The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1919-04-23
CHAPTER TX
THE NEW PUPIL


learn to know them, we learn tc
love them; but after a time we be-
gin ito grow away from them and
the chasm grows wider and wider
until parting sewers and we con-
sign them to the role OF Happy
Memories. 1t was so with Saman-
tina and Merlin. When she ; had
first met him five years before IL
was when she was a little girl OF
eleven and he as an awkward lad
of fifteen. Slowly through the
years the web of love was being
woven, twining its tendrils round
her heart and his, linking them to-
gether with a bond of perpetual af-
lection. And now it seemed that,
within less than year, all love for
him had been swept away; he was
now but a dim speck on her life s
horizon; and still she treasured his
memory as sacred among his as
sociations. Who knows but that
HeT 1--we lOI MN was hOt uSuN' p"N
dormant? That it was only slum-
bering as does the genuine oak be-
meath a deceptive veneer?
The Autumn days were drawing
near. Already the landscape was
being wrapped in dreamy haze, the
sunshine touching the hilltops with
tender melancholy light. The
summer songs of the wildbirds
were ceasing, though many still
fingered TO tune their melodies up
to the blue skies of October. The
hills were purple with banners of
ironwort while goldenrids famed
in the valleys Silverrimmed am
Der and golden clouds floated
through the sunny heavens and
each eve the sunsets unfolded like
bowers of a thousand dyes.
When school opened at the Aca-
deny in the latter part OF Septem-
Der it was like joyous reunion of
old friends, for the pupils came
focking back to the schoolhouse,
exultant, tired of play and eager
for work. Among them was Sam
antha, joyous as the rest. She too
was glad that vacation was over,
for now she would have an excuse
for making at least two trips up to
Devondale daily, going to and from
school. On one of these trips she
would invariably meet Oscar who
would accompany her in whatever
direction she was going, no matter
whether he had been bound in that
direction or not. Her parents
edict that he should not come to
their house or she meet him at par
ties, resulted in many secret trysts
and stolen meetings. Her parents
dislike of him made her only more
fond of him and the result was, he
occupied so much of her attentions
that she fell down sadly during her
first week at school. This wor-
ried her teacher a great deal, for
she had always been a star pupil
and leader in her classes. Some
how, while, she was with Merlin, his
presence seemed to be an incentive
to her to study and go higher; but
since he had left and Oscar reigned
paramount in her thoughts, books .
and knowledge seemed repugnant
to her.
The girls also noticed a difference .
in her attitude toward them. In /
stead of being playful and COM /
paniOnable as she had been in the !
past she now held herself aloof and /
assumed an air OF dignity as if she .
considered herself a grown-up. In
stead of taking part in their games
at recess time she would slip off
to the post-oiIice where she would
meet Oscar, or he would happen
along just in time for her to spend
her recess leaning over the cam
pus fence, talking to him.
One evening as they were walk
1ng down the path toward her home
~ confided to her strange re-
solve. Samantha, | am goin to
start to school," he said, land | am
goin' to start Monday"
"Why. Oscar" she asked in sur
prise, ""YOU?"
Yes, ME. You know amt
got much learnin' and you know |
want to be clost to you all the
time. You see, If l go to school
we can go together and | can be
close to you all day"
mo, Oscar, we could not. You
would have to be in the grammar
while | am in the high
school. We could only be togeth-
Dr. at recess time after ALL" Il
mo l wont be in no grammer de- (
he said with emphasis: