ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG SCHOOLMISTRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1918, 24 August 1888, Page 33

ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG SCHOOLMISTRESS.

By C. E. M

The bell rings 1 puff, puff ! and off goes the train, leaving many on the station, who watch with straining eyes for the last glimpse of the carriages containing their departing friends. Ib was a dull March morning when the train left the city. But gradually as it pursued its onward course the clouds began to clear away, and before Clareville station was reached the sun shone forth in all its splendour, gladdening all nature with its bright warm rays. It was indeed a lovely morning for travelling, and the train sped on its way through verdant meadows and ripening corr fields and past pretty rippling brooks. Little heed, however, was given to the brightness of the day or the beauty of the surroundings by at least one of those.passengers who had alighted at Clareville, aud was waiting rather impatiently for the branch train that would carry her to Mantly. At length the object of her desire arrived, and she soon found herself the only occupant of a comfortable first-class carriage. All who have travelled on the line between Clareville and Mantly know the tediousness of that journey as the train slowly ascends the hills, creeping round first one curve and then another.

In one of the carriages during the journey in question was a tall, dark, clear • complexioned girl, with regular features and a small shapely head, crowned with a mass of short, curly raven-black hair. A handsome girl indeed was Dora L:rrimer. But it was not the beauty of either face or figure that most struck the observer. It was the remarkable brilliancy and expressiveness of those greafbrown eyes that at once attracted the admiration and love of those around her.

Mingled with the congratulations of her fellow students there had been an indescribable feeling of pain as they realised that by her appointment their room would lose its brightest ray of sunshine. And of what was lonely Dora thinking as she sat there indifferent to the passing scenes, and with such a wistful, far-off look in her eyes? Thinking of the past and all that she was leaving behind, and more especially of the future that stretched before her in that distant and as vet unknown country school.

Mantly reached, her journey was not yet nearly ended, for our young heroine had still 30 miles to travel by coach. And now what a feeling of dismay* overspread those sunny features as she beheld that the only vacant seat whicr. that vehicle contained was in the midst of half a dozen Celestials, three of whom were placidly smoking cigarettes, while the other three kept up an incessant sing-song jabbering, such as only Chinamen can. There was no alternative, however, so up she climbed to the vacant seat.

Poor Doral And yet hers was only the lot of many a score of country teachers ; and this is scarcely a foretaste of what is to follow.

There is no need to describe the journey. Suffice it to say that after seven hours' jolting her destination was reached. Little information concerning the character of the place could be gathered during the first night; and indeed our Weary a traveller was by no means sorry to esc pc the questionings, of two or

throe inquisitive committeemen, and to retire to rest in the tiny though clean little apartment appropriated to her use for that night in the only accomodation house the district of Wilburn afforded— a dingy little place, that served the threefold purpose of store, post-office, and hotel.

Morning dawned bright and clear, and our young traveller, refreshed fey a night's sound ■ sleep, was astir early, being eager to learn what manner of place and people her' lot had been cast among3t. Leaving the adventures of the first day to the imagination of the reader, it is only necessary to state that she found herself in a widely-scattered country district, containing, about two dozen houses, none of which, however, could afford board and lodging for the schoolmistress. The school and residence were old, and dilapidated to a degree. The buildings were situated on the summit of a barren hill, and with no human habitation within half a mile of them. Here unfortunate Dora was told she would have to take up her abode, and "bachelorise " alone. Imagine the effect such a position would have had on most of our city-bred young ladies. But Dora wrt3 a brave girl, and, having procured a few indispensable articles of household furniture, before a week was over she had set to work with a will. Possibly the reader may wonder that she had no relative to act as companion, but Dora Lor rimer was an orphan. For the last five years she had lived in town with the only relative she possessed, a by no means amiable maiden aunt, who would as soon have ; thought of taking a voyage to the Arctic regions as of accompanying her young niece to such a rural retreat as Wilburn. Callers were few at the schoolhouse, and as a rule not very congenial company for its occupant. Though not far removed from the road, its elevation had the advantage of at least saving Miss Lorrimer the annoyance she might otherwise have hal to endure from the calls of tramps. Bravely ,did she struggle in the solitary evening hours to keep down the feelings o£ fear which her utter loneliness would at times occasion her. Not that she suffered any unkindness or neglect at the hands of the inhabitants of Wilburn. On the contrary, all were wonderfully kind and generous, and in some cases amnsiiiely so. ' , Among the residents of Wilburn there j lived in single blessedness one Samuel Lobbs, commonly known among the country folks by the very suggestive nickname of " Lobster." Whether his appearance bore any share in the bestowal of the title, or whether it was simply an extension of his name, is of little j moment. Nevertheless, when seated on his old roan he would have made quite an ; effective and pleasing addition to Barnum's show. It was about a fortnight after her anival, while on her way to the post-office, that Miss Lorrimer first made the acquaintance of this peouliar individual. While tripping briskly along the road her attention was suddenly arrested by hearing a shrill " Halloa, J mum ! " about a dozen yards behind her. I Looking round she beheld Mr Lobbs, seated on the back of his roan, rapidly approaching her. On coming up he silently drew rein and dismounted. Then, hat in hand, he accosted the astonished maiden as follows : "'D evenin', mum. S'pose you don't know me, mum ? I'm Mr Samuel Jeremy Lobbs, as lives down in thn gully yonder." " Oh, indeed ! Good evening, Mr Lobbs. I have certainly heard of you before, though I have not had* the pleasure of making your acquaintance." And with this rather unceremonious introduction the two resumed their journey, while Mr Lobbs for his companion's edification (though rather to her amusement) began a voluble description of the rela- j tive size and value of the surrounding farms, dwelling chiefly upon the superiority of the Lobb farm. At length the post-office was reached, and much to Miss Lorrimer's relief she found herself free to return alone. During the first six months things went on quietly enough, and nothing of any moment occurred. As has been already stated the schoolhouse was built on an elevation, at the foot of which and almost surrounding it flowed a pretty little stream, crossed by a wooden bridge. On the farther side, and stretching for some distance from the foot of the hill, was a s-varap. The September rains fell heavily and continuously, and this, together with the melting snows of a neighbouring mountain, so swelled the little stream as to cause it to overflow its banks and to carry the bridge for some distance At the same time the swamp, becoming filled with water, conneot-ed with it, and presented the appear- j ance of a small lake. ' I Imagine the distress of our young schoolmistress when she awoke one morning to find herself hemmed in on one side by a huge sheet of water, and on the other by a roaring, rushing torrent. The rain still fell J heavily, and continued to do so all that day, during which the inhabitants of the district made several fruitless attempts to replace bhe bridge. It so happened that on the night on which the bridge was carried away Dora should have replenished her store of bread, but hoping for a change of weather by morning she delayed doing so. Here then she must remain for the time, a " Crusoe," hemmed in on all sides. by water, without bread, and with only a small basin of flour. And what did the bright, brave lassie do 1 'Laughing at the queerness of her dilemma, she set to and prepared the best { possible repast her oircumstances afforded, then sat down calmly to await the subsiding of the waters. This was the first serious' adventure, but it was only the prelude to a more trying one. Between the months of November and March the country is usually infested with tramps on the look-out for shearing or harvesting, and the little district of Wilburn is in nowise an exception to this rule. About a week after her return from the midsummer vacation Dora was sitting one evening with her attention wholly absorbed in her usual pastime— reading. So deeply buried were her thoughts in the interesting pages of a volume of Dickens that she ha/1 neglected to draw down the blind. . -< What was her oonsternation therefore when, on hearing a hoarse chuokle at the window, she looked up to behold a pair of glistening eyes peering at her through the panes. - ; ,

For a moment the brave little heart stood still, and the bonny, rosy cheeks were blanched with terror. There is not a girl of a hundred that would not have 'screamed or. fainted at the sight. -~-Not so Dora. Recovering herself in a moment, she rose, and calmly (to outward appearance) approached ; the window. Steadying her voice as much as' possible, she asked : " Who are you, and what do you want ? " "I'm an honest man, come to crave a night's food and shelter," was the reply. •' Then you must not come here, my man, for lam a defenceless girl, and alone ; but, if you like I will direct you to a " " You're very kind, miss, but as I know the circumstances of the case, I want no direction. You've got some money there, and I will make a fair bargain with you, if you will just oblige me by opening that door and letting me in." . " That I will ceitainly not do." "Don't then I " and next minute the glas3 ' of the shattered window lay in fragments on the floor. , A shriek! A dull thud outside, and a groan 1 Dora heard no more. She had fainted at last. When she recovered she found bending , over her the rough, but kindly pitying face j of Samuel Lobbs, as he asked : •• Are you feelin' better now, mum ? " At the same instant a step was heard close beside her, and a tall handsome young man, whom Dora had never before seen, approached and gently inquired if she thought she could rise now. "Yes, I feel belter now, thank you." Then she looked round in a bewildered manner, as if trying to recall to mind what had happened. In answer to the questioning look which she cast from one to the other the elder of the two men vouchsafed an explanation. . Returning late from his fields that night Mr Lobbs had noticed a rather suspiciouslooking man lounging on the school bridge. At first, supposing him to be a traveller taking a rest on his journoy, he took no particular notice, but passed on. About half an hour after reaching his hut, however, Mr Lobba suddenly remembered that he had seen this tramp at the hotel the night befoie, when Miss Lorrimer had got a cheque for a considerable sum of money cashed by the landlord. Suspecting now that there was probably some ulterior object for the man's prolonged stay in the distiict, he made up his mind to go as far as the schoolhouse and see. * Arming himself with a stout cudgel, he set off. It was now nearly dark, but as he came within sight of the house he perceived a dark form insert it-self between his vision and the light inside Miss Lorrimer's sitting .room window. At the same time a horseman appeared, riding leisurely round a bend 'of the road in the direction of the schoolhouse. Hastening quietly to meet the newcomer, Mr Lobbs arrested his progress, and briefly explained matters to him. To tie the horse to a fence was the work of a moment, and together the two men prooeoded to climb the hill by a path invisible from the house. Arriving unnoticed, they were just in time to see the ruffian raise an axe and shatter the window, when Lobbs quietly raised his cudgel and dealt him a stunning blow. The ruffian fell with a groan. Securing him safely, Lobbs and his companion first pinioned and then conveyed him to the schoolroom, leaving him under lock and key. Entering the house by the broken window, they raised the prostrate form of the fainting girl to a couoh close by. At the conclusion of the story Dora exclaimed : " Oh, how can I ever thank you enough, my kind preservers 1 " i "By accepting our escort to the hotel, and trying to recover as quickly as possible," answered the stranger gently. It is reedless to say how gladly the poor girl agreed to the teems imposed. " And to whom, besides Mr Lobbs, am I indebted for my deliverance 7 " asked Dora of her younger preserver. " My name is Alec Bolton, and I am on my way to spend a short holiday at .Ferndale station, 15 miles farther on." " Ferndale 1 Then you know Mrs Millar 1 She is a great friend of mine, and I have been to see her several times since I came here." " Mrs Millar is my aunt," replied Alec. Soon the news of the night's occurrence spread for miles around, and the settlers came flocking in to sympathise with the sweet girl they had all learnt to love and respect. Before long the cause of the disturbance was conveyed to Mantly, where in due course" he met with a well-merited punishment. No more evenings did Dora spend in the lonely schoolhouse. Before a month was over she had given up her duties there, and at Mrs Millar's urgent request had gone to spend a few weeks at Ferndale previous to her return to town. Alec Bolton in some unaccountable manner managed so to lengthen his short holiday •Is to remain for a week after Dora's arrival at the station. Dora's experience of teaching in her first school was 'sufficient for he,r and after her return from Ferndale she again went to live with her aunt, whose feelings had now softened towards her niece. Alec Bolton became a frequent visitor there, and ere another year had passed he had persuaded Dora to again change her abode— this time under his pro- , teotion. " Of course I shall never oease to, love 'my kind preserver," she replied to a query of Alec's On the day previous to that of their wedding. • "And that is Samuel Jeremy Lobbs,"'said her lover mischievously. "So it is," was the saucy but playful answer ; then she added, gravely and tenderly: ' * "I don't think, Alec, that J either of us will ever forget the debt of gratitude we owe to that kind though rough heart." It is now years since, and they have not. has either of them occasion to regret Dora's last adventure.

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