The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-05-08

ment, but i mean to try it tonight"
An audible gasp broke from twenty
pairs of lips, and Horace Gray, with al
hot flush on his face, and his eyes down.
cast. looked at the palm of his Target
hand. with d queer, little smile lurkinRt
about his mouth.
The school was dismissed, and tt,aI
amazed urchins dispersed to their
homes to tell the news;
Teachers going to whip Horace
Gray!"
The silence in the little school-house
grew oppressive. The clock tickedJ
noiselessly on the wall. Berta felt asI
though it were her heart beating there.
Her breath came fast as she took her
ferule from her desk. Her voice.
trembled.
Horace Gray, come here!"
The great, broad-shou1dered fellow
rose obediently and came down the
aisle, standing respectfully before the
little teacher.
Hold out your hand" she COM
manded.
He held it out at once-his strong,
brown, right hand. Berta took it Ia
her own; then dropped it suddenly.
AASh AASC AOSlo0 SllllSOu, uuo Luo kGdl0
came into her soft eyes. 4
II can't strike YOU, Horace" she'
said, you are too big. but l nm not
afraid OF you. 1t would be shameful
to strike you. 1t would humilate me
as much as YOU. What shall I do with
you. YOU great, unruly fellowP"
He raised his eyes and looked at her
his whole heart in his eyes and on his
lips:
Love me-" he said, and be my
wifeP"
Berta turned away and put the ferule
in her desk, locked it, and then did,
sundry other little things about the
oom before she noticed him. Then
she came back to him, aud looked
straight into his eyes from the PLATFORM
on which she stood-with u strange
look in her eyes, a CULVER of her lips,
a paling Of her face-then she laughed.
That is the greatest punishment I
could innict upon you. Horace!" she
| said" and / will do it, /
When they we're walking homeward
in the dusk, he said:
Il was bad purposely, Berta-I
longed for you to punish me. l loved
you SO | could not help wishing to be
kept after school. I have always
made you trouble, haven't 1? / can't.
tell why, only that I could not bear to
be unnoticed by YOU. aud 1 wanted
you to think Of me, ever as a bother
and q trouble to you"
Berta looked up at her tall pupil, her
eyes alight with loving mischief.
''It's perfectly ridiculous. isn't it.,
Horace-my falling in love with one of
my own bad boys, and a Squeedunker
at that! What will Aunt Marie sayi'
He did not come to school any more
that term. The children never found
o. exactly how he was punished. but
supposed that, being too big to ferule, i
the little teacher had expelled him.
AT the grand concert which wound
up the singing-school Tryphena and
Tryphosa nudged each other in the.
ribs, and nodded Significantly when
Berta and Horace stood up together to,
sing their duet.
Must be they've made up one vir-
gin sister whispered to the other; lust
like Horace Gray to go and marry this
highty-tighty city grill"
Berta's wedding outfit was simple
and inexpensive. Those who knew,
said it could not have cost more than.
$40, but she looked as winsome a bride
as ever the sun shone on when, in June.
she gave her life into the keeping Of
Horace Gray.
Berta knew how she paid for her
pretty trosseau-and so do we.
"a girls freak" her friends called
it, but Berta can never be persuaded
that fate was not in it after all.-N. X
Ledger.