Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1906 — Who Was Fooled? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Who Was Fooled?

By MABEL MICHAELS

Billy Parker grlmied Joyously. It would be such a good Joke on Miss Allen to send the letter. Here Hugh had been In the Philippines for two years. What would she think when she received a local letter In the well remembered handwriting? In his mind’s eye he could see her eagerly tearing open the letter in the postoffice. He would be outside to yell “April fool!” Miss Allen always stopped for ber mall on her way to school. There could be no possible chancfc of a slip up if he mailed the letter Sunday. He had been looking in Hugh’s desk for some fish hooks when he had run across the envelope, carefully tucked away in the bottom of the drawer. There had beeu a time when he had carried a lot of the selfsame sort of letters to the teacher, but that had been before Hugh began to talk about the Phil, ippines as a place for young men to grow up with the country. AH day Sunday Billy grinned over his anticipated joke, and Monday morning he entirely ignored the flannel cakes that he- might be certain to be at the postoffice In time and went off leaving his mother greatly concerned over his falling appetite. Usually Billy preferred flannel cakes to promptness at school. He had not long to wait, for presently Nlta Allen came briskly along and entered the postofflce. As she turned away Billy noted that she held in her hand only a long blue envelope and a newspaper. He thought regretfully of the flannel cakes as he realized that his April fool had miscarried and turned and followed Miss Allen down the street. There were the usual pranks played In the school yard, but Billy, always the leader in all mischief, stood apart and wondered. He was certain that he liad stamped the letter properly, and anyway Mr. Meade would" have given the letter to her and collected the money had the stamp fallen off. It was something he could not understand, though he puzzled his brain until the last bell rang, and he slipped into his seat Just In time. Some one must have been playing Jokes on the teacher, for her eyes snapped and about her mouth there played a smile that made Billy want to

hug her. Eveu when Ned Matthews sought to pick up a reader only to have It jerked from beneath his grasp by a bit of thread Miss Allen only looked Uio other way and tapped with her pencil on the desk, though surely at other times the source of this demonstration would have been as patent to her as to the class. During the lunch hour Billy’s mystification was further Increased, for, stopping at the postoftice, he asked for mail for Miss Alien. “She was expecting two letters this morning, and she only got one,’’ he explained to Mr. Meade. "Go on with your April fool jokes,” he laughed good naturedly. “She got two letters this morning.” Billy knew better, but there was no use asking questions. He hnd seen her come out with Just the one big envelope, and that was from the school committee. The other was not under the big one, for he had pretended to drop his cap as an excuse to look at the under side and there had been nothing hidden beneath. But If Billy hnd hung about the schoolroom Instead of pursuing his investigations at the postoftice be would have seen that Mr. Meade was right, for on teacher’s desk was the envelope, he had dropped Into the box and for the tenth time teacher, with glowing cheeks, was reading the note. “I have not the courage to speak," It ran, “but I am coming back Monday on the 4:38. If your answer Is ‘Yes/ will you meet me at the train? If-you are not thero I shall know the answer is ‘No/ but If you con find It in your heart to love me. dear, please be them lo greet me. The others think I am coming-on the night train, and we'shall have a chance to walk home alone.” The explanation was very simple. She had slipped the envelope Inside of the folds of the paper as she bad received It. Somehow she did not want others to see the precious missive, aud

with Instinctive modesty she toad hidden It ■, The afternoon dragged interminably for her. Every stroke of the clock, every tick of the pendulum brought Hugh nearer to her, and yet the minutes passed with leaden wings. It was only a ten minute walk to the station, and she lingered over the compositions, her eyes constantly seeking the slow ticking watch in ffont of her until at last the minute hand had come almost to the half hdur. She put on her wraps and hurried down the street. Billy, keeping watch at the postofflce, was spending a weary vigil, but ber road took her in the opposite direction, and he did not know that he was waiting in vain. The train had just whistled as she reached the platform, and in a few minutes the heavy string of coaches pulled Into the station yard, the engine panting like some tired animal. She looked quickly up and down the long line of cars until with a tremendous acceleration of the heart’s beatings she recognized a muffled form stepping from one of the sleepers. “Nlta,” he cried as she sped toward him, “this is a surprise Indeed!” “Didn’t you expect me?” she demanded smilingly. “Did you think I could forget so soon?” . —ia__ Hugh looked puzzled as he fell into step and passed out of the station. “But no one knew I was coming,” he declared. “You don’t mean to tell me that my advent was anticipated ?” “I did not tell a soul,” she said. “I cnly got your letter this morning.” “But I did not write any one, not even you,” was the puzzled declaration. ftita laughed. “You didn’t mean to say that you expect a schoolteacher with a class like mine to forget that this is April fool?” she asked. ‘‘The boys were tormenting me all day, and now you want me to believe that you did not write me that letter. You must have written some one else, too, for mine bore the local post mark.” “Seeing’s believing,” he suggested. With a pretty flush, she thrust her hand inside her jacket and presently withdrew’ the letter. He glanced at the superscription and smiled. “And this Is your answer?” he said gently. Her eyes gave reply. “I have the courage to ask you myself now,” he said tenderly. “This Is a letter I w’rote before I went away. Do you remember the time I went to New’ York to arrange about my going to the east?” “Then yon didn’t send It?” she asked tremulously. “No,” he said. “I did not send it because I have come all the way from Manila to ask you to go back with me. I never had the courage to send this. I think it must be that young brother of mine. He probably ran across it in my desk.” “What can you think of me?” she said, with glistening eyes. “If I told you.” he said sincerely, “I should make a scandal by hugging you right here on the street. I think you are the dearest little woman in the world. I never had hoped to learn my answer so quickly.” “You have Billy to thank for that,” she laughed. “I don’t know’ w’hether to thrash or thank him,” he smiled. “Ferhaps it would be better to do both—ln that order.” “Huh,” mused Billy a few hours later as he lovingly fingered a gold piece. “Hugh says that I’m the April fool. I don’t think so. He’s in the front parlor acting more like a fool than I am. I wouldn't just sit kissln’ a girl like that I’d go up to the postofflce and show’ off before the fellers if I’d just come Home.”

til MS HELD IN HER HAND ONLY A LONG BLUE ENVELOPE AND A NEWSPAPER.