The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1915-01-20

iOttH bqhdlt tiNtiVPt dhN FNC't
Of white paper to match. This
seemed to him the most direct and
final way Of settling matters be-
tween them. Belinda was coquette
--there was no getting around
that fact, even in ones most gen.
erous moments-and Hardiman was
determined to corner her complete
ly. He composed his lines careful
ly. They we're inspiratiopal. And
now that he had broken the ice at
last he meant to carry things to q
rapid finish. The professor was
nothing if not businesslike. He
fshed in a drawer and pulled out
teachers resignation blank. This
he put in separate envelope and
directed both to the dearest girl in
the world.
The following morning the post
mans shrill whistle brought Belin-
da herself to the door. She took
the mail and glanced through it
hastily, rivers of scarlet flowing over
her cheeks as she recognized Hardi-
mans familiar backhand. She tore
open the envelope eagerly and scan
ned the contents with whitening
face. The paper fell from her fin
gers, and she leaned Imply against
the banister rail. So she was asked,
in the briefest possible way, to re-
sign, and she had dared to dream
she had been so sure-she had been
such a fool! She smothered the
sob in her throat and in quick scorn
Of herself dashed the hot tears from
her eyes. Then she pulled herself
together sharply and went upstairs.
With trembling fingers she filled
out the blank and directed it to the
board.
Drab weeks followed. Every eff
fort the professor made to gain an
audience with Belinda failed. He
had mortified and insulted her fla
GRAVITY, and she would see that he
got no more chances to repeat the
indignity. As to Hardiman, he was
on the rack. Fool-like, he reflected,
he had rushed in and frightened
her away with his maudlin, i'm
Fortunate lovemaking and thus lost
her for good. But perhaps, after
all, it was not for him that she
cared. What dolt he had been to
presume upon the affection of a
matchless creature like thatl Life
grew to be bitter struggle to him,
and he began all at once to look his
thirty-fve years.
1t was in May, almost the close
of school. The day was warm and
oppressive, and a lazy breeze was
blowing. The professor made his
way in absent WEAKNESS toward the
schoolhouse, stopping on the way
to get his mail from the postoffice.
There were several circulars in his
box and-hisj breath stopped "a
communication from the dead letter
Office. He broke the seal anxiously,
an intuitive knowledge Of what it
contained making his heart thump
thickly. Sure enough, "Miss Be
linda Maxwell, Greenville, Colo."
And this was Alabama Unadul-
! terated stupidity! If living in a
place five years could make one re-
sponsible for an idiotic blunder Of
this sort, what else had he not
donep He walked out of the post
| office in daze. All was clear
enough now. She had never receiv-
ed his letter at all, only that wretch
ed, COMPOUNDED blankl No wonder
she had frozen the very air about
him-no wonderl Out in the open
air, he quickened his footsteps. 1t
was already $50, only ten minutes
before the opening Of school, but he
turned directly into Oak street and
forgot that he had ever been such a
thing as principal Of the Greenville
| high school.
In the distance he caught sight of
a familiar blue tailor made gown,
He doubled his pace and was quite
up with Belinda before she realized
his nearness. To her naughty
glance, her cool drawing away from
him, Hardiman paid no attention
whatever, but thrust the letter into
her hands in determined, master
full way which she could not resist.
Hypnotized, she opened it and
read the lines through. the crimson
moving in her cheeks:
My Darllng-i want you to give up
teaching and let me do II for both. l
am not mistaken In thinking that you will
come 10 met Just a line. giving me the
| right TO speak. and I shall attempt to tell
| you In n different way. In a thousand diff
ferent ways. how much I worship you
Most earnestly. r. W. II.
Relinda caupht her breath in