Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-06-16


81 am John Benton, said the man, |
way Of introducing himself THAT
my home you see back half a mile Pc
haps you've heard Mr.. White speak {
me"
eyes, | have heard your name, NJ
Benton. am Miss Thurston, the teacl
er. | am awfully sorry TO put you
, so much trouble It was stupid of m
to get lost, and | thank you for you
| kindness from the bottom of my heart.
! | Don't mention it, Miss Thurston: it.
no trouble at all. And you are eertainl
not to be blamed for getting lost, 70
even old settlers do that frequently"
But hadn't you better let me driv
back to the house, to get warm, and lie
my sister make cup Of tea for you
he said, growing suddenly solieitous
Thank you, Mr. Benton, that is kim
of you, but | am really not cold, and
shall be late at school as It is"
What she thought to herself was: 81
is bad enough to be Obliged to accept hi
help when | am an utter stranger, with
out putting myself under heavier obliga.
ions. Besides, there is no telling what
kind Of an old maid his sister may be
nor what she might think Of this ex.
! ceedingly unconventional. If unavoid.
able affair She would probably imag-
inc | had designs on her handsome
brother, for he certainly is a good look
ing man, and as polite as he can be. OF
course, | really ought to fall in love with
him after such a romantic meeting. "
then suddenly realizing whittier her
thoughts were trending, she actually
blushed Fortunately for her he was
too much interested in his own thoughts
10 see the change of her color. He, too,
was thinking strange things, but for
some reason which he did not try to
analyze, he did not care to interrupt his
reverie.
"She is a fine looking girl, he thought
to himself and plucky, too, to walk so
far through the snow, though it is easy
to see that she is pretty nearly tuekered
out She has just the color of brown
eyes that like, and the hair blowing
about her temples is beautiful | sup
pose there are half a dozen young chaps
in love with her already, who will try
TO win her. A girl can't be in this coun-
try a week before every young claim
jumper in the region knows IT and COM
menees TO poster the life out of her, and
she has TO marry one of them to get rid
of the crowd"
Really, 1t almost made him angry to
think Of IT, And, of course, they won't
have any more sense with a girl like her;
what on earth would she want with such
fellows as they? | wonder If anyone
has asked her to go to that entertain
ment at the Gray schoolhouse? It's four
miles out Of my way, but I've a mind to
ask her! That isn't half so far as some
Of them go for girl"
He did not drive rapidly, and he did |
not think all this at once, but sand
wiched his thoughts between sentences.
When he arrived at the schoolhouse and |
be helped her out Of the buggy, her hand
rested a moment in his, and then and
there he made the quickest resolution
Of his life, and the most important,
namely, that if her heart was not al
'eady in the keeping of another he would
win 1t. He was not sorry when they
,ound the scholars had gone home again,
evidently thinking that she was not
coming that day, and they went in. while
John stirred up the fire, insisting that
he must warm herself before he took
her on to Mr. Whites.
Miss Thurston protested at his putting
himself to so much trouble for her and
insisted that she could walk back. but
lie would not hear Of it. Perhaps II is
lot surprising that, under these cireum-
stances, their acquaintance progressed
'ery rapidly, and when John asked 10
e might call on her she said she would
be very glad to have him, for he seemed
Ilready like an old friend"
Well, that was the beginning. and II
loes not take much Imagination to see
What the end would be if he had his
way about it, and he did
If there had been enough people round
bout who knew how frequently John
vailed himself Of the privilege she gave
i'm, and how often they went sleigh
iding. there would have been much
raging Of tongues. Mrs. White how
yer, was not a gossip and saw few peo-
lie, while Johns sister looked wise and
aid nothing, for Miss Thurston had won
Ter heart as well as his. and when her
chool was out John announced to Mil
e that she need not plan to come over
nd cook and bake for him after she was
arried
Three times IS out" he said. and"
And you've made up your mind that
is better to risk an elopement than
mother sister. Wei, You are wise. she
nished for him.-Prairie Farmer