letting her or
anybody else know that he was a city
bred man, too, and that at his mothers
death he would come into the posses
sion Of at least half million.
Vida father, with an eye simply to
the best interests Of his motherless and
only child, had never delegated his
hired man to go and bring his daughter
home from her school, but somehow
Theodore always managed to be at the
gate TO assist her to alight. Nsilda un-
derstood his ismaneuvers, but her father
took it asSansact Of courtesy which was
simply her due. !
y At the first peep Of day Wilda was
up and dressed and ready to start for
home. Mrs. Thompson. the lady with
whom she was boarding that week,
said to her:
'"You shall not go one step until you
have had a good hearty breakfast" =
.'It is too early for a good hearty
breakfast Mrs. Thompson said VIII
da. II can't eat if you get it."
"Now you just go out and walk /
around the house and down to the
spring and back. and drink in some Of
this morning air. and then see if you
won't eat some of It." -
So Wilda did as she was hidden, and
to her surprise she did eat her break
fast with relish. $ - !
Mrs. Thompson smiled with approval
ali the time she was eating, then, when
she had finished, she saw her through
the gate which opened into the lane,
and watched her until she entered the
public highway.
5Wilda waved her hand good-by. then
she said to herself
II hope I shan't meet any one COM
ing for me, for at least mile any way,
for do love to take long walks in the
cool Of the morning and hear the birds
sing"
Along the road she trudged, her
young heart as light and happy as the
birds she watched and listened to,
thinking of Walter, how happy and
pleased he would be to know Of the ef-
fort she was making to keep her fort
nightly appointment with him. "
III he only knew" she said to her
self, ''he would gladly have come for
me himself; but then he doesn't, so
there's no use in my bothering my head
about that. Besides, father wouldn't
be pleased if Walter came for me, as
he considers that a particular privi-
lege Of his own, from which he derives
much pleasure. Poor father! He'll
miss me when I'm gone. But this
walk! It's going to be long one; and
I don't believe I'd run the risk Of
walking the whole way for another
man livinoo