The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-07-10

glanced through 1t hastily, rivers o.
scarlet flowing over her cheeks as she
recognized Hardiman's familiar back
hand She tore open the envelope
eagerly and scanned the contents with
whitening face. The paper fell from
her fingers. and she leaned Imply
against the banister rail- So she was
asked, in the briefest possible way, to
resign, and she had dared to dream
she had been SO sure-she had been
such a fool! She smothered the sob
in her throat and in quick scorn of her
self dashed the hot tears from her
eyes. Then she pulled herself togeth-
er sharply and went upstairs With
trembling fingers she filed out the
blank and directed it to the board.
Drab weeks followed. Every eff
fort the professor made to gain an au-
dience with Belinda failed He had
mortified and insulted her fagrantly,
and she would see that he got no more
chances to repeat the indignity. AS to
Hardiman, he was on the rack. Fool
like, he reflected, he had rushed in and
frightened her away with his maudlin,
importunate lovemaking, and thus lost
her for good. But perhaps, after all, it
was not for him that she cared, but
the other fellow! What dolt he had
been to presume upon the affection of
matchless creature like that! Life
grew to be a bitter struggle to him,
and he began all at once to look his
thirty years.
1t was in May, almost the close OF
school. The day was warm and OPP
pressive, and lazy breeze was blow
absent WEAKNESS toward the school
house, stopping on the way to get his
mail from the postoffice. There were
several circulars in his box and-his
breath stopped-a communication from
the dead letter Office. He broke the
seal anxiously, an intuitive knowledge
| of what it contained making his heart
thump thickly. Sure enough: miss
Belinda Maxwell, Greenville, Colo"
| And this was Alabama! Unadulter-
ated, blue labeled carelessness and
stupidity! If living in a place five
years could make one responsible fol
an idiotic blunder Of this sort, what
j Of the postoffice in daze. All was
clear enough now. She had never
received his letter at all, only thai
wretched, COMPOUNDED blank! No won
der she had frozen the very air about
him-no wonder! Out in the open air
he quickened his footsteps. 1t was al
ready 500, only ten minutes before the
] opening Of school, but he turned di
rectly into Oak street and forgot thai
he had ever been such thing as prfn
cipal Of the Greenville High school.
In the distance he caught sight Of {
familiar blue tailor made gown. HI
doubled his pace and was quite VI
nearness. To her naughty glance, he
cool drawing away from him, Hardi
man paid no attention whatever, bu
thrust the letter into her hands in
determined, masterful way which sh
could not resist.
Hypnotized. she opened it and rea'
1.-the lines through. the crimson movin
in her cheeks:
My Darling-I want you to give u
teaching and let me do 1t for both. I ar
not mistaken in thinking that you Wi
come to me? Just line. giving me tn
right to speak, and ! shall attempt to tel
you in different way, in a thousand dit
ferent ways, how much I worship you
Most earnestly, r. w. H.
Belinda caught her breath in some
thing between sob and a laugh a
she lifted her eyes shyly to his keen
i appealing, apologizing and at last com
handing glance.
The professor was tardy, very tardy
that morning, but he gave his excus'
Of headache glibly and mendaciousl,
and dismissed pupils and teachers TO
holiday.
This he spent with Belinda.