Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-26
B. Us eful
Hints
The Morning Story
MISS CtDY'S 700.
ny John Trent.

49, ~AAionB the frivolous young fo!k IN
Z the village Miss Arabella Cadys select
boarding house was known Rs The
+ Zoo" As Sally Hecker vivaciously ex-
& planned It 10 her fellow teachers at
the high school. 1T Is human zoo.
anyway. IL there could he such thing:
First" said Sally. there is our own
strevsred principal. Mr.. Dale-ls he not
perfect bear. a big. srowly. grizzly
y pear? And Dr. Coleman is perfect
SS-fpoiar Dear. so cold ana unmannerly and
restless! And Miss Twitchell is a feline
sort and purry and with sharp claws
mat scratch. and biting tongue.
+ And" Sally gicgled. Il heard Mr.. Dale
say that the new hoarder. the young
s man who works I'm the drug store. was
& puppy. and every one knows what
silly goose Mrs Jones is, and all
the rest OF the house fun are Just
as funny and freakish. Oh. no; Miss
Lane, don't go 10 the 700 To board
Violet Lane. the new teacher. smiled
mirthfully nj Sally's description or
Miss Cady's boarders.
s You are TOO late. Miss Ilccker; I've
engaged board there, and l don't care
what you say about the rest OF them.
but do think Miss Arabella Is n
perfect dear"
A gale OF laughter greeted her re-
mark.
"A dear, What did tell YOU. girlsg'
4 SIieu SAilS oh, doh mlhd our fool-
iahness, Miss Lane you are Il dear
yourself and entirely eligible TO go to
the Zoo. Perhaps YOU can do some
missionary work among them all"
h Violet smiled and was silent. She
. could not explain to these Eiddy girls
how pleasant and homelike was the
& little chintz- room at Miss Cady's.
where she had unpacked her belong
ings that very morning. How quiet
was the home atmosphere OF the place
N 1A1 ah pnl.a a
food!
They could not appreciate what this
position IN the Nineland School meant
to a girl who had worked her way up
from an orphan and friendless child
hood. who had paid her own education
and who had never known what 4 real
home was like.
To Violet Lane Miss Cadys Zoo was
"a charming colonial house filled with
delightful people. II was more than
that, 1t was home
So. accompanied by the unwarranted
pity OF her companions, Violet Lane
turned I'm at Miss Cary's gate; smiled
8 as they hurried away in affected fear
& of it's inmates. and was still smiling
4 as she opened tho front door.
The smile died away as she met tho
fierco, dark gaze OF Homer Dale, tho
$ principal OF her school Mr.. Dale, a
Y tall. dark. studious-loo man.
& Erowled a greeting. tried to smile and
! failed utterly. before he desperately
bolted into the sitting-room and hid
himself behind II newspaper
Violet puzzled. 81 don't believe
I he likes mo-" she thought, as she
d mounted the stairs. At the top she
met little Miss Twitchell, who had
f lived for many years at the zoo She
had little, dried-up fnco and form,
and spoke In raspng little voice.
"Oh, It's you, Miss Panc-l.ane or
Dane did YOU say? Oh. Lane! ] really
thought YOU were little girl; but
-iai-when our school-teachers wear such
short skirts and iiounce around 50, how
is n body TO know? iiumph."
She il scrwGchy," decided Violet as
d she removed her hat and slipped Off
her gown preparatory 10 dressing Tor
supper But l don't care--a real home
y has cats and dogs. and sometimes, |
suppose. tame bear, aud | may as
well make friends with them; make
pets of them, perhaps.
She sat down at the crowded table.
Z with violet eyes and rosy lips ana
cheeks and hair Ike pale corn silk;
surely this flower face did not belong
Sshere among these sterner countcnnnces.
~ The drug clerk passed the butter
twice to Violet and veh'nreu re
mark about the weather. MIR. pnie
frowned ut his overtures and again
passed the butter To the new hoarder.
Miss Twitchen made scratchy re
+ mark and fat Mrs. Jones S'GSicd
8 Violet blushed and DR.. Coleman
3 emerged from his Polar bearishncss
e long enough TO remark that she looked
4. feverish, and suggested TO Mr.. Dale
that there might be an epidemic "i
& scarlet fevef.threatAning the school
81 "Oh, l have. had scarlet fever re-
assured Violet hastily
DIR. Coleman froHe MP again and
< asked for another cup of tea.
The remainder OF the meal was
! eaten in silence. ana the guests passen
s. out TO the broad piazza. where each
q one immediately appropriated IL com
Portable chair.
Violet sat down on the top step ana
felt very lonesome. N'hc women We're
embroidering and talking in low tones
Or Coleman was reading mcdtca!
Z Journal the drug clerk had returned
10 his soda fountain and MI Dale
was looking very stern an" N""p-
+ proachable behind a ne"spaper'
Miss Arabenu Cady, fat and rosy.
hustled out dressed In her secoh" pest
Pm going over 10 sister Any's for
while" she said she went down
and laid a plump hand on the sirls
beSH "Dcu't get lonesome, honey
there's piano IN the rarior-'nake
yourself al home
''Thank you, Miss Cady' quhNeFeu
+ Violet. for she was Very near TO tears
Presently she arose and went into the
aim narlor She had learned 10 play
nv ear. and she mad sweet. unframed
voice. There wcr" $" many o." s"hss
that she knew by heart, and as INC
melodies threaded ont from her ringers
/ she sang softly 10 their "c'omp"h'-
ment. -.
L Tostits "Goodbye,' Loves oId sweet
s song'-and as she sang the words or
this last favorite lov" song "i seNerai
generations violet became aware thht
ether voices were added 10 her own
"a Somehow, the dim room had mTs-
i sriomslv become populated with
hadowy forms. There was the reedy
reble OF Miss Twi'chell, the deep phss
~ Coleman. INC throaty alot or
ira Jones and the rich baritone OF
omer Dale Miss Crotty. the miiliner,
,mmed Nke bee. ana the Rennets,
lsband and wife. sang All on the Key
no particular voices At ali.
nit they an enjoyed il, aud Niole;
"a never a word but when the song
e anished h.I MMEers ArLfted into