The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-02-21

Brdy-Clhu, anu no
did not look In the least like q |
messenger of Fate.
Teacher" Kissed Isaac RAJ
binowitz, swapping his fingers at
her. Teacher! There's guy
wants to speak to you!"
"Ah, shut-up!" chorused his in
dignant little mates. Cant you
see that Teachers tellin' a story?
Go chase yerself! Go do a tango
roun de blockl"
The Liberty Teacher looked up
without stopping her story. and
smiled familiar greeting to the
elderly gentleman, who was wait
ing little uncertainty at the Chill
dren's Room door. He smiled
and nodded in return.
Just minute, please. Mr.. De
Guenther," said the Liberty
Teacher, cheerfully.
The elderly gentleman nodded
again. Phyllis hurried somewhat
with Robin Hood, and felt hap
pier. 1t was always, in her event
less life, something of a pleasant
adventure to have Mr.. De Guen-
Their or his wife drop in to see
her. There was usually some
thing pleasant at the end of it.
They were an elderly couple
whom she had known for some
years. She had waited on them
and identified them by their cards
as belonging to the same family.
Then one day, with a pleasant
little CULVER of joy, she had found
him in the city Who's Who, age,
profession the was a corporation
lawyer, middle names, favorite
recreation, and all. Gradually
she had come to know them both
very we'll in waiting-on way.
When she had vanished tenn
porarily from sight into the nun
merry promotion of the cataloguing
room the De Guenthers had still
remembered her. Twice she had
been asked to Sunday dinner at
their house, and had joyously
gone and remembered it as joy
ously for months afterward.
But it's a long ways down to
the basement where city libraries
are apt to keep their children,
and the De Guenthers hadn't been
down there since the last time
they asked her to dinner. And
here, with every sign of having
come to say something very spec
ial, stood Mr.. De Guenther! Phyl-
lis irrepressible cheerful disposi-
ton gave little jump toward the
light.
She scattered her children with
a swift executive whisk, and made
straight for her friend.
Il do hope you want to see me
especially" she said brightly.
Mr.. De Guenther rose slowly
from his seat.
Good afternoon, Miss Braith-
waite" he said. Yes, In the
language of your young friend
here. I am the guy"
Phyllis giggled before she
thought.
"Oh, Mr.. Guenther!" she said,
II am shocked at you! That's
slang!"
1T was more In the nature of
quotation" said he apologet-
ically. "And how are you this ex-
ceedingly unpleasant day, Miss
Braithwaite? We have seen very
little Of you lately, Mrs. De Guen-
Their and L."
The Liberty Teacher. gracefully
respectful in her place, wriggled
with invisible Impotence over
this carefully polite conversation
al opening.
1t Is difficult to think and listen
at the same time; by this time she
had missed something, apparent
ly. For her friend was holding
out to her a note addressed flow
ingly in his wife's English hand.
and was saying:
which she has asked me to
deliver. ! trust you have no i'm
perative engagement for tomor-
row night"
Something had happened!
"Why, mo-" said the Liberty
Teacher. delightedly. "No, in
deed! Thank you. and her, too.
I'd love to come"
And then he said something re-
markable;
81 have-we have-a little
matter of business OF discuss with
you tomorrow night, my dear; an
offer, I may say, of q different
line Of work. And I want you to
satisfy yourself tnereby-thoroly,
my child. Of my reputableness.
Mr.. tombstone, the chief of the
city library, whose office / believe
to be in this branch, is one of my
oldest friends. am, / think /
may say, well known az lawyer
in this, my native city. should
be glad to have you satisfy your
self personally on these points,
because" could 1t be that the
eminently poised Mr.. De Guen-
Their was embarrassed? Be
cause the line of work which l
wish, or rather my wife wishes,
to lay before you isis a very
different line of work." ended
the old gentleman inconclusively.
There was no mistake about 1t
this time--he was embarrassed.
"Oh, Mr.. De Guenther." cried
Phyllis. before she thought. out
of the fullness of her heart,