Smyrna times., 1905-06-28

sometimes characterized the young peo-
pie under his charge in highly unpro-
fessional language as little beasts"
Teaching was by no means his voca-
ton, 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 a globe they were confronted by
their own names scrawled upon the
blackboard and bristling with the can
celed letters common to both. BY
counting first the Cancelled and then
the remaining letters to the formula
Friendship, love, Indifference, hate"
the youthful tormentors had discov-
cred and duly published to the world
that Miss Comyngs feeling for him
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 it's objects, warningly
scrawled beneath it was the admoni-
ton, Change the name and not the
letter, and you change for worse and
not for better"
Cartright glanced at his companion
swiftly. He devoutly hoped she was
not one of those mawkishly sentimen-
tai young women who blushed and
quivered at occurrences of this sort,
thereby giving him an uncomfortable
feeling that possibilities lowered in her
mind.
But this time he need have had no
fear. Miss Comyng took the matter
much more cOolly than her predecessor
had done under similar circumstances.
She faced the scrawl a moment with
puckering brOws, then transferred her
gaze openly to his face and laughed
outright at the dawning look Of relief
she surprised there, and when she
spoke it was with a great occurrences.
II don't feel bit embarrassed" she
remarked. mo one, I'm sure, need feel
ashamed of feeling friendship and in
difference for colleague. But candid
ly'-her tone changed and became
frank and matter of fact-"isn't 1t
amazing that in all those young heads
from which the pigtails are still dan
Cling, as we'll as the clipped and rum
pied ones on the other side of the room,
the romantic idea should be dominant? ?
You and 1, being neither very old nor
very ugly"-her lips twitched-"will
play the leading roles in 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 admiration for each other. It's
it's simply appalling!"
"Appallingp' he echoed. 81 should
say 1t was-and some of them are still
in the stage where they spell future
with 'ch' and busy with an 4! But
don't mind If you.don't," he added mag
unanimously.
She was sitting on the arm of one of
the chairs in a thoroughly girlish but
rather undignified attitude. Cartright
noticed with satisfaction that her
teaching had not sunk in as yet.
Mind! Not 1. Why, it's as good as a
play. Now. IL you come into my room
to speak to me during recitation, es-
pecially If you should happen to smile
at me, the air becomes electric with
meaning. Minnie telegraphs Jennie a
swift Did you see thatT and even the
hulking, overgrown boys who have
been sitting like bumps upon logs
arouse to something like life"
1--WE half a mind to show you some
thing l found on the floor today" she
remarked slowly, and from the bag al
her side she took a slip of paper and
held it out to him. ITS extremely fat
tering to you, anyway"
He looked at the slip. 81 bet she's In
love with him" was written in a wab
bling, Uniformed hand. 81 don't see
how, she can help it, he has such fear
fU' fires in his dark eyes. They're JUS
ike Rochester's."
There was a moments silence, an(
then the two young instructors broke
into roar of laughter that wiped on
the last sense of strangeness betweeI
them.
''Now that you know that 1 know
and know that you know" was Cart
rights somewhat involved explanation
Il don't see any reason why we can
be friends. Nothing that those youn.
cubs do can possibly make us shy
Wen show them that the thread Of ro
nance doesn't run through ever.
friendship between a man and a won
an"
"As the scarlet thread through ever.
bit Of rope used by the British navy,
she supplemented saucily, and the
the talk reverted to school matters.
But the pupils Of the Central Hig
school were not slow to discover tina
there was a new ease and understand
Ing between the incoming teacher 0
algebra and physiology and the priI
q clpal whom every girl in the room 81
cretly raved over.
Once Jennie Bascom met them wall
Ing in the park, and notwithstandin
the fact that ON this occasion they wer
deep In the discussion of pedagog