Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-01-16

feet were closed. Margaret paused IL
the doorway. Her face was very
white Her eyes burned like red stars
in the gloom of the curtained doorway.
III do what you Sc. of course. IA
Their, bat | warn you IN advance that
| will be failure. | was not meant
for that sort Of thing"
Her father dung back his big head
and stared at Der.
perhaps you think you were born
to play lady, but will fool you. You
don't come from that sort Of stock"
And so II happened that Margaret
Leckie was placed in charge Of dis
trict school No 16. The one redeem
! ing feature Of her new position was
the long walk TO and from the depot.
for she committed daily rather than
take board in the small village
around which homes of millicnaireS
were clustered. These long walks
steadied her nerves for the labor OF
teaching the unkempt and insolent
children OF gardeners, coachmen and
truck raIsers who fell TO the lot OF
school No. ,6 She had spoken the
truth when she said that she would
fail. The power TO organize and dis
ciplne children in numbers Is not CIV
en- to all, not even to the woman who
by the magic talisman of maternal love
may develop into model mother in
her own household. To the problems
of undiscipllned youth and unclean
persons and untutored minds she gave
the best energies at her command, but
she worked with the sense of failure
forever logging her footsteps.
She was not surprised. therefore.
when one particularly dull and lower
ing afternoon Mr.. Graydon's motor car
drew up at the schoolhouse. II was to
be an investigation by a committee of
one. She had felt ii coming-ever
since Billy Dobson had put red pepper
on the stove and school had been dis
missed for the afternoon. She rose
very straight and girlish and big eyed
as Homer Graydon entered the door
II was his first visit to the school. and
she was surprised to find clean cut
youngish looking man instead OF the
side whiskered, portly parsonage she
had somehow pictured this arbiter OF
her money earning fate to be.
Quite some time passed before ht
referred 10 the Billy Dobson incident
and Homer Graydon had taken meas
ure of the woman before the matter
came up for discussion. BY this tins
Margaret was herself once more. ant
she did not strive to dodge the Issue.
"There is no use talking about thu
matter. Mr.. Graydon. | was not Gu
out for schooteacher. | know m!
= limitations. but my father refuses e
I recognize them. There is only on
thing | want to do. and he will no
permit that"
She never knew how II happened
but before Homer Graydon left tina
schoolroom he knew what her simpl
ambitions encompassed. and he kneN
J Just how she would attain them.
7 The lowering clouds had lifted sue
: denly, the autumnal colorings on IN
| trees shone I'm the sunlight. and hi
, own heart sang i'm measure TO the OF
ward plunge OF his car. He was takin
l the unsuccessful schoolteacher to tn
Z. depot In the village. and II was all b
r could do TO refrain from telling he
' then and there what she had brougl
into his money grubbing life.
The world says that love at frs
sight lives only in novels and magf
zines. Homer Graydon says he know
= better. John Leckie first said IL wa
z sheer laziness ON Margarets part. br
sometimes when he goes to the COZ
; Graydon home and looks from the col
: tented face OF Its mistress to the prou
face OF its master he wonders III
pays only ito do" things-when your
a woman.
u Group can positively be stopped in