White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-03-16
CHAPTER VII-Continued

VII! Wuut 1uuheS you Luluh SuCu u
thing?"
"a young teacher at William Penn
school who Is suspiciously ignorant
Of these United States and occasion
ally, when she isn't on her guard, falls
into rather an English accent She's
supposed to be Sam Schwenckton's
niece or cousin; she lives at his farm
and her name is Schwenckton. But
she's quite unlike the other county
teachers. Rather distingue; a thor
oughbred; the only teacher in the
county that ventures to cheek me !" he
grinned.
Gracious. Don't let 1t make a prig
OF you, this Job of experimenting a lot
of women teachers! It's enough to! \
won: have you spoiled like that But
your suspicions-they seem rather
fantastic, dear"
eyes," Marvin gave 1t up, II suppose
they do. May I.see the photograph,
please?"
Mrs. Creighton pointed to book
on the table behind the couch.
Holding a "cabinet-sized" photo
graph near the table lamp, he exam
ined it eagerly. 1t was the face OF a
girl of fifteen; short, curly hair, fine
features, a sensitive mouth, a serious,
rather melancholy expression.
Undoubtedly there was resemblance
the same wide-open innocent eyes
and sensitive mouth. And yet it was
not definite or strong enough to be
unmistakable, by any means. He could
not feel sure. Far from it. What
resemblance there was might easily
be coincidence. This photograph
gave no suggestion of that vivid
sparkle of his young teachers face,
her gay riot Of color, her charm. It
looked rather insipid. And yet
"Well?" asked his mother. "Of
course 1t isn't your young teacher7"
II can hardly tell-I'm not sure"
"But is there any resemblance| she
asked incredulously.
Eyes," he answered hesitatingly.
"Yes, there is. May keep this?'
"Of course. But, Marvin, the thing
is too impossible!'
II suppose SO. Look here, Mother,
will you call on Miss Schwenckton and
see what you think about her? Notice
her accent. Sometimes she seems to
me to be deliberately Disgusting it!
"But, dear, what possible excuse
could I give for calling on her?
Wouldn't she and the Schwencktons
think 1t very queer? I'd feel embar-
rassedw
"But aside from my little suspicion,
I'd like you to call on her just because
she's SO worth knowing. You'd find
her a lot more your kind than that
Quo Non Ascendus crowdW
His mothers ears detected some
thing in his voice, her swift glance
saw something in his face, that caught
her breath.
"All right, dear" Suddenly she
turned to him and clasped his hand
almost convulsively. ooh, Marvin,
dear, do you realize that If you took
up with county school teacher, a
relative of Sam Schwenckton, that
would be the last straw to your
father! He'd never, never look at you
again! OF course, know that could
not stop you If you loved"
Marvin laughed. Don't worry, dear {!
You're the only girl I've ever been In
love With What makes you imagine
I'm going to take up with Miss
Schwenckton?'
"Now perhaps" she said ruefully as
she noticed that his face had grown
red, 'I've just put it into your head !"
Perhaps you have" he slowly an
swered. perhaps If she isn't our Eng.
lish cousin"
(which she surely isn't, dear! Liv.
ing at the Schwenckton farm and
teaching that school-Lady Sylvia st.
Croix! Unthinkable
"Well, If she isn't-if she's Just her.
self-she certainly is fetchingl But
if she's the something -than-meets-
the-eye, that I half suspect, I wouldn't
touch her with tongs! !"
but why7 Isn't that unreasonable
prejudice?"
mot at all. If she's a tricky
schemer, out after our money, she's
not the sort Of girl she seems to be-
and It's only the sort Of girl she seems
to be that might fall for-though l
hasten to assure you I've no idea she'd
fall for mew
His mother laughed. She had never
yet met the girl who, If given chance,
would not "fall for" either one of her
fine sons. And, of course, with the
additional lure Of their millions, who
could resist them? Surely not a county
teacher of the Schwenckton breed -
though, of course, she must be, as
Marvin insisted, far above her rela-
tives or he could hardly find her so
interesting and SO presentable that he
would ask his mother to call on her.
Well, this certainly needed looking
into She would lose no time in call.
ing on the young woman.
"Tm curious to know, Mother, how
you'll size up Miss Schwenckton. Will
you 60 to see her soon? On Mondays"
"What time will she be home from
schoolW
"School closes at four. By the way,
to avoid the curiosity Of the farmers
family, 1t might be better, perhaps, to
call on her at her school just at clos
Ing time"
"Tll be glad to avoid the curiosity
of the farmers family" his mother as
scented.
So 1t seemed that our young school
mistress was booked for something Of
a recention at her schoolhouse at four