The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-06-21
Miranda s
Whinns
BY a. N. DAVIES OGDEN
Copyright, 1905, bp 4. n D. ootoa


open windows came glimpscs Of green
wood bespeaklng delicious coolncss
aud the ripple Of brooks. hut ia the
schoolroom the air was uudenIably
close. The scratch Of pencil. the
shuillin OF impatient little feet, the
drone Of a lazy bee, all seemed TO IN
tensify the impression Of heat, and the
young schoolmaster stirred restlessly.
1t had meant great deal to Peter
Raymond. securing the village school
at Wimberly. but he had not found his
task an easy one. His eyes. wandering
over the rows Of bent heads before him,
encountered the glance Of girl seated
hear the door. The girl. one Of the old.
CT scholars. with "A toss vi her curls.
returned To her book, and the trouble
/ IN the schoolmaster' face deepened.
Here was the erux of the situation. IL
he could win Miranda Hemming to his
side the remainder of the pupils would
follow easily enough. But 1t was Mi
randa herself. with her great blue eyes.
| fetching dimples and coquettish ways.
who openly led the revolt against him.
The teacher sighed again. Perhaps he
WAS too young
From the very beginning Of his work,
however, Raymond had recognized the
/ primitive instinct of hostility to the un-
known In the questioning eyes uplifted
| TO his own. Now. after five weeks, he
seemed no nearer the solution OF his
I
| das spirited guidance were becoming
even worse. despite his pointed ignor
| ing OF her mutiny. He touched the bell.
FIRST class In grammar he said
| Miranda. with several other girls. rang
/ ing from sixteen to eighteen. came
/ slowly forward 1t was rather try
| Ing recitation. Most of the girls Stun
bled. Miranda failed utterly. nor did
she care. Io,all his questions she an
swered with provoking nonchalanee,
| evidently indifferent as to whether he
were pleased or not. Her rebellion had
never before been quite SO openly man
/ ifest \ sudden line of resolution
| frightened the young mans mouth.
You may return to your seats he
] 1dAAAs MSS ~ Al aAAAAs sAAeA4A iAlt@A
you 10 remain after school until that
lesson is recited perfectly"
What cried the girl Involunta.
rlly she fell back step. hardly beliey-
/ ing her col ears That any one should
/ dare address her. Miranda Hemming,
In such fashion. Isaymond's expression
did not change.
4 - I Haf 10. ts.f
/ quietly. 1T shouh not take long"
For a moment Miranda. stupehed,
/ hesitated, then she fiounced indignant
/ ly back TO her seat. The whole school.
which had dropped all work to listen
to the passage at arms between Mi
randa and the teacher. fairly shiyered,
| and Tom Carruthers. a big. louush
/ chap of nineteen. shot a sullen look at
/ Raymond To scold Miranda! To the
! quiverlng excitement of the school. the
I time until O'Clock appeared fairly to
/ fly. Would teacher really keep In Mi
randaf
When the others arose, Miranda also
| sprang to her feet. Them something In
the teachers expression caused her to
Hllh bdNh III ltA HNANr tAA-iAAA6 anu
abashed. 1t took an unusually long
time for the pupils TO disperse that
day. but at last they We're all gone.
You need not think that | shall
study that lesson" she declared with
sharp emphasis Raymond nodded
AS you please" he answered. Only
here we both stay until you do"
At.ist
incredulously
Not until you learn that lesson"
But burst out Miranda furious
ly Then she closed her lips with
snap and leaned back. her hands tenn
pestuously folded before her. Ray
mond picked up a book.
Take your own time" he said pleas
antIy.
But somehow the book did not prove
very enthralling Between his eyes and
the printed pages persisted the vision
OF a wlllful little face set In its tangle
OF Wavy hair Yet he must not be
beaten now. His whole future hung
on this issue, he thought. The shad
ows heightened. the sun dropped be
hind the hills. Miranda. who for some
time had been stealing furtiye chances
at the quiet figure behind the big desk
smiled prettily.
"Tm-Fm hungry she wheedled.
For an instant Raymond wayered.
This new sweetness was strange and
alluring. But before he could speak
the door was flung open and Tom Car
ruthers appeared on, the threshold.
Bent ye comm home to supper,
Mirandy?" ne demanded. Yer ma sent
me fer ye." dartingt suspicious look
at her jailer. Amt We eomln'f I'll
look out fer ye."
Why" began Miranda feebly. Ray
mond, sudden. unaccomtable resent
ment surglng into his heart. frowned
Miss Miranda is in no need OF
Champion" he declared stiffiy. She
can leave when she chooses You may
GO" And Tom, after an instant's
scowling hesitation. went out. banging
the door. Miranda bit her lip.
II will never learn that lesson" she
repeated stubbornly.
There was another llongisllence while
the shadows darkened. At last the
young man rose and lit;the lamp.
at is nearly O'clock" be said brief
ly Miranda. now chose upon tears,
looked back still defiant
And II say 1t you'll,letlme go?"
Certainly"
With rapid. choked utterances she
flung the text at him. tnot pausing for
question or comment And then
II hate you" shescried vehement
ly; hate you, hate you! And III new
er. never come into tf1s horrld school
room again. The bright drops shone
IN her eyes like dew ON forgetmenots,
her checks We're flushed TO a Wild rose
pink, the girl was shaken, puzzled,
hurt. The village boys she had leased
and ruled at will For, the first time
the had found a man inrpervlous alike
20 her anger or smiles. From the day
that he. a stranger. hadtmet her eyes