The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-14
CAUGHT AT LAST.
A True story.
BY o. s. ADAMS.

premeu1ated and involuntary on hel
part, but that made it all the moro en-
joyable.
Mr.. Charlton was very dignifed,
stern at times, and prided himself on
the strict discipline enforced in his
school. But Fanny Burns, with her
black eyes, irrepressible love of fun
and ready wit, was almost too much for
him.
Fanny and were very good friends.
used to draw her home on my sled,
ruR races with her, give her dainty
morsels out of my dinner basket, and
to our Juvenile ideas of such things
And when we we're a little older, /
walked home with her instead of draw
ing her, and made purchases of oranges
in lieu of bestowing on her tarts and
baked apples. 1t was about this time
that the mania for writing notes took
possession of rs Although we saw
each other before school, at recess. at
noon, and after school, it invariably
happened that during study hours,
matters of sudden and vital Importance
would arise, demanding epistolary COM
munication between us. Notes would
be written and passed from hand to
hand until they reached their proper
destinations, for there was n mutual
agreement between the pupils to per
form suoh offices secretly and faithfully.
Sometimes, indeed, we would sit near
together,-on opposite sides of an aisle,
for instance-so that we could deliver
our missiyes directly to each other.
This practice of writing notes was of
course strongly condemned and strictly
forbidden by our teacher; and as Fanny
and / were especial and frequent often
ders in this particular, he managed to
glance toward us many times in the
course of day. We were generally
successful, however, in elluding his
watchfulness, and managed TO exchange
great numbers of small bits of paper,
on which messages were scribbled.
- But one day our hour of grief came
or at least so I thought for the time
being. Fanny had handed me several
notes, to which. for some reason, had
neglected replying. And soon came
another, neatly folded, which she
reached over to me with considerable
exertion. Accompanying it was a lead
pencil, though for what purpose could
not imagine. / was just reaching over
70 receive it from her hand, when a
loud, 81 ern voice paralyzed US both TO
an instant.
There Miss Burns! / have caught
you at it at last -
Fanny's bright eyes dilated with
fright. 1 shrank back in my seat, leav-
ing the note still III her hand
You will please step forward, Miss
Burns, and bring that note with YOU"
Fanny obeyed with subdued air,
though not without first turning up her
nose furtively. I trembled with appre-
hension, more for her sake than my
0wn.
"Stand up there on the stage" said
Mr.. Charlton, sternly. He took the
note from her.
"I have often spoken of this despi-
cable practice of writing notes." he
said, turning so as to view Fanny and
the whole school simultaneously,-"o of
its wrongfulness and bad influence. L
have given warning repeatedly that it
must not be done, and have threatened
to visit with severe punishment the first
offense of the kind coming within my
knowledge. The silly and baneful
love-trash with which they are filled
should never pass between young
people. In fact persons of your ages
should never say to each other by word
or letter, what you would not be will
ing the whole world should hear.
cannot say / am surprised. Miss Burns,
but / am deeply grieved that you
should disobey me in this instance, as
you doubtless have in many others. 1t
becomes nv duty to make an example
of you, which shall do by n,Ortifying
you. presume you would dislike ex-
ceedinRly to have me read this note
aloud to the school"
Fanny started violently, and seemed
about TO speak, but checked herself
AIR. Charlton paused, but she was ST.
lent. /, who was watching intently,
noticed curious expression on her
face.
Is there anything written in this
noto that you would be ashamed to
have the pupils hear?"
"No, sir" she faltered.
"I presume not ~ said Mr.. Charlton,
snrcastically.
Was it possible, thought l, that
Fanny's apparent difficulty in speaking
was caused by suppressed merriment ?
Her fnce certainly indicated it, for
while she bit her lips her shoulders
moved convulsively, there was an I'M
mistakable sparkle in her black, dan
cling eyes 1 watched the proceedings
With intense interest.
"I shall read it aloud" said Mr..
Charlton, relentlessly, and evidently
somewhat excited with the prospect of
making such an impression as he ex-
pected to, and / hope it will prove n
lasting lesson to YOU.
He unfolded the paper with pomp-
Gus air and held it before his face.
The attention of the pupils was al
most breathless, and the hush of ex-
pectation was profound.
But instead of reading the note, Mr..
Charlton looked at it with an expression
of utter astonishment. Perplexitv,
dismay and anger fitted by turns across
his face, which was finally overspread
by violet red flush. He turned to
Fanny furiously.
"Was this done on purpose to entrap
me, Miss Burns?"
"No, sir"
The astonishment of all knew no
bounds now. The scene was inexplica-
BILE to all except the two chief actors
in it.
What does this blank piece Of
paper mean %
An audible litter suddenly arose, like
the first pattering of summer shower
The true state of the case began to
dawn upon our minds.
Fanny was using all her energies IN
endeavorlng to retain a sober and re-
spectful air toward her ouestioner.
''He didn't answer nv note" she
said, land SO 1 was going to hand him
that piece of paper and pencil to-to |
-as-a-sort of hint -
The litter now swelled into IA roar,
and in an instant every boy and girl
in the school-room laughed uncontroll-
ably. Fanny buried her face in her