Show rII r II r Sylvia of the 1 By HELEN R. R MARTIN j Copyright by Dodd lI Mead ad C Co Semel BeMe CHAPTER VI Continued VI-Continued Continued 1 16 always Sometimes she he an- an hot ot ot Jred ed guardedly Ii n r should think the schoolroom dark for to work j be too you 1 so go late ire Are working before 1 i usually stop Wk rk 1 i i But Bat this evening lingered on ond on- on on-Of on i f A d brief silence Miss q 1 j must most warn you to k Its It's not really safe for you to be beate dice ate te after dark either In your school MB gam m or on OD this lonely road Then rhen Im I'm thankful youre you're with me Est Bot what detained you OU so late thIs Oh Oh this and that that that-a a bit bit of Correcting spelling papers I pree pre pre- e t I f Really R ny Mr Creighton your Int Interest rest restI I perfectly unimportant trivial things He fit spelling papers spelling papers I My goodness My-goodness goodness I 1 Ill Til bet you never bore yourself spelling papers I Not rah rth correcting sp joul oal How gow you came by the Impression lilt hat Im I'm BO so minded light as never to correct spelling papers Well to be bere 4 f re gre it isn't my favorite pastime I Ito to 3 sometimes Indulge In other dIver dIver- teas ions tons i s No 2 ne use use-he he could not trap her Into that she had been work- work tg In her schoolroom but walking on ont t fie Coe e highway Why didn't she want to 10 admit it j Oh Ohl I be he exclaimed as at this InI In In- I font she tripped over a rough place I to la the dark road and to hIs fits conster- conster I fell feU headlong Are you hurt te h solicitously Inquired in alarm as ash asle asle le h lifted her and she leaned against Z 7 lm him m panting No o no Dont Don't you know Mr Creighton sh she asked as she moved J rot Nt from the circle of his arm how I It Is to lift a fallen woman What a h l h-l 1 of a road J i she remarked A 1 1 u they resumed their walk cautiously 1 lf h Unhand hand under her arm to guide her 4 1 There are Just two kinds of girls fj dd cId Marvin that would talk about k l h l h 1 l I of ot a road road high high born ladies pd cd toughs I. I As a country teacher td ad pious Sam relative M dont don't come under either of these 1 leads kids What must I conclude c That I adapt my speech to my com corn tny When Im I'm with with Cousin Cousin Sam Sam Sam- tj speech is Yea Tea and Nay f rIt ru If It were more than that Im I'm sure would not harbor you you you-it If for no noer nother ther er reason than for you your corrupting l on his children Youre You're not notZ d he be might b hive have e your school Z pen bien from you 7 r lie He would If he thought It t was his j to she nodded her tone express- express kg hg E supreme Indifference to this fate tate t. t tJ h dreaded of ot the county teachers h Ton wouldn't mind that that losing losing soar jour school he asked curiously 1 It would be hard on the school not get aRother teacher like te atin In a hurry burry J she smiled I can well wen believe you 1 lre Ive always thought people that know me miss a lot I Tm lm sure Ive I've gained a lot I In know know- Ing yoU Thanks Same to you And It If 1 I fete ere re dismissed she added with a n aall fib gh all the elegant education Im I'm ImIn In la textbook lore would be beto rought to an untimely end I Im I'm Ima Ing a lot through t teaching teaching from from up cp slip U Up to what Oh Oh the multiplication tables up to helve eire elre i never knew them so well l. l Mond jond seven se Then lien for the sake of ot your our n 5 I hope Sam doesn't tad d out what hes he's harboring In his But really Miss 01 en added Marvin earnestly a soso soai so- so td dl us ai note in his voice Im afraid t with the sort of trustees trustees we have this 1 district a teacher like you cant can't tJ d down this Job long Id I'd hate like dickens kens ens to have your our bigoted old olds tees s tire you so let me warn you you you- ou 4 be a bit prudent prudent prudent-If If Its It's In you ou to toIve 41 1 Ive I've te been hearing complaints U Of Ot me 1 h from the parents A small boy tour Jour our school Jakey Jaley t d sed u his parents' parents suspicions by beta bep bet be- be ta so p e enamored a red of school since youve you've O P k p H when vuen her heretofore he Im had l to tot t togged fogged Eed to make him go that the they tee tre e moved to Investigate the reason j he i he admitted after much probing Ian hed he'd rather go to school to you oU 7 see a 0 movie because you told be J about devils showed them pic pic- of devils devils- tit and acted the devil devila them themi I Satan It its s seems ems has bee be bee a w. w Ike e to Jake Jakey y a hero to the eve horror of his Ms devout parents who lit m me take talie the devil seriously complained to me IDe that they didn't i their child to school to learn to tt e and ar d admire the devil ill J 1 So I Inter Inter- Jake and found you'd been l t these children of scenes from ra tse Lost i iA It ItA A little English poetry surel surely cant can't oJ Its to Mr Crelghton Creighton to 1 ta not in the curriculum Miss Mis Stick to the curriculum dough to hold your Job cun cant can't t F f ut no ao you vou know I r couldn't nd m ta J. J T. T a my Job a n week If I didn't liven It If up with a little of ot the j Joy y of ot life I Joy of ot life lIfe Paradise Paradise Lost You'll be brightening their lives with Dantes Dante's Inferno next I By the he way suddenly sud sud- denly remembered youre oure booked for fora a talk to the district teachers at their monthly meeting next Saturday arent aren't you 7 help me yes es I Aint It awful aw aw- ful full What are you going to give them How to teach geography I j suppose I could even get away with that In the frock Im I'm going to wear 1 The softest most alluring French blue georgette I 1 she said enthusiastically Anything I say wilL wille be well received In that garb I Im I'm trying to collect suitable shoes and ond hat to go with the frock seeing the hard boiled sho shoes s and hat Id I'd Just Invested ested in before Id I'd dreamed of ot buying this dainty frock would be a thought too harsh If It Id I'd only known she lamented that 1 was goIng to bu buy that luscious georgette geor geor- gette sette Id I'd have hoye bought entirely dUfer different different dif dU- ferent fer ferent nt shoes and hat Isn't it tragic they d dont don't t match 7 she walled wailed Good Lord are you you confusing a teachers' teachers institute with a fashion show I asked you what youre you're gol going g to talk about to those teachers 7 What would you advise she she- asked confidingly Do you mean to say you haven't anything ready and the meeting booked for day after tomorrow I dont don't know any of the teachers so I dont don't know their tastes II Tastes I Do you think youre you're expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to treat them to a n vaudeville stunt Youre You're supposed child to dis I J t I 1 1 I r lilt t The Danger Is You Knoy Know Father That Marvin Might Take It Into His Cracked Head to Marry One of These Common Country Teachers cuss some pedagogical problem or the thern theor theory or ory for their edifying 1 Now Ill I'll admit youve you've some rather good ideas If f you OU could put them over over over- It wont won't matter what I say say they'll they'll be too taken up with looking at my blue French georgette It She bras TinS T off on the frock again and she sang its praises for the next two minutes without intermission until they had reached the Sen wen ck tons tons' gate As they stopped Meely l suddenly realized with a passing anxiety that she had lead been entirely neglecting to attend attend at nt- tend to her accent she accent she hind had been sayIng sayIng saying say- say Ing and and teach teach a ab h. h Oh come in and see Aunt Rosy Kosy Will you you s Sounds tempting tempting but but I hardly have time I always spend Thursday mother as ns my father evening e with m my is never home he attends a di directors directors' directors directors' directors directors' di- di rectors' rectors meeting In Philadelphia every err Thursday He TIe paused then added slowly JI owl Y deliberately Mother Iother phoned wanted to see me methis methis methis me e she particularly this evening c ns as shed she'd found fount an nn old ohl photograph Id I'd asked her to I look Ok for for for- A A AT Y z z Y z Y Y ze z X X X N also that shed she'd got some Interesting mail mall from England England- He paused again tentatively Meely held herself rigid that he might not detect the tremor that went over oyer her herat herat herat at his words Good night he be said abruptly and abruptly and before she quite realized he was going iQ e had disappeared in the dimness of the road St St. Croix CreIghton Crelghton and his father dining at the Carlton RItz In Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadel Philadel- phia were discussing a certain matter not at all connected with the business of the directors' directors meeting which they had come to the city to attend If It the Infatuated eyes of Nettle could have beheld St. St Croix Just now now his his evening clothes making him look taller more slender more than ever like the young god godot of ot her romantic air castles castes she would Indeed have her honor thought n a small price to pay for any least notice notice no no- tice Uce such a a. dIvine creature might bestow bestow be be- stow upon her Little did that enamored enamored enamored enam enam- ored maiden dream that at that very moment her name was on the sacred lips of her god demi-god god her ber Image In his thought St. St Croix In n his desperation that afternoon after Meely's amazing rebuff rebuff re re- buff determined on his way to his hiscar hiscar hiscar car that he would pique her Into a regard for tor him by exciting her Jealousy jealousy jealousy Jeal jeal- she herself had given him the hint when she had explained her silence si si- silence Ii I- I i lence about the teachers teacher's boarding with them He Be would make love to that school school teacher under her very eyes I Meely should be made to see Bee how other othe girls In her station or In any station for that matter Jumped at his nod nodi r rAnd And then he be had ad seen as he supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed the school teacher In his brothers brother's brothers brother's brothers brother's broth broth- ers er's company compan coming out of her schoolhouse hours after the closing time apparently in a relation with him of the utmost friendliness This was the third time In ten days that he had seen Marvin come out of that schoolhouse His official duties certainly certainly certainly did not take him there so often as that St. St Croix was genuinely worried worried worried wor wor- ried over the circumstance as well as ns Irritated at being foiled tolled In his plan to tomake tomake tomake make Meely Jealous of ot the teacher which of ot course he could not do If Marvin were Intrigued with her Over their cigarettes and nd coffee collee St. St Croix was shifting his own apprehensions apprehensIons apprehensions about his brother on to his fathers father's fathers father's fathers father's fa fa- ther's broad shoulders The TIle danger Is you know Father that Marvin might take it Into his cracked head to marry one of these thes common country countr teachers I If he happened happened happened hap hap- to fall in love with one of them her station or breeding wouldn't stop him I In Her station wouldn't Her breedIng breedIng breeding breed- breed Ing would Marvins Marvin's fastidious Within limits St. St Croix doubtfully I admitted Bad breeding would be a limit for him I wouldn't trust him Hed He'd be Just fool enough to think he could raise her to his level You Yon know what he heis is all Is-all all for leveling and equalizing I o ought to know what he is I Ive I've suffered enough from what he Is I Mr Creighton said bitterly Takes Tal after his mother Never got his crazy radical radl- radl cal slant from me I Mothers rother's not radical tolerant Tolerant of anything anything anything any any- thing I Much too tolerant of Marvins Marvin's freakishness 1 I St. St Croix gr grumbled Yes If shed she'd only stand squarely with me about the boy boy boy- Mr Creighton Creigh Creigh- ton paused and shook his gray head No No no use What good has it done don my taking the extreme stand I have even eYen ordering my own son out of or ormy my house In he exclaimed a pained look in his e eyes eves es that made St. St Croix who was Vas fond of his father curse his brother In his heart I r thought hed he'd come back cured in a month at nt most But what does he do Gets himself a good Job and goes to work I More confirmed than ever in his wrong wrong- headedness l I Im I'm seriously thinking of ot asking him to come home again Might as well Hell He'll never change And it makes your mother so unhappy y hIs his being away I And the d d-d d d gossip It maI makes es 1 St It Croix frowned TO BE DE CONTINUED X X X X X X X X X X X |