Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-07-31

glanced through it hastily. rivers of
scarlet flowing over her cheeks as she
recognized Hardiman's familiar hack
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 beer
such fool. She sinothered 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 W.sh
trembling fingers she filed out the
blank and directed it to the board.
Dlab weeks followed. Every eff
fort the professor made to gain an au-
dience Will, Belinda failed. He had
mortified aud insulted her flasrantly,
and she would see that he got no more
chances to repeat the iadignity. As TO
Hartman. be was on the rack Fool
Ike. he rejected. he had rushed in and
fri. htened her away with his maudlin,
i.1portnnafe lovemaking. and thus lost
her for good. But perhaps. after all. il
was not for him that she cared, but
the Other fellow, What a dolt he had
been 70 presume upon the affection OF
l,atchiess creature like that, Life
grew 10 be bitter struggle to him.
end be began all at once TO look his
thirtv-fve years.
II was in May. almost the close of
school The day was warm and op-
pressive. and lazy breeze was blow
Ing. The professor made his way in
absent vearixess toward the school
house. stepping On the way to get his
mail from the postofice. There were
several circulars in his box and-his
breath stopred--a communication from
the dead letter Office. He broke the
seal anx.orsiy. an intaifive knowledge
of what il contained making bis heart
thump thickly. Sure enough: Miss
Belinda Maxwell. Greenville. Colo"
And this was ALBANIA. Unadulter-
ated. blue labeled careiessness and
stupidity, II living in a place FIVE
years could make one responsible for
an idiotic blunder Of this sort. what
else had he not done; He walked out
Of the postofilce in daze. All was
clear enough now. She had never
received his letter at all. only that
wretehed. COMPOUNDED blank! No Won
der she had frozen the very air about
him-no wonder. Out in the open air.
he qnickened his footsteps. 1t was al
ready so. only ten minutes before the
opening Of school. but he turned d.
rectly into Oak street and forgot that
he had ever been such thing as prin-
cipal OF the Greenville High school.
In the distance he caught sight OF a
familiar blue tailor made gown. He
doubled his pace and was quite up
with Belinda before she realized his
nearness. To her haughty glance. he
cool drawing away from him. Hardi-
man paid no attention whatever. but
thrust the letter into her hands in a
determined. masterful way which she
could not resist
Hypnotixed. she opened 1t and read
the lines through. the crimson moving
in her cheeks:
MY Dariing-I want you TO give up
teaching and let me do It for both. ] am
not mistaken in thinking that you will
come to me- Just a line, giving me the
right TO speak and shall attempt 10 tell
you In different way. in a thousand diff
ferent ways how much l worship YOU.
Most earnestly. r. w. II.
Belinda caught her breath in some
thing between a sob and a laugh as
she lifted her eyes shyly to his keen.
appealing. apologizing and at last COM
manding glance.
The professor was tardy. very tardy
| that morning. but he gave his excuse
! Of a headache glibly and mendaciously
and dismissed pupils and teachers for
u holiday.
This he spent with Belinda.