The Twin City star., 1918-10-05

stumbling, filed with fear Of cOnse-
quences. BY the time she had reached
the road the storm broke, silver
shower which treated her as though
she. too, were thirsty flower. She
was quite drenched, and trudged along
hopelessly bedraggled, her light mood
ended In sOdden despair. Oh, why did
things always have to end this way?
Why did happiness so seldom come to
her? Why
The sudden Jump Of motor made
her jump hastily to the side of the
road, her face burning with shame at
her sad appearance. Indeed there was
cause for her to look ashamed; the
motor belonged to Alden Powers. the
richest and most influential young man
in Elmville, the only Elmville man
who had been to college, and the pres
ident Of the school board which had
hired her. How he would wonder
what she was doing here at this hour !!
Apparently he did wonder, for he
stopped.
"Why, Miss Evans! You are drench-
ed through! Surely you are not going
to walk into town In this shower. Let
me drive you in."
His tone was quite imperative, and
almost before she knew it Doris found
herself seated beside him, feeling like
the miserable truant she was. But
strangely enough he did not ask her
| about school, he only looked at her
little curiOusly, with quizzicaf smile
in his brown eyes. He had known
! more Of Doris than she thought, for
daily she had passed his Office window
on her way to- work and he had grown
used to watching for her. And this
morning she had not come
''This shower will soon be over" he
said cheerfully. "Too bad to have such
beautiful morning spoiled. You are
fond Of the woods, aren't you, Miss
Evansw
Eyes"
And almost before she knew 1t Doris
had poured out the whole miserable
story to him. 1t was strange that she
should tell Alden Powers, but there
was something about him that made
her want to tell-something that made
her feel that he would understand.
81 guess I know how you felt" he
mused when she had finished. "Been
there myself. In fact, this very min
ute I ought to be ut work, but some
thing made me-come after you. You
see, Doris, have been lonely, too, and
somehow thought that you would
understand; I've been wanting a
chance to talk with you for so long !!
Somehow I felt"
| What he felt was interrupted, just
then, by the fact that the car stopped
dead. Indeed, it stopped for an hour
or more, a precious hour during which
they had time to talk over great
many things, things such as loneliness
versus love, and the way one could fall
in love with people before one knew
them at all, and just how each one OF
them had felt on first beholding the
other.
At the end Of the hour the storm had
cleared away, blue skies smiled again,
and Alden felt that he could spare a
few moments for fussing with his
engine. And so, about noon they
drove back into town. The sight Of
the brick schOOlhouse on the hill sent
chill Of misgiving through Doris, de-
spite her new-found happiness.
"Whatever will they say? What
can I tell them?" she said. They'll
never understand. No one but you
could understand"
"Tll fix it up" he promised easily.
"Tll drive you right around there, and
we'll see the principal"
Just what Alden Powers said to the
principal Doris never knew. Doubt
less it was something about stalled
car, or storm which had detained
them. At any rate, no word Of blame
came to her, and strangely enough
Doris found that she was treated with
greater Difference during the remain
ing two months of the teaching. But
perhaps it was, not so strange, either,
since everyone knew that she was very
soon to be Mrs. Alden Powers.