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Show Heart Hunter By Izola Forreiter &U toa (Copyright, 1912. hv Associated Literary i'rM.) Ilussell did not look up at the tchoolhouse window when he drew rein. He knew that she could see him from her desk, and the outer door was wide open. It wag well after four, and all the children hart vanished down the four roads lending from the scboolhouse corner They were- quite alone. If one excepted the red squirrel who was tenant for life In the elm that was king of the playground. play-ground. It wns half a mile to the nearest farmhouse. All about lay June fields, rich In lush grans ready almost tor mowing. The air wan golden, warm, hazy, lazy, wooing one to forgot duty and day's work. Mussel) was heavily heav-ily burdened with both at present. As superintendent of schools In Ia-verne Ia-verne county. It devolved on his shoulders to let the teacher" go at the little Flaxy Hend district, because of Inattention to duty and general laxity of conduct. ' That was exactly the wording of the charges In Mrs. Deacon Mabry's letter that reposed In his coat pocket, lie didn't Intend to show It to the girl. So simple It seemed, so hard It was to do. He had fought against It for nearly a week, remembering her upturned, up-turned, earnest face, so warm and tender In Its brunette tinting, the big, brown eyes, and childish mouth that droo-ed wistfully at the corners, the dark hair bound smoothly around the small head with a big, black velvet bow on one side. That bow had been an offense to the enemy aven, at least on one side. "She ain't stlddy enough to teach," old Mrs. Mabry had Insisted "I taught considerable after Myron and me were married, but I waa stlddy. It's a known fact that she's settled four of the boys this winter." "Settled them? You mean expelled them ?" "No, I don't. Mr. Russell. I mean ust what I say. She's carried on girl-fashion with Nate Ilosklns and Since her coming the whole place had been changed. The children had given little entertainments and earned money for a new stove, for new globes and window boxes, and little fresh muslin curtains at the windows. At the school examinations examina-tions they had led the other township schools, and before her days. Flaxy Hend district had been a problem In education. "Yes." snid Russell, with almost sigh, "I came to say good by." She waited a minute, chin raised, eyes questioning "Where did you tell me your home was. Miss Phillips?" he asked, leaning lean-ing over the top of the tall desk, and fingering a pink rone that was nearest to hint. "Vermont. It's only a little bit of a piaee where the trains slop If they are flagged. We call It Phillips' Crowing " "I suppose you'll be glad to get home " "Not so very." She spoke reluctantly, reluc-tantly, with a little uplift of her shoulders. "You see, 1 have a stet father, and I am the only child Ironi the first marriage, ard there are seven little ones now besides. They don't miss me a bit. unless It's a good miss " "Why did you eome way down hero In the country?" "Because I whs In a hurry to go to work. The city schools won t lake you unless you've been through Not-mal, Not-mal, you know I like It out here. The work was hard, but the victory was so much grear, and I do think the children love me." Russell caught the little wistful touch In her voice. "The old folks are peculiar, aren t they? Hard to get along with." "I'm afraid they don't like me very well do they?" "They say" you're a good teacher, but" Rose waited and looked up at him quickly. Her brown hair was very near, with Its soft satiny braids. Re-fom Re-fom he really meant to, he had tucked the pink rose among them. "It looks much better there," he added, and wondered why his own pulses were racing suddenly, like brooks In April. "Hut what? Please please tell me?" she pleaded, drawing back, but not removing the rose. "What do they say?" "They say you're a heart hunter." She leaned back her head and sighed, her hands clasped back of the rose, her eyes looking past him out of the first open window. "They mean the boys. I suppose, Nate and the rest. Could 1 help It? Now, truly, could I. Mr. Russell? You know Just what boys are. They'd come here every day, and bring all sorts of things to me that I didn't want. Why. Lonnle even used to bring me fox pelts for a cloak, of all things. Roys are always boys, and they get over It iso quickly. I waa Just as nice to them as I could be." "I am not blaming you nor ihem." sadl Russell a bit unsteadily. "Only I agree with the deacon's wife that you are a very dangerous and disturbing dis-turbing Influence to hare around these peaceful parts." The tears glistened In her eyes. "Oh. you don't really mean that?" she said pleadingly. "Are you trying try-ing to tell me 1 cannot teach here again?" Russell stared awkwardly down at her head, as she leaned It on folded arms, and her shoulders shook with sobs "I've tried ao hard, and the eblldrtn all love me," she said brokenly. "I didn't want to go back home at all. I was going to board here all summer, sum-mer, and rest " Then suddenly It dawned on Nell Russell why he had driven ten miles that afternoon to make all fit and due explanations to the teacher Instead In-stead of writing. He knew Just why j he had thought of nothing but her j tender Hps and dark eyes and low contralto voice for weeks past. He knew why he had saved every scrap of writing she had ever "sent him, and why he carried In an Inner pocket pock-et a little tan suede glove he had found beside her chair after board meeting one day. Oh. yes, he knew now. and he Imprisoned both her hands In bis and raised them to his Hps. "Rose," he said. "Stop crying. I've brought you another heart, dear." She st op tied sobbing, but did not raise ber bead. "I haven't any one In the world myself, I came up here fron New York and got along well. There's enough saved In the bank to buy us a good home In the fall. I think I could make you happy. Rose. If I may wear you. dear." "What would rmi tell the deacon's wife and and all the ret?" !;e aked faintly "That I had to dismiss you hecau I couldn't let my wife work." he whispered "Won't ttiat do for a pood excuse?" Youthful Bgotry. i "There Is a tnougnttui toy in an An. trim village who listened one .Sunday to a statement made ty fcU Sunday school teaeber that Uod had created ! all things, and all men. 'Hid God," be asked, at last, 'make the Papists? He bad been taught to reverence the Almighty, and it seemed Impossible that He could have been gutlty of that The teacher assured Dim that Ood bad realty made even them. The boy pondered the Information for minute, min-ute, and then gave bis opinion briefly and forcibly. Hell rue It yet,' be esld" "The Lighter Side of Iris i Lift." by George A. Ulrminghana. I Aw; "I'm Afraid They Don't Like Ms Very Well Do TheyT Denny Everltt and Waiter Bennlngs, and even with Lonnie Murray, and they've every one of them lost their heads over her and proposed, and she's refused them all." "Well?" Russell tried to speak mildly, remembering tbe various attractions at-tractions of the aforesaid four boys, "maybe she didn't Intend to have them take ber seriously. Mrs. Mabry" "And If she didn't, then she's light-! light-! minded, and a heart hunter. If I do j say It myself. Mr. Russell. That's i what we always us-d to call them. . heart hunters, and tbelr minds don't go any further than bunting them. and letting them go as soon as they're caught" Russell remembered the whole conversation con-versation now as he ttepied Into the 1 little shadowy schoolroom, low-celled, pool. lth fern boxes at the windows and bum hes of June rores on the desks Hone was her name. too. he ; remembered Rose Phillips. Phe i turned ht-r fces--? now, a quick rml'e of welcome and aurprife on her fnce ! "Did you come to wfdh nie goo,. 1 by" stir asked i Rue!I could not help hut pm"' back. lie l.i Id hi cap on one of tl iflrst ro deiiks and utovl look'ng i.r j her as be drew off his gloves She could not have been over HgMeen In spite of nhat the school committee commit-tee had reported, he knew that the j littl school had made actual progress 'under her care and tuition during the j past terra. He knew the children loved ber dearly Tbe little room Itself bore wltneis to ber Influence tt had been a barren plsce before her I coming A few old yellowed map ' bong oft tbe walls There was a J wheery tnelodeon In one corner, with ' most of the Ivory off the keys and one pedal brokea The stove was a little. Inadequate drum affair, witb ;eree legs to stand on. |
