Year: 1879

At the unpainted and battered desk girl
sat reading, glad for the silence that lay
around her, when the door was suddenly
thrown open and child entered with the
exclamation:


"A letter for you Miss Howard


She took it, looked at the bold address,
and reading, found this: "NIiss Howard
ionr brother Frank is sick. Inclosed
please find Il letter of his dictaton Re-
Spectiully, BrEKE WARINC.'


But who was Burke Waring, and how
did Frank come TO know him?


Frank did not get well in day; so. for
many weeks, Burke Warng had no: only
TO write his letters, but to read to him
Ma,garet's replies, and a strange interest
grew up in his heart for the unknown girl
fur away. One day there came letter TO
her like this:


Miss IIoward-Frank is well now
VIII You write me for my own sake Very
truly yours. BURKE WARING.n


Next days's post carried her answer:


burke Waring-l will.


MARGARET HOWARD"


An odd smile played about the mans
lips as he read the brief reply. lie looked
at it more than once. Why? For the
same reason that you and turn 10 look at
some people in the street, while others
pass by unheeded. So their acquaintance
began, and to Margaret. living so much
within herself, Warnings letters were
glimpses of Il far-of world which she had
known only through books. Only once
did il occur to her that she was violating
custom. then, the thought having little
weight, waited away.


One afternoon a stranger came To the vii
lage and inquired the way to the school
house. The landlord, glad of an oppor-
tunity to be of some use in the world,
gave the desired information. after which
that inqustive person casting shrewd
glance at the roll in the mans hands bland
" asked:


"Going'to give show there tonight ?''


Nothing public, sir. nothing public
and with an easy swing the stranger
walked away. The work of the day was
over when he reached the little school.
whom he sought, and, as Margaret enter
ed the house after walk, her mother met
her with the information that Mr.. Waring
awaited her in the ''best room." With
out removing her hat she entered and 90
ing up to him, extended her hand, rs she
said:


1


"And this is Margaret Howard"


Tossing her hat upon table near by,
she sat down. After little, seeing that
he was closely watching her, she said, halt
defiantly:


"Wcll. what Is your verdict" ?"


The same queer smile came to Burke
Warnings face that had followed his read
ing of her first brief letter to him.


~ I
more slender and girlish. Frank never
told me Your age or described YOU in any
way. so | had formed my own ideal.
Whether am disappointed or not. will
leave YOU to determine as our acquaintance
progresses.


GLOW do you know that it will pro-
gress ?'


You cannot help it, and l will not


Il may try


''And fail. -


Half vexcd. she laughed. Ii he had
been little more humble, she-would
not have liked him half so well. 1t was
not flattering to her vanity to be told that
she was at the mercy of this mans whims
but she did not rebel half SO much as
though one of her own sex gave her the
same assurance. They made strange
picture as they sat there-those two-the
tender, pale, almost weird-looking he
tall, elegant and strong in his glorious
manhood. The room was large but bare.
and the white walls stared down upon
them in II ghostly sort of way, the floor
was uncarpeted and the furniture hard and
plain. She saw it all and. bitterness
crept into her heart that she had never
known before, for while she realized how
little of luxury she had seen, she had new
er until now had her own poverty brought
strongly in contrast with so much of quiet
elegance. As they talked he said with
apparent careessness:


You are very independent girl To
write to me without an introduction.


Outside of the fact itself, pray what
Introduction was necessary to man who
had been Kind to my brother?"


None, but custom makes it So


1T is true, Mr.. Waring. know little
of society rules, but correspondence
seems to me something which our conf
mon sense ought to regulate


Il have referred to the fact that You
have allowed it to do so rs an evidence
that you are independent in action


Il cannot see that it requires much in
dependence to do what is agreeable and
in which one sees no harm II think il
requires much of that quality to put pub
lie opinion under foot, since hold that a
fear of that same public opinion is the
governing principle of nine-tenths Of the
world"


''You must remember that my circle is
not a large one, hence am freer to act
than one who sees more people,


Il will remember that | have met a
young lady who dares to do and say what
she thinks is right, and that is something
of an anomaly at the present time"


After short time, he said, with mer-
ry twinkle in his eyes:


Miss Howard, shall you hold forth in
yonder temple of learning tomorrow -


That is my expectation. Why?"


II was only wondering how | shall pass
the time until you will he at liberty to see
me agaiii--that is ALL .


She said nothing but wore the annoyed
look that a country school-teacher would
be likely IL wear upon such an occasion.
well knowing that dismissal of her pu-
pills would bring npoa her head the harsl,