The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-11-27
ELLIS RHTNEHART's BETRoTHAL

ELLIS RHINEHART's BETROTHAL
After the humiliating interview with the school
board. which resulted in her resignation, Ellis
Rbinehart closed and locked the heavy DOORS gave
the KEY to Mr.. Wheeler, director, and walked de-
ieetedy down the quiet village street
She prayed that no one would witness her ignomi-
mons retreat but she had not reckoned with Donnie
Weedler, who sat by the roadside picking short
stemmed violets.
"Say, you goin' home" cried the tot shrlily
scrambling up. Here's some vilets fer We. Locke
at NV dressl Mugson's pup got down in hole
and [ crawled it out. Won't mother be mad,
though"
The child hoped along on one foot shaking with
wicked laughter over her parents discontinue I'M
til a sudden thought caused her to shake back the
curls from her mischievous blue eyes and again
break into sharp, breathless sentences.
"Say Miss Winehart, maw's awful mad with you
cause YOU shook Hardie for throwing paper wads.
She told him not to take you home, and he has
wunned off from you. She sent paw over to the
school house to-to-do somethin'. She'll say she
didn't but then she lies, you can't believe word
she says"
Behind her sounded the din of horseback riders,
and the girl trembled and crowded close to the
sticky, trimming ditch.
"Ughl" she thought with genuine terror, "here
come some horrid, bowling boys, and Hardie is
one of them"
She knew that no other boy could so thoroughly
bespatter her with mud before pretending to slow
up, nor remark with such an oily sheer upon the
suitability of the roads for walking Oh, how she
hated boys What had she not. in her brief mex
perience, suffered at their hands?
"But you are done with It, you poor thing" she
told herself, with savage JOY. at may be some
body's kitchen, or even tramping the countryside,
but never, never again the schoolroom." As if in
keeping with her pitful fierceness, the rapid,
reckless das hof carriage, and Ellis drew aside,
for donbc of Tnud hl1tth he vnhicln
did not pass-it stopped with jerk, and she felt
herself lifted in and the robes tucked up snugly
before she could say a single word
Then she looked wonderingly into a mans dark,
angry face-a somewhat heavy face, lighted by
pair Of blazing, stubborn gray eyes.
They're pretty set, up there" he blurted out,
striking the horse fiercely and then jerking its
head aside to steer out of puddle. "Pd like to
murder the whole outfit"
Ellis shrank he struck the horse, and put
absurdly small OBTAINING hand on that of the
driver, who Immediately consigned the whip to the
socket but still jerked mechanically on the lines.
Then she leaned back with delicious sense of
comfort In all the past months that she had daily
met Stephen Clifford in the quiet Streets the little
postOffce and the weatherbeaten church, his sober
SMILE his watchful, worshipful eyes, his diffident
attentions had come closer to her worried life than
she had known.
The memory of them came to her now, behind
his sudden, masterful authority. He talked on and
on whimsically, exaggeratedly, hoty. She hardly
knew what he said, except he covered with his big
hand the small one that lay, palm upward on the
robe She snatched her hand away, buried her face,
and the choking tears dropped down.
Master Hardie was returning home slowly and
steathly. He Stephen hunt desperately for
his handkerchief, draw down the girls hands and
wipe the tears from her face then with loud
"Ahem" the malicious little spy put spurs to his
horse and went by them like a whirlwind
After this GROWING humiliation Ellis heard
nothing, SOW nothing for a long time. Vaguely
her eyes travelled from the muddy road to the
family budding hedges, catching blur of violets
that seemed to borrow their tints from the evening
sky. Low down the west lay rift of flame with
curling veins of orange. The tremulous hint of
an early-risng moon dimmed the glory of the one
star atremble against the blue The quiet scene
and Stephens clasp the hand nearest him,
1lnaly soothed her anguished mind and the young
man. quick to read her thoughts, said quietly
love YOU Ellis | think have from the very first.
DO you care a little-for met"
1T seems that you are the only thing I do care
Tor now" was the low answer.
Then marry me, dear and let me protect you as
l have wanted for many a long day. Will you?"
| don't know Stephen" Ellis turned upon
INN her troubled brown eyes. at is so new-let
me think"
Stephen said no more until they stood on the
porch; then he asked with terse quietness: 'Have
You thought, Ellis2"
Nhat-what of your mother, Stephen? She has
never been friendly toward me, and now-you know
now they viii talk to her-after your bringing me
uone-and-and what Hardie saw"
n am not asking you to marry mo mother dear
Try TO think of Stephen and nothing else"
But | must think of her. You are all she has"
j, doubt if the neighbors NEEDLE with mother
~ey never have. And. anyway, she wouldn't on