Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-26
CHAPTER XIV.

One morning, more than q month
after the closing days Of school. Alb.
bolt Ashton chancsd 10 look from his
bedroom window as Hamilton Greg
ory's buggy, With Fran in it, passed.
Long hshing-p poles projected from the
back Of the busy.
BY Fran1s side. Abbott discovered .
man. True It was only" Simon JEFF
ferson: atlll. for all his fifty years
and his weak heart, It was not as IL
1t were some pleasant, respectable
woman-say- simon's mother. How.
ever, old ladies DO not sit upon creek.
banks.
The thought Of sitting upon the bank
Of . stream suggested to Abbott that
it wonld be agreeable to pursue his
studies In the open air. He snstched
up some books and went below.
On the green veranda he paused to
inhale the fragrance Of the roses I'm
glad you've left your room," said Miss
Sapphire, all innocence, all kindness.
You'll study yourself to death. 1t
won't make any more Of life to take 1t
hard-there's just 20 much for every
man"
Huge and serious. Miss sapphira sat
in the shadow Of the bay-window.
Against the wall were arranged
sturdy round-backed wooden chairs,
each Of which could have received the
landlady's person without a CULVER Of
spindle. Everything about Abbott
seemed too carefully ordered-he
pinedc for the woods-some NOISY
bank sloping to purling stream.
Suddenly Miss Sapphira grew pom
derously significant. Her massive head
trembled from . weight of meaning
not to be lifted lightly In mere words
her double chins consolidated, and he,
mouth became a. the granite door Of s
cave sealed against the too-curious.
Abbott paused uneasily before hi,
meditatsd 6ight-"Have you heard any
news7"
She answered almost trAsbcalH
t''Board meeting. tonight"
ORDINARILY. teachers for the neu
year were selected before the close o,
the spring term; only those ION the
inside" knew that the fatsful boart
meeting had been delayed week after
week. hecause Of disasreenent oven
the supe1intendeney. There was x
muci dissatisfactton over Abbott Ash
ton-bocause Of 80 much talk"-tha1
even Robert Clinton had thought II
best to ~afv. that the young mar
might virtually be put upon good be
havior.
Tonight" the young man repeated
With thrill He realized how impor.
tant this meeting would prove in shap-
ing his future.
"Yes." she said warningly. And
Bob is determined to do his duty. He
never went very far In his own educar
ton because he didn't expect to be q
school-taaeher-but ever since he's
been chairman Of the schoolbo board.
he's aimed to have the best teachers,
SO the children can be taught right;
most Of 'em are poor and may want
to teach. too, when they're grown.
think al the board1l be for you to-
night. Abbott and I've been glad to
notice that for the last mouth, there's
been less talk. And by the way" she
added, that Ffan-sirl went by with
Simon Jefferson Just now, the two of
them In Brother Gregory's buggy.
They're going to Blubb's Rie1e-he
with his weak heart. and her with that
sly smile of h0rB, and It's full three
imile!"
Abbott did not volunteer that he had
seen them pass. but his face showed
tbs ostensible integrity Of jam.thief.
who for once finds himself innocent
when missing jam - mentioned.
She was not convinced by his look
Of guilelessnsss. You seem to b
carrying away your books
II want to breathe In this Juno
morning without taking it strained
through wind0w-soreens." he ex'
pla1ned.
Miss sspphira gave something Ike
Q choked cough, and compressed her
lips. Abbott" she said, looking a&
him sidewise. please step to the tsls-
phone. aud call up Bob-he's 1t the
store. Tell him to leave the clerk in
charge and hitch up and take me- for
q little drive. want some Of this
June morning myself"
Abbott obeyed with alacstty. On his
return, Miss Sapphtra said, ''Bob's go
ing to fight for you It tho board meet
Ing, Abbott. Well do Whist We can,
and hope you'll help yourself"
AZ Abbott went down the fragrant
street with its cool hoserefreshed
,pavements, its dangerous shadows
athwart rose-bush and picket fence. its
hopeful weeds already peerins through
crevices where plank sidewalks main
tanned their worm.saten right Of way.
he vas in no dewy-mornang mood. He
understood what those wise mods had
meant, and he was in no frame Of
mind for such wisdom. He meant to
igo Tar, far away from the boarding.
mouse, from the environment Of
schools and schoolboards. from Little.
burg with It's atmosphere Of ridiculous
gossip.
or course he could have gone just
q far. II he bad not chosen the direc.
Ition Of Blubb's Rime-but he had to
take. some directioo. He halted before
he came IN sight, Of the stream; if
Fran had mind to hsh with Simon
Je1R1rsoa, he would not spoil her sport.
He found q comfortable log where
=. . ..:ss.S... ss...4y :::Se: re :s-sctc..s
sty. He did not learn much-there
peeoel . bird n every line.
Whea ~ sloesd hie books. scarcal2