Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-26

thought of. Even though she was only
a plain little schoolma' am. she had her
ideals and the few men she met in no
way came up to them. 1t took all her
courage and ingenuity, and strength to
stand in her place daily and earn her
wages. And while she was earning back
in Westmore village was an old aunt
who was praying for her, but who still
must be fed.
Now when Unexpectedly she was called
to Aries to teach the primary grade at a
s14 a week salary her hope knew no
bounds Yet for all her delight she dread
ed to go. She was afraid she would not
suit. Her great goal was to please so
well that she should be hired for the last
half of the year. But she had grave
doubts Of the trustee.
Miss Lennox had told her about the
trustee Who was holding the office for
the first time. He was one OF the
younger men of the village and he be-
longed to the best family-the keenes-
whose progenitors had founded Aries.
After hundred years a good portion
of the land there bore the keene name.
The old keene house was landmark
In it lived this youngest keene of all and
his mother. And the schoolhouse where
Hulda was to teach was built on the
Keene land.
1t was a comfortable schoolhouse, but
1t was painted horrible shade of green.
AS the train carried them in to Aries
Miss Lennox pointed it out to Hulda
TT gets a new coat every year and
Carolus keene pays for it, she said.
He selects the color, too. It's the most
bilious looking thing l ever saw. But
you won't wonder at his taste when you
see him. He's native. Probably he'll
be on the platform waiting for us this
| morning"
Hulda did not see Carolus keene when
Aries was reached Until Miss Lennox
| spoke to her. He was so lightly and
gracefully built that he looked like
boy Of sixteen. His face too, was boy
| ish-smoothly shaver, with beautiful
teeth and dark, alert eyes. He shook
hands with her gravely and then LED
| the way to the green schoolhouse- IT
| was nearly time for school to open. and
| as Miss Lennox had arranged for a
| boarding place she thought it best to be-
| gin at once with business.
| The first days teaching of village
| school always is the hardest HUI da
was very tired that night. Mis- Lennox
was tired, too. and cross. Their rooms
at Mrs. Winchs adjoined and after they
| had retired to them for the night Miss
| Lennox came into Hulda's room to talk
| things over. She had taken off her dress
| and put on a soft, snuggly blue ki1nono
bound with pink satin. Her fair hair
| was in a braid down her back. She look
| ed very young and so pretty that Hulda
| caught her breath with admiration All
| at once she felt more than tired; she felt
old and wan and shorn of all her flowers
| Hiss LennoX made herself 'cozy on the
bed with the pillows and watched l1ulda
| brush her red hair.
| THE primary teacher they had last
| year was red-haired.'' she said, land be-
| fore she taught a term everybody was
| down on her. The children hated her.
You may have some trouble on that ac-
count. You've never had a Carolus
| keene for trustee. Probably he means
| to be kind. | was half minded not to
come back here this year when l heard
he'd been elected knew him pretty
well before. When you say Aries YOU
mean Carolus keene. He owns the town
and runs it to suit himself He looks like
a clever boy. but in reality he is a self
| willed man. When I first came here and
found that he was going to give the
schoolhouse another coat of green
went to him and asked him not to do it.
He asked me why l told him the color
was hideous. Well. I'm partial to that
color. was all he said. And he put on
the nastiest. meanest green he could find,
| and he's Kept it on ever since
But it was evident to IIulda that Miss
Lennox did not hate Carolus keene. She
had not taught in the green schoolhouse
above month before she had discovered
that Carolus keene was the real cause
of Miss Lemons teaching four years in
Aries. In every way possible to her she
courted his approval. Often. when Fri
day night came. instead of going home
she made an excuse to stay in Aries over
asked him to Mrs. Winch's TO play five
hundred Mrs. Winch and Hulda also
played and made Intellectual opponents to
Carolus skill Once Mrs keene asked
the girls to the big house for tea. In the
massively furnished parlor Hulda found
herself tete-a-tete with her hostess. while
clear across the room Miss Lennon held
Carous captive over some photogra phs
At the close of the evening he accom-
panied them home. and H4lda. taking ad-
vantage of the narrow walk, went a little
ahead by herself. And at Mrs. Winch $
gate she went in quickly, leaving Miss
Lennox to say good night as she would
| Carolus did not ask Hulda to sign for
the last half of the year. He asked Miss
Lennon, however. and Miss Lennox was
Jubilant. She openly pitied Hulda
Il warned you, my dear she said
that you might not please Carolus is
just that way, you know. But it's toe
bad. I wish ! could help you. Midwinter
is the most unfavorable time of the year
I did SO hope you'd stay on. I like YOU
so much and we're just nicely ac-
quainted.'
Hulda said nothing. She could not.
She was too nearly hearbroken fol
words Yet she had feared that she
| might fail. However. it seemed to be
only Carolus whom she had failed to
| please, for the children liked her well
enough. She thought sorrowfully of go
| ing back to ten, perchance eight, dollars
| a week, to say nothing of being shut IN