The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-01-25
Copyright, 1904, BY Belle Mantates


Johnny, run down to the first white
house beyond the woods and tell them
to send help. They have telephone
Ask them to notify all the neighbors,"
she directed between beats.
Johnny was reluctant to leave a 5ufi4
fire Of such proportions as this was as
Stunning, but he detected the teacher"
in her tones and concluded to obey.
That's the stuff she next heard
and looked up to meet the approval Of
the farmer at whose house she boarded.
He procured a stick and made an eff
fective onslaught upon the flames
Presently they were REINFORCED by a
passerby, and after time the fire was
extinguishei.
You best go home and rest a SPELL"
cOunseled her landlord. You look oil
het up and tuckered out"
ut was pretty warm work." she &C.
knowledged. arranging her hair, which
the breeze and her eXertions had tun.
bled about her face.
"Well, l tell you what, you just
saved them woods, all right. The own
err ought to make you nice present"
Mabel laughed.
'Who is the owner!" she asked care
lessly.
His name is Max Thornton. He's
young city swell. l heard say
She had inserted the last hairpin
and now started for home with burned
face and blistered hands
Meanwhile Johnny. returning from
the white house. heard shot ring opt
In the woods.
"I'il git him to come and help teach
cr," he thought as he scurr:ed through
the cool woods after the man behind
the gun.
Say, the woods is pretty near on
fire. It's mos creep up on emf
The man laughed coed naturedly.
do you think l am in any danger"
1.-THE woods is! Teacher sent me for
help. She is beating it out with a
stick"
"All right! Come along" And the
man made for the road in long strides,
the boy keeping pace by a quick trot,
explaining with many EXPLORATIONS the
r4sstlc1'lays4ssr Of the. Are ,.---.-.
sMy! Teacher was jest more than
layin' on to it with a stick. l never
ssposed she could hit out like thatv'
Hasn't she laid it on to you yet?'
laughed the hunter.
NAV. She amt teched one on us
yit. l bet the boys would behave if
they'd seen her beat that fire."
The hunter was occupied for mo-
ment with conjuring the image of
teacher hittin' the fire."
"Say, young man, has your teacher
got red hair, and does she wear
glasses?'
Eyes. How did yer know?' he ask
ed curiously.'
II just felt it,
When the hunter came up to the
men, he said to the farmer.
II came to help put out fire, but I
see you have done good work." gazing
at the blackened ground.
I'VE only got here to the tail end of
It," explained the farmer. 1.-THE school
teacher got here first, and she fit it like
a tiger. Guess some of you hunters
set it on fire."
The hunte. laughed and walked on.
remembering tie match, but he felt
no compunctions "a man has the
right to set fire to his own If he wants
to-" he thought. Suppose it would
be only decent in me to go and thank
the schoolma'am. Wonder how I can
make her a substantial token Of graft
tude without offense?"
Here, boy!' he turned and called to
Johnny. who fingered near the ruins
do you want to earn a quarter?"
"You bet yer boOtsv'
"Then take me to your teacher, If it's |
not too far
; 'It's jest down the next road a ways,
and mebby she's stopped in at the |
down the lane"
ION a Saturday." he asked skep-
tically.
eyes. She writes her letters there?'
They relapsed into silence. Johnny |
making plans for the investment of |
his quarter and the man absorbed in |
thoughts of bitter. cynical trend. \
few months before he had been the
happy, accepted lover of a beautiful,
girl who was of an old. aristocratic
family In moderate circumstances.
Some pessimistic relatives Of his had
Intimated that his wealth and not him
self was the object of her alteration.
The little shaft, though resented, ran
kled and fingered and grew until in a
Of desperation and i'll iudg
ment he sent her letter saying that
lis fortune had been swept away in
he late panic and offering to release
Ter from the engagement.
He waited in suspense for her reply.
which came promptly. She coldly and
'riefy agreed that the engagement
hould be broken. owing to change of
Wounded through and through. he
vent abroad, aimlessly wandering from
me place to another, hating all women
or what one had wrought,
He was wondering now as he WALL.
d along the dusty highway what had
ecome Of her. Had she landed an
ther millionaire? What a useless.
elpless wife she would make for
DOR man! Then he thought of the
truggling, sordid existence of this
In his minds eve he
ictured her-lank, gawky and specta-
led, beating the flames
Even at that" he thought, 'she is
lore to be loved than a woman who
cared poverty. Faith, believe I'll
larry the schoolma'am and settle
own to country life if she'll have
le."
A turn into lane brought them
the little schoolhouse and johnny Ia
'oked in through the open door.
She's In there" he said.