Middletown transcript., 1906-09-01
A Cottage Among the Hills
!. BY WILLIAM H. HANDY

AAAN%@ z
loitered like trpant school.boy
along the wild, unused country
road. The oak and hickory and
walnut touched hands overhead, ],
and shook. from their green
boughs O cooling shade that fell
in q quiet, soothing way across
the path Of the dreaming loiterer.
The underbrush was q wall Of
green on either side green
everywhere save here and there
a splotch of red on the snmac
bushes. The road wound in and
out through the valley, now
skirting the cliff, now close be
side the swift, clear, stream,
again plunging into the heart of
the dense bottom forest. 1t was
the teachers favorite walk, and
he loved it best in autumn.
He felt the south wind play
across his face as it sifted through
the network of living green; he
saw a boy plucking the leaves
from the cane in a field on the
hillside; he heard the rattle of a
wagon on the ridge above, and
everywhere the ceaseless chirp
and chatter and song of birds.
Sounds and color and air were
blended into one sensation, and
that woven into his dream, q
dream not of ambition and long
ing, but of contentmeq and rest
Where the road turns sharply
around the corner of the cliff be
came upon a young lady trying
vainly to reach a bunch of ferns
that grew from a crevice in the
1ace OF the rock.
May | get them for you? he
asked, and without waiting for
permission, plucked them. As
she thanked him, they looked
frankly into each others eyes
and were acquainted. AS we go
the same way we may walk TO-
gether. he said, more as a state-
ment than as a request.
You are q teacher believe,
said the young lady
No, be replied.
Oh, excuse me- l supposed you
we're Mr.. Laurence, the teacher
at Oak Grove.
Ny name is Laurence, and l
teach at Oak Grove, but I'm
never teacher after four o. clock.
Why? Because you dislike it
so much!
No; l like being a teacher. but
like better to be just Laurence.
believe you are peculiar. S he
she said, with a smile.
You have heard that already?
he asked: asked: 7-
Yes, the first thing. Here you
are: Otto Laurence, a powerful
smart young man, been teaching
the Oak Grove school for five
years, very peculiar fellow-not
much on using the gad, but the
kids learn like all get-out, and
think the world and all of him.
He's been offered lots better
places, but won'tge Jeskhangs
around here teaching in the win
ter and loafn' in the woods and
fields the rest of the time. Mighty
peculiar feilsr, forgits his supper
sometimes, but smart-smarter
than a Philadelphia lawyer. He
laughed.
Isee you improved your ride
with Uncle Hank; he is a hack
driver worth having, introduces
you to the ontire community be-
fore you are in sight. Now per-
NIT me, he continued, to in
troduce Miss Aurora Prescott,
president, secretary, treasurer
and business manager of half a
dozen clubs, circles and sosieties;
q fashionable young lady who is
not so frivolous, but she grows
tired of sham and pretense and
loves to go down to her aunt's in
the 0zarks, where she cssn tbe
herself for a time. A pretty
young lady with gray eyes that
laugh and look serious at the
same time. They both laughed.
Now, as We are properly in.
trodueed. suppose / may invite
yon to call at my annt's while I
am here. This Is my path. She
held out her hand, and they
parted like old friends.
The teacher went on dreaming,
as before. This accidental meet
ing seemed but q part Of that
dream. That evening his land.
lady called In vain for him 10
come to supper. With his chair
wheeled to the west window over.
looking the valley, through which
ran the little rivera winding
thread Of siIver-and the hills
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