The Red Cloud chief., 1913-03-27
KNOCK sounded on

three years; and. sometimes,
she suspected that Florence knew It.
Miss Wing sat at her desk. II was
large desk Of oak, always kept In
blameless order. No one could recall
seeing more than one letter at time
lying on the blotter. Any others, yet
unread. lay in the wicker tray to the
left; the letters read but not answered
were in the wicker tray to the right;
the answered letters were In appropri-
ate pigeopholes or in ashes. Miss Wing
being a firm believer In fire as conf
1ential agent. About the desk hung
the most interesting object in the
room, to the schoolgirls; In fact 1t
would be hard to gauge justly the In
duence this one. mute and motionless.
had over their young imaginations;
or how far It was responsible for the
rose.tinted halo that beyond doubt,
glorifed the principal for them. The
object was a picture. the picture Of a
young man in the uniform Of captain
in the German cuirassiers. His thick
hight hair was brushed back from q
tine and candid forehead. A smile
creased his cheek under the warlike
curl of his mustache. II was smile
20 happy and 80 friendly in it's hap.
piness. that It won the beholder. The
eyes were not large. but even In the
black and white Of photograph (the
portrait was an ordinary cabinet
cartel they seemed to sparkle. The
o.
held with a military precision and
jauntiness. One said. looking at the
whole presence, This man is a good
fellow" Viewing him more closely.
one might add, "And he is in love-"
The picture was framed handsomely
In gilded frame. On the desk below,
an exquisite vase Of Venice lifted q
single. perfect rose. For Is years a
flower had always bloomed thus. Miss
Wing had hung the picture herself. 15
years ago. Then, she was tho new
principal. and the school was but half
Its size; and the village people ex-
claimed at trusting such girl" with
20 much responsibility. During those
Is years the new building had been
built, the school had grown and -four.
ashed; and the gray had crept into
Margaret Wings bright hair. She had
30 often put on mourning for her near
Kindred that she had assumed 1t as
her permanent garb. To the certain
,(and ecstatic) knowledge Of the school,
she had refused divers offers Of mar.
riage from citizens Of good repute
and substance. But during all the
changing years. the picture had kept
Its place and the fresh flowers had
bloomed below. No girl could remem.
ber the desk without the picture: and
when the old girls visited the school.
their eyes would instinctively seek 1t
in its old place: always with a little
moving Of the heart. Yet no one
ever alluded to 1t to the principal:
and no one. not her most trusted
teacher. nor her best loved pupil. had
ever heard the principal speak of it..
The name OF the pictured soldier. his
story. his relation to Miss Wing: Miss
Wings nearest kindred and friends
knew as much about all these as the
echool--and that was nothing. Never.
Aheless. the school tradition reported
part Of name on the authority Of q
single incident. Years ago an acci.
dent happened to the picture. It was
the principals custom to carry It with
her on her journeys. however brief;
always taking II down and putting II
back In Its place herself. On this oc.
casion the floor had been newly pol
ished. and In hanging the picture her
chair on which she stood slipped and
she fell. while the picture dropped out
Of her grasp. One of the girls. who
was passing. ran to her aid; but she
had crawled toward the picture and
would have II In her hands before she
allowed the girl to aid her to rise-a
circumstance. you may be sure. moi
likely to escape the sharp young eyes
Neither did these same eyes miss thu
further circumstance that the jar hat
shifted the carte In the frame and ,
line Of writing. hitherto hidden, wa,
staring out at the world. The hant
was the sharp. minute German hand
but the words were English; the cir
took them in at an eyeblink. as sh'
handed the picture to Miss Wing
thine for ever, Max" Miss VIM
made no comment; perhaps she sur
posed that the girl had not seen, pei
haps--in any case she was silent.
or course. the new light flooded tn
school gossip Immediately. But Their
never came any more; every new CIR
was free to work her own will on Mis-
Wings romance. Was MAX" dead
Had they parted because Of any act ol
the woman's part? Surely he coul,
not have been false. to receive tha
daily oblation OF flowers. 1t was NOR
likely that she thus expressed an i'm
perishable regret. Youth, ever fanci
ful. played with all manner OF daint,
and plaintive variations on the theme
Its very mystery was It's poipnan
charm; since each tender young sou
created new romance and a new az
peal. Elusive and pathetic. 1t hovere
ON the edge of these young lives. lik