Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-06-08

uur
Tie short winter days to the jewellers
in Pleasant Valley. The last "joga-
t,y" class WAS stumbling blindly along
the rocky road to knowledge and max
us sad plumbers of South American
names. while the scholars in the back
seat were diligently counting over
their spelling lessons, always the last
teCitat!cu at night.
\ slight noise made Marcia Grey
look up from her speller In time to
see a card nutter down on the door
cside her seat She managed to pick
ii up without attracting the teachers
attention. and then looked over at the
bows side to discover the sender, In
the preceding week small cards had
been scattered broadcast to advertise
a coming "show" given by a troupe
or transformers" The pictures ON
them were nearly all comic, and 1t
was one OF these, altered to suit the
circumstances. that her hoyish ad-
mtrers had dipped" over to her.
On one side 1t bore tee legend,
MAY | see YOU home from" here
was an erased aud substituted word
"sosherhul or shall sit on the fence
aud watch YOU in your peripatetic
ORGANIZATIONS" On the other was
n picture of discousolate youth
seated on Il rail fence watching the
lady Of his alteration sweep past In
naughty disdain,
"Fitth Reader, spelling!" put an end
tu Marc'a's Investigations and she
thought no more of the card, placed
between the leaves OF her speller,
until school was dismissed,
Johnny Barnes fingered a moment
behind the other boys, fumbling his
dtnner-pail and book strap.
"You get 1t, Marshy?" he Queried at
last, as he walked down the steps
behind her,
Get WHAT" then fash of com.
prehension, "Oh, then, twas you that
snapped that card over to me, |
might have known who did 1t by the
spelling"
The saucy toss of her head and
somewhat scornful reference to his
; record as speller irritated the boy
: and he responded tartly:
1T needn't worry YOU any. smarty
There's other girls II you don't want
me thatll be glad to have my com.
pany,"
Huh You're not the only boy In
Pleasant Valley. either" she retorted.
Il shan't have to go home alone, even
il dent choose to let you go with
me-"
That night Marcia and her escort,
old Dr. Simmons city nephew, were
startled by war whoop followed by
> yolley of snowballs that came from
behind a big woodplle at the side of
the road Before Marcia and her com.
huaion could recover from the surprise
Johnny Barnes was In the road be-
side them, and challenging the "in-
terloper' to a SNOWFALL fight, with a
threat of washing his face in the
nearest drift Marcia was powerless
to interfere and so found herself
obliged to witness the complete hu.
initiation Of Johnny's innocent rival.
Having Wrecked satisfactory ven
geance for his imaginary wrongs,
Johnny went off, still whocping derls-
lively back to the spot where Marcia
was solicitiously brushing the snow
from the clothes of the dude"
March, was looking over large
box full Of cards valentines and old
letters.
What's the use Of an old maid like
me hopping such a pile OF rubbish
Besides. there VIII be little room for
them in the one trunk that | shall
take with me to Nebraska, I'll keep
q few as souvenirs of the happy past
and give the rest to the neighbors'
children"
away tire few she hal elected to keep,
She paused ana laughed over one
small card
81 did not mean to save that. but
as II Is here. I'll put II with the
others | wonder where Johnny Is
now and II he remembers me, Things
have changed sadly since that night
for now I am going away. too, the last
~ my family, TO be 'scheolmarm' In
The wild West
|
"ycs'm, rs fact we never
reckon on keeping q teacher morn
three monthg afore she 10 gObbled up,
so to speak, by some OF our lonesome
bachelors An I'm afraid you won't
be no exception TO the rule" thus
! toked the Rrlzzled old rancher who
was taking Marcia 10 his home. where
she was 70 board.
THAT fine yet Of looking buildings
on 10 the right belongs 10 John
Barnes He comes from your town,
cos I showed him your letter and he
said he used to knew your folk"
said the old man. a moment later,
that's why we decided TO send for
You"
! Six months after that as Marcia