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Show i LEAP YEAR PROPOSALS 1 ! - !! By LOUISE OLIVER. :; : Hopo Lambing shut tho door of tho teacher's room softly but firmly, and gavo tho key n surreptitious turn. Sho looked nround cautiously, then started to count noBcs. "Wo'ro all hero!" she exclaimed In oxcitcd and subdued tones. The others glanded at ono another with understanding. Hope glued her car to tho door of an anteroom that led to the office. "He's not here yet, but ho couldn't hear anyway." "Of whom nro you speaking?" inquired in-quired Charity Brown precisely. "Him, of coursol Tho professor!' "Well, what about tho professor?" "Ho has Just Inherited a fortune, girls a fortune think of Itl They sny It's nearly a million dollars, or It's In pounds, I believe, for It's English, and they say there is a title that goes with IL But I'm not suro of that" Tho excitement caused by this remark re-mark was obvious, "But how do you know all this Is true?" inquired Genovlovo Travis, "I can't toll that. I'm not permitted, but his lawyer and my cousin oh. girls, I can't say any moro." "But Hopo, why tho nutter? "What's back of It all?" asked Genevieve. "You Btlll have something up your sleeve or I miss my guess. If you don't hurry up and tell I believe you'll burst." Hope Slgglcd again. "Oh, don't you see, girls? He's not married!" she whispered dramatically. "Wolll" In phoms. "And it's leap year." A sudden silence fell upon the room. Hope looked triumphantly from ono to another. Then a bell, began to ring and tbey heard a man's voice In tho hall. "We must go now," said Hope. "It's up to you girls to do tho rest. But It seems to me that fifteen young and attractive women, who prldo themselves on having hav-ing brains, would bo very foolish to let a million dollars and a good-looking man get out of this building slnglo and unpromlsed in leap year. Sh! Don't let another bouI know it or It will spoil our chance. Two months yet. nnd let tho best man win!" Sho oDened the door nnd went out. fol lowed by fourteen teachers, who smiled guiltily as they passed a man standing by hla office door. John Aylmer looked after them quizzically. Hope Lambing went Into No. 4 and he caught a flash of her eyes as the door closed. There was something disturbing In that glance, and ho felt nn uneasiness he could not explain. "I suppose I was a bit hateful about things this morning," ho reflected. "Really, she's about the best teacher In the building, but I didn't need to get nasty about the spelling. I thought she'd hit me when I tore up those papers! pa-pers! I wish I didn't feel so devilish In tho morning when I've been out to a party tho night before. The door of No. 4 opened to let tho children In and he caught another flash of Hopo's eyes. Ho had taken two steps In that direction, but retreated re-treated hastily. "Hanged If I'll apolo-gizo! apolo-gizo! She's perfectly capable of taking tak-ing care of herself. She's pretty when she's mad. though! By Jove, she's al ways prettyl Sho has a smile and a volco that would coax a bird off a tree." The school filled and quieted. Doors closed and a gong rang. The afternoon work was on. In the next week, it was wonderful how head dressings took on waves and puffs, flat hcelB grew Inches high and cheeks bloomed. Smiles wero everywhere every-where yet there was a certain exclu-stvencss exclu-stvencss qulto apparent among tho teachers, who regardod ono another with suspicious coolness, Nonoof this, however, reached tho puzzled principal, princi-pal, who had never experienced such overwhelming attention as ho was now recolvlng. Perplexity turned to wariness wari-ness when Genovlovo Travis asked for a private Interview, and as delicately as she could, suggested herself as a fitting liro mato for him. Ho refused her. offer as kindly as ho could, but firmly. Tho next day Charity Brown, plnlnly. and without any varnishing, popped the question. Professor Aylmor ro-trcatcd ro-trcatcd instantly, thinking sho had lost her senses. But In tho next fortnight ho had received fourteen perfectly good proposals of marriage nil of w.hlch ho had humbly and gratefully declined. Thero was ono person loft. Hope Lambing had not como forth to offer her heart and hand. This puzzled him moro than anything elso. Ono day after four o'clock ho was taking requisition slips to tho, first floor rooms. In No. 4 Hope .Lnmblng was sealing a lotter at her desk, but her eyes, Instead of flashing defiance, were full of real tears. "It's my resignation," she said, brokenly. "I can't stand It here any longer. The wbolo place Is hateful to mo! I'll novcr play another practical Joko as long as I llvo," vehemently. Then followed a confession of her plan to got even with her superior. "And, after at), It was only cruel to those poor souls hore," sho went on. "I'm ashamed of myself!" "You needn't be!" ho declared. "They are a lot of geese. Hopo, dear, loyo you. Could you toko mo on eighteen hundred a year and a heart full of dovotlon?" "I" Sho hosltated, then smiled suddenly. "Why, yes, I suppose I could!" (Copyrltlit, 1316, by the McClure Newspaper Newspa-per Bymllcute.) |
