The Somerset reporter., 1905-06-29
LYDIA'S
QUORUM
By BELLE MANDATES
Copyright, 1895, by Belle Maniates

We'll, I.yddy, I'll get you the job If
| can, but it's going to be mighty
hard thing to get 'eorum Deacon
Watrous was saying. You See, that
young Wight thinks we ought To have
Il man. of course you'll have my vote.
but Bill Stiles is always straddln' Il
| fence, and the last man he talks to gets
him. This young feller's highfalutin
talk kind Of caught Bilrs fancy, and he
was totterin', but took him in hand,
and now he's leann' our way again.
I'll stick to him tighter than "A brother
and keep him away from Wight till the
meetn' is over. Its tomorrow night"
You are SO good, Deacon Natrous, "
replied Lydia. raising grateful eyes.
and if l get the place III do my best
to vindieate your choice
I'll do all | can, Lyddy,' said the
deacon.
Lydia Gardner had spent the past
summer away from home, and when
| she returned to the farm She had
found the family in state Of gloom.
Crops had been poor, number of eat
| tie had died, and the inevitable mort
gage had to be met Lydia proposed t.
meet it By teaching in the district
school. She had been reasonably GER
| tain of securing the position, counting
on the deacon and Bill for a quorum.
but now this young man, who had fall
en- heir to the farm of his uncle. John
Wight, and had come to the Corners in
her absence, might carry his point of
hiring a man to teach.
She simply had to have the position.
and she determined to help Deacon
| Watrous in his efforts to secure Bits
needed vote 1t would be useless for
her to appeal to Blll-"Weathercock
| Bill" as he was called. She resolved
| to make bold move and encounter the
enemy whom she had never seen.
Hugh Wight was in the sitting room
of the old homestead pondering over
this same subject of a quorum. When
| he succeeded to his inheritance he had
determined TO become practical farm
er and win the esteemed position his
uncle had ever maintained in the
| hearts of the simple country folk. They
had laughed at the young man for
| thinking he could be a farmer, but he
| had shown them he could learn from
them and improve on their methods.
They We're glad to have him succeed
l,i 1Aags af n tlh
committee. That seemed to be more in
| his line.
He had as firm convictions on the ed
| ucational question as he had on most
subjects and he thought man more
| fitted to wrestle with the difficulties of
a country school than woman He
had not seen this applicant, but he did
not approve of Il young girl who had
no preparation or experience in teach
| ing
In the midst of his cogitations there
| was rap at the outer door. He opened
| it TO admit a winsome. willoWY girl
with big, innocent eyes and an artless
| manner
Are YOU Mr. Wight? l am Lydia
Gardner
He acknowledged the Introduction
gravely and asked her to be seated
Hugh Wight was not Il susceptible
man, and Lydias beauty only strength
ened him in his belief that she was not
competent for the position of school
teacher at the Corners.
cl, 4 80,
candidate for the position Of teacher
| hear that You are in favor of hiring
man for the place and don't suppose
anything thai could say would change
your opinion. | came to ask you not to
induce Bill Stiles to vote against me-
He was somewhat surprised at this
frank appeal. He liked drectness.
III means II good deal to us she
continued earnestly. land If don't get
the place it will go very hard with my
father. My salary would help him
more than YOU can know"
Hugh felt as II he had been stealing
sheep. She did not want the money for
fripperics, then, but TO help her father.
What do You mean by my mhuenc-
ing Bill:" he asked.
ITS like this, She explained. "Dea-
con Watrous is OF course for me. and
Bill is, too. or would be if YOU leave
him alone and say nothing about the
advantages of having man, but the
last person that approaches Bill has
him, and they say You have a convinc.
ing tongue. The deacon is going to
try and keep Bill away from you until
the meeting N over. but | didn't care
to trust to that, 50 | came to ask you.
| wouldn't presume TO ask YOU TO vote
for me, only to let Bal alone
Up ~ this time the eyes voice and
manner of the Young man bad not been
at all encouraging but in the hearty
peal of infectious laughter that follow.
ed her request Lydia caught note of
appreciation, and some way she deriy-
ed hope from his amusement
Miss Gardner, ii strikes me as rath-
or odd that you should come and show
me the way TO gain my point and then
ask me not 10 take it."
Maybe it is" she said wistfully,
but l didn't know what else to do"
He remained in deep study for mo-
ment He did not like to be influenced
by personalities.
well" he said abruptly, IN not
speak to Bill or in his presence about
this matter. and I'll waive my obiec-
tons for this year and vote for YOU