Show q t J 1 jf t t r LITERARY Y Miss Munson and the Preacher IT is a glorious September morn morning ng for once the restless Wyoming zephyrs are subdued Over in the park a few late blossoms hold up their happy faces to the sun as though loth to to admit that summer were really fading As I stand wistfully gazing out of the narrow little window at the end of the girls' girls wardrobe I feel more like a prisoner than a privileged eged nineteenth century girl just about to enter on a career of useful knowledge At the other end of the wardrobe stands a group of girls discussing in school school girl girl fashion their probable fate in the form of the new teacher In my secret heart I feel a throb of pity for this unknown teacher who must fill Miss Johnsons Johnson's place I am afraid we are a trifle spoiled for a common teacher after having had our own dear Miss Johnson I have never doubted for a moment that I shall hate this new teacher of whose name we are still in ignorance Yesterday I sat behind her in church and the instant that Clara told me she shewa was wa to be our ur te teacher cher I 1 fell to picking her to pieces letting th the sermon sermon fall on 1 stony ground I did did not catch a j glimpse of her face but I am confident that her eyes are yellow and ex ex- II Are all these my girls inquires a sweet voice I start perceptibly it is isso isso isso so unlike what I had expected I do donot donot not turn to look at her however but follow the others into the room If at atthe atthe atthe the sound of her voice oice I had doubted doubted the correctness of my first opinion of her the doubts melt melt into in o nothingness when we are sent to the blackboard to diagram Now if there is any anyone one thing I hate more than another it is to dia dia- gram It may be that it is b because cause I dont don't know how but be that as it may I hate it The morning would indeed have been unbearably dull were it not for Aleck Smarts Smart's rising and inquiring this awful individuals individual's name and she answers with as unexpectedly sweet a smile as her voice II Why I had forgotten that you were not not provided with a paper containing containing containing contain contain- ing my name as I was with yours It Itis Itis Itis is Munson u s u s I cast Aleck a grateful glance which was entirely thrown n away upon that young person who was already deep in inthe inthe inthe the concoction of some new observation At last school is dismissed for the noon session and the walk home is entirely filled with the discussion of Miss Munson Oh I think she is awfully nice exclaims Grace Rawlins in her enthusiastic enthusiastic enthusiastic en en- way II So So do I chimes in Nellie Burton Burton II I I think she is perfectly lovely says Minnie Boice f 5 II I I dont don't I think she is horrid I Isay Isay Isay say with warmth Mabel does not express her opinion until the rest have somewhat subsided when she says in her usual quiet way II She sets her lips as though she she- would be very firm but I I think she is going to be very nice Three weeks have passed since I 1 first saw Miss Munson and I am h heartily artily glad to say that my regard for for- her has not changed In spite of my efforts to the contrary however I am forced forced to to admit that her eyes are simply glorious They are a de deep p blue and capable of every change of expression During the last three weeks Mildred Clark and I have been very great friends so great indeed that W we are usually usually-to tobe to tobe be fou found d together Mildred and I have been driving all the afternoon and now on our way home we m meet et Miss Munson She has hason hason hason on a black fur cape that seems to have been made for her so fascinating does she appear in it She does not see us as we pass and I am permitted to take a good stare at her For the first time I am conscious of her resemblance to Maude of whom I am very fond and I 1 feel instinctively that I can never quite hate her again I even doubt my ever hating her at all as I 1 had intended to do I 1 wonder if Miss Munson is one of those kind of f teachers who never know their scholars out of s school hool says Mildred as we passI passI passI pass I guess she is I answer purposely indifferent to the fact that three weeks ago we were all strangers to her and that she even deserves credit for knowing knowing knowing know know- ing us in school II I 1 think she is awfully pretty dont don't you remarks Mildred glancing over her shoulder at Miss Munson No 1 cant can't say that I do crossly more crossly perhaps because that was Vas trying to force its way into my mindI mind I I wonder if she is engaged I venture venture venture ven ven- ture trying to appear as unconcerned as possible but very anxious to see what Mildred thinks but Mildred only laughs and in an instant has entirely changed the subject and I do not care enough f for her opinion to myself return to the the- subject I have pretended so distasteful to me The days slip by to to November November- but but even now I have not yet become reconciled reconciled reconciled recon recon- to the daily routine of school life and mean to enjoy myself to the utmost utmost this afternoon Baby Fisher has broken his arm and I mean to be very virtuous and stay at home with him It will be besuch besuch besuch such a splendid opportunity to write on my novel and at the same time get credit for sacrificing myself for the amusement of another I think Miss Munson sees through my little plan for foras foras foras as I 1 ask her she scans my face doubtfully doubtfully doubt fully and inquires if it is absolutely necessary Of course it isn't and after vainly attempting to convince her that it is I 1 am forced to admit that my services services ser ser- services ser ser- vices are not absolutely essential Well then I guess you'd better not go she says conclusively I am very indignant t and improve my first opportunity first opportunity of saying so to Mildred If I I dont don't think it would have hurt her one particle to have let me go and I think she is just as horrid as she can be Yes I think she might have go too says Mildred encouragingly Well never mind I intend to be just justas as hateful as I can to make up for it which threat I 1 so successfully carry out that I am detained after school some weeks weeks' later for what the boys would call calla calla II a a general rounding up I am thoroughly prepared for a severe lecture but I am greatly disappointed by finding that she has no intention of scolding but rather finding out what the trouble is and although I repeatedly insist that there is no trouble she does not believe me As she talks she raises her lovely blue eyes so full of sad re reproach reproach reproach re- re that I might have told her that I was going to do do- better had I not been at that time mentally calculating the hardness of a mans man's heart that would not have melted under such a glance When she tells me that I 1 may go I Iam Iam J I am rat rather er sorry than otherwise and feel more like throwing my arms around her neck and telling her how much I love lovei i her than continuing in the co course I had marked out for myself I I mean to be he bevery bevery hevery very good in the morning and am making making making mak mak- ing all sorts of good resolutions as I 1 go godown godown down the steps when I am suddenly confronted by a man Now a man may not be a very formidable object but ri when he interrupts ones one's train of thought he is certainly not a welcome intrusion h Beg pardon but can you tell me whether Miss Munson is in this building He is a tall looking fine-looking man with mischievous brown eyes and a ready f smile lurking beneath his heavy tache Yes I answer leading the way Iway back to our room she she is in there As As I turn to go 1 I hear a soft exclamation exclamation tion tion-of tion of Why Ted but although I Ir r long to hear more I J am am too painfully M- M conscious of the of r impropriety eavesdropping eavesdropping eavesdropping eaves eaves- dropping to remain so I am forced to content myself with wondering who Ted is and why he should have been in such a hurry to see Miss Munson as asto asto to come to the school-house school and I do donot donot not realize until the next morning how much his coming has meant to her I Her eyes always beautiful have an unusual unusual un un- usual sparkle in their depths and a happy smile is ever playing about her f. f mouth She goes about the lessons with a pre-occupied pre air as if her mind ii were were on other subjects At Miss Mun Mun- sous sou's unusually happy face I am more moie than ever inclined to wonder about this z unknown Ted whose simple arrival had had the power to entirely change her manner Miss Munsons Munson's abstracted air affords me plenty of opportunities for numerous significant glances in Mildred's Mildreds Mildreds Mildred's Mil Mil- dred's direction Once I am strongly t ten tempted to slide to-slide slide lide a a. a note over to her my hero my usual method of communication j but remembering my many many good resolutions of the night before I resist the tion But for the next half hour I 1 become so anxious to impart this thrilling thrilling thrilling thrill thrill- ing information that I am more than once inclined to doubt the saying Virtue is its own reward At last the welcome sound of the gong announces that I am free to unburden my mind of this important secret I I wonder what his last name is I Isay Isay Isay say to Mildred after having put her her in full possession of all the facts of which I a am 1 master Even as I speak I am conscious of a vague feeling of resentment resentment resentment resent resent- ment that one man should he be so much to Miss Munson while we were so little I r no longer try to hide from myself that she has hac conquered all my mv prejudices and that I am now her most ardent admirer I hope it isn't Smith remarks Mildred sarcastically She has not quite gotten over my sudden swerving from the in tensest hatred to the most complete worship O 0 I dont don't believe its it's Smith II I say But never mind his name that is of no consequence didn't she look perfectly perfectly perfectly per per- lovely today 1 I 1 didn't notice particularly replies Mildred absently j obviously her mind is elsewhere It has been snowing steadily all day and Mildred and I have brought our lunches to school thinking it would be besuch besuch besuch such a good chance to write in our diaries And we are agreeably surprised to find that Miss Munson also intends to remain this noon a most unusual thing for her Miss Munson never looked sweeter than today as in answer to my question of what that mans man's last name is who came up the steps yesterday fhe she laughingly inquires my reason for wishing wishing wishing wish wish- ing to know O 0 I 1 just wanted to know I answer but I do not add how inconvenient it is I dO j I to hate a aman man man of whose very name you r are in ignorance But I do hate him and I I hate him hate him and I hate him ten-fold ten more passionately when a joyous sparkle lights up her eyes as she answers II Well W lI since you seem so very anxious to know I will tell you you it it is Leonard Now that I have told you cant can't you give me your reasons reasons for wishing to know But ut I obstinately persist in keeping m my my secret to myself le making all an sorts of dreadful resolutions ions in in incase case caseI case I ever meet this hateful Mr Leonard ata at ata t a a disadvantage O 0 dear I wish she weren't so lovely I say In miserably as Miss Mu Munson Munson Mun- Mun son son leaves us at Prof Daily's call Why Gretta what a wicked wish laughingly reproves Mildred who doesn't consider it wicked at all but feels it her bounden duty to reprove me on n each and every o occasion caSlOn Well I dont don't care I Jo io wish it 1 nevertheless I declare stoutly a and d I wish that horrid Mr Leonard were in Hat Halifax Or Or some other awful place supplements supplements supplements supple supple- ments Mildred It is four o'clock and just as we are leaving the school house we catch a glimpse of a small cutter dashing around the corner and as it draws up in front of the High School I recognize the handsome features of Mr Leonard Utterly ignoring the impropriety of the thing Mildred and I 1 linger long enough to note with what marked tenderness he places Miss Munson in n the seat beside him hirn and then they go bounding away There is isa a sociable this evening at atthe atthe r the Congregational Church Mildred Mildredl l and I have just stepped out to get a breath of fresh air and are so carried away by the grandeur of the evening that it seems impossible to return to the stifling atmosphere of the church Lets Let's walk up to Kelleys Kelley's i ex f im enthusiastically Lets responds Mildred joining i in i with my mood It is a delightfully warm evening for winter No moon sheds its silvery light along our path which is illumined only by myriads of tiny stars A gentle wind is softly playing with the leafless trees that border the walk As we Ve pass Kelleys Kelley's resi residence dence our attention is arrested by the delicious strains of a banjo playing Way down upon u the Swanee River The voice accompanying it is a rich tenor The curtain of one of the windows has been left up and by mutual consent Mildred and I stop before beffre that window Miss Munson clad cla l in a soft blue tea gown of some clinging texture is seated in a low rocking chair gazing dreamily into space Her left arm is thrown carelessly on the back of the chair while her right hand rests on the arm As Mr Leonard plays his eyes rest fondly on the little figure at his side and a tender light ight illumines his face As he ceases playing he bends forward and possesses himself of the little hand lying nearest him For an instant their eyes meet and then with a rush of love love love-he he presses a lingering kiss on the lovely Ii lips ps p pIn In another moment Miss Munson has sprung lightly to the window and drawn the blind II I I wish he were dead I mutter fiercely as we turn to go Oh dont don't have him die laughs laughs' Mildred Well then vehemently I I wish a they'd have a quarrel I Our spring vacation n is past and we weare weare weare are once more gathered in the schoolroom schoolroom schoolroom school school- room where we have spent so many really happy days day but there is something something something some some- thing lacking in Miss Miss' Munsons Munson's manner The joyous air that had marked her last her last days of school school- has given place given place to one of unspeakable sadness There is is an unmistakable pathos in her dark eyes and it sends a pang of remorse to my heart as the thought of What if they have quarrelled presents itself to my mind and Mildred does not lighten the dread when at noon we walk home together and discuss Miss Munsons Munson's changed manner We make up our minds to solve if possible this mystery but over a week drags itself wearily by without affording us the coveted chance But tonight good fortune seems to smile on us We V have been down town and andon on our way home make the discovery that we are behind Mr Leonard whereupon whereupon whereupon where where- upon we immediately slacken our walk into a saunter We have n nearly arly reached our destination when we meet Miss Munson and her friend Miss Corey Miss Munson is relating in her animated fashion some incident of school life and does not notice the approaching Mr Leonard until they meet face to face and then a dark shadow overspreads overspreads overspreads over over- spreads her face and the pathetic expression expression expression ex ex- so habitual of late settles around her mouth For just one instant she lifts her lovely eyes and casts upon him a glance of such sad reproach that L 1 almost fancy I can see sep his eyes droop under unde their reproof The days day glide slowly |