The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-10-11
That frivolous
Miss Bell
BY JEANETTE. SCOTT BENTON
COpynsh,. 1905. by Jeanette Scott Benton

| school board meeting by request of the
board. The principal subject under
discussion was the hiring of an assist
ant Latin teacher In the hi$ school,
"of course, professor, you under
stand the chairman explained. that
the necessity for new teacher Using
rs 1t does in the school year gives us
very little choice The board however.
has decided unanimously upon Miss
Daisy Bell. room {, of the Oak street
school. What do you think of herr"
Professor Leigh frowned. My actu-
nj knowledge of Miss Bells attain
ments Is limited, but she is frivolous
looking young woman. TO me she
seems Il rather impossible Latin teach
err Her name. Daisy Bell. in the fac
ulty would almost lower Its tone"
He glanced around and caught the
covert amusement of his auditors. his
lean young face set in stern disap-
prevail. TO Professor Leigh life was
real and earnest"
He writhed under the frivolity and
laxity of those latter days. The light
ness and love of display shown by the
majority of his feminine acquaintanccs
annoyed him. Women were sadly de
only thirty years old.
81 know" he said stihly, 3" my objcc
ton is unusual but the girls of the
high school run 10 too much frivolity
themselves Their teachers should be
of another type. II there is any. They
even have way of wearing their
hair In n sort of arch over their faces
SO that In profile you can barely see the
tips of their noses. That Miss Bell
wears hers very much the same way"
The board relaxed decidedly Pro
fessor Leigh regarded them in stern
perplcxlty.
Il confess" the chairman remarked,
that we have not particularly consid-
cred Miss Bells appearance. She grad
uated last year with unusual Latin
recommendations. As for her ability
~ teacher, the work in room of
the Oak street school Is not easy, and
she has succeeded there. OF course If
she Is not satisfactory, professor, other
arrangements can be madc for next
year"
The professor arose. My objections
to Miss Bell" he said, "are of course
theoretical" He smiled smile of
such entire confidence and good fell
lowship That 1t WIS easy TO understand
his hold on the high school In spite of
his priggishncss. And If you say try
her | shall do II with confidence In
your Judgment"
Which was not quite true, for every
day his soul arose In disapproval
against Miss Daisy Bell "What could
there be In II girl with such II pink and
white face fluffcd around with such II
mop of yellow hair and such IN I'm
preston of frills and fancy things all
about herY lie trcmblcd, too, for her
influence In the school The girls
seemed so infatuated with her How
could she teach Latin? II was almost
against natural law
Miss Bell grew red and white under
his scrutiny In the Latin class, for he
came In frequently during the first
months recltations
AT last lie was obliged to admit that
she could teach Eatln fairly well, but
he resented IT, He hated Inconsistency
She gradually became the trial of his
life. and he always tried to mike her
as inconsplcuous ms possible. During
the annual visitation of teachers he
sklllfully stcercd them away from Miss
Daisy's classes She was blot on the
| Il IL
loved school. II would shake the con
fldence of any sensible person to see II
girl like that on the staff of teachers
As for Miss Daisy, she tried her best
to please the stern young man. She
didn't have any trouble with her
classes. The girls were obcdlcnt and
the boys We're gentlemen.
But she could not understand Pro
fessor Leigh She curlcd her hair In
Its pretticst fashion and worked her
hardest In school, but she could not
melt his uncompromising disapproval.
She trembled for her position the fol
lowing year. II meant bread and but
ter and paying what she owed for her
course Mt the university.
In view of this contingency her pres
cnt bread and butter was of the cheap
est. and she turned and pressed and
darned her frivolous little frocks and
stuck bow here and trimmed In u
lacy frill there to hide the bad spots
that the bright spring sunshine was
making so apparent.
1t was nearly 8 o'clock one evening
when Miss Daisy discovered that by
some mischance she had overlooked
part Of her Latin examination papers.
They had to be graded that night, so
she threw little shawl over her shout
ders. II will have to go over after
them" she inurmured She ran across
the street to the dark, silent building.
The hail looked terribly big and dark,
and she fairly flew up the stairs into
the Latin recitation room She lighted
several matches and finally succeeded
In finding the missing papers The
shadows piled menaclngly In the cor
ners. and she was sure she heard a
noise somewhere In the building
She fed In n little panic from the
room to the stairs. Halfway down she
saw some one advancing toward her
from the gloom below. She gave 1T
tie shrek, then slipped and fell head
long She heard a smothered cxclamh-
ton; then some one caught her firmly
Faint with terror, she tried to regain
her feet.
"There. little one, there Don't be
frightened, dear" voice cntreated-
Professor Leigh's voice
In her relief and the reaction she
chung to him like frightened child
half sobblng.
He held her closer his face almost
against hers. "Are you hurt" he ask
ed anxiously.
Then, after minute, his clasp re
Taxed, and she slipped quickly away
from him.
81 had no idea il Xyna Won " she an III