The San Francisco call., 1905-02-08

4 N his heart Of hearts the handsome
I young principal of the High School
1 sometimes characterized the young
people under his charge in highly
unprofessional language, as little
beasts" Teaching was by no means
his vocation, but simply a compulsory
grace by which he hoped to obtain two
coveted years of study at Heidelberg.
He did so now with a viciousness
that would have Mortified their parents,
for as he and Miss Comyng entered
one Of the smaller recitation rooms to
look at globe they were confronted
by their own names, scrawled upon
the blackboard and bristling with the
Cancelled letters common to both BY
counting first the Cancelled ana tnen
the remaining letters to the formula
Friendship, love, Indifference, hate,
the youthful tormentors had d1scoV-
ered-and duly published to the worio
that Miss Comyng's feeling 1or MIN
was a compound of friendship and IN
difference, while his own for her was
unadulterated love.
But this was not all. Lest the IN
scription should by any means escape
the attention of its objects, warnlngly
scrawled beneath 1t was the admom-
ton: Change the name ana not tns
letter, and you change for worse ana
not for better"
Cartright glanced at his companion
swiftly. He devoutly hoped she was
not one of those mawkishly sentl-
mental young women who blushed and
ouivered at occurrences Of this sort,
thereby giving him an uncomfortable
feeling that possibilities hovered In her
mind.
But this time he need have had no
fear. Miss Comyng took the matter
much more coolly than her predeces-
sor had done under similar c1rcum-
stances. She faced the scrawl mo
ment with puckering brows, then
transferred her gaze openly to his
face and laughed outright at the dawn
ing look of relief she surprised there
and when she spoke 1t was with
great occurrences.
IT don't feel a bit embarrassed, she
remarked mo one, I'm sure. need
feel ashamed of feeling friendship and
indifference for a colleague. But can
didIv''-her tone changed and became
frank and matter r-of-fact-"isn't 1t
amazing that in all those young heads
from which the pig-tails are still dang
ling, as we'll as the clipped and
rumpled ones on the other side of the
room, the romantic idea should be
dominant? You and L, Delng neither
very old nor very ugly'-her lips
twitched-"will play the leading roles
in a living drama for the next few
months. One hundred and twenty
pairs Of keen eyes will be watching
us daily, awaiting some sign of our ad-
miration for each other. Its-it's 8
simply appallingl"
"Appallingr he echoed. 81 should
say it was-and some Of them are still
In the stage where they spell future
with a 'ch' and busy with an 81 But
1 don't mind if you don't" he added
magnanimously.
She was sitting on the arm Of one
of the chairs in thoroughly girlish
but rather undignified attitude. Cart
right noticed with satisfaction that her
teaching had not sunk In" as yet.
Mind, Not 1. Why, it's as good
as a play. Now, if you come into my
room to speak to me during a recita-
ton, especially If you should happen
to smile at me, the air becomes cleo
trio with meaning. Minnie telegraphs
Jennie a swift Did you see that?' and
even the hIllking, overgrown boys who
have been sitting like bumps upon
f. logs arouse TO something like life"
1--WE half mind to show you some