Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-12-30
CAPTURING A WIFE.

letter to chum in his city home.
mo doubt (he wrote) you imagine |
am dwelling in q sort of rural Arcadia,
and just as far as physical nature goes,
| am, for there can be nothing more
green than the hills, nothing more clear,
cool or limpid, or musical than the
brooks that everywhere ribbon the val
leys. Paradise itself could not produce
more life-giying breezes, and yet my life
is a burden, because the girls land they
are greatly the majority of my pupils
are such wide-awake, mischiel-loying,
tormenting beauties as We're never before
gwen to one person to manage. They
will have their own way, and completely
demoralize the school they tease, coax
and WheedIe me out OF my most import
ant rules, and when endurance ceases
10 be Il virtue, cast upon me such re-
proachful glances and put up such pout-
ing, pretty lips, that fellow is tempted
to seize his hat and vamose the ranch,
AS they say West But in spite Of my
complaints, don't imagineme subjucated.
/ have at last issued positive commands
for the students not to range oil during
study hours, MS has been the practice.
A sort of Gypsy eucampmentis located
near an isolated nook among the hills
and of course the pretty heads of my
female scholars are completely turned
and have not only laid down the law
against visiting the camp, but fixed
penalty thereto.
Now | know you will raise your hands
in holy horror when tell you that after
exhausting every other form of punish
ment, from the Ounce cap 10 writing
lengthy compositions (the bitter abhor-
renee of every feminine heart y and all
to no purpose, | have in this instance,
resorted to the old-iashiOned one, the
ferrule. And so hei p me fate, | Will
carry il out 20 the bitter end, and make
every little hand smart whose owner dis
obeys, or my name is not Paul Cheney"
The school house where our hero pre-
sided was situated some distance from
the village where he boarded and the
walk, though pleasant, was lonely and
passing graveyard And of late weird
tales had been told of ghosts who walk
there 10y moonlight, and in one or two
instances when the school-master had
been beated he had observed an OBJ
ject clothed in white Hit at a distance
before him, and IN his very path. Thougl
a trihe startled, he had no doubt that it
was Il riddle that time would unravel
Therefore, upon the night when he had
remained writing to the city friend, rs
he hurried homeward to- be i'll time tor
supper, he gave the matter no thought.
and had reached the boundary of the
graveyard when he was confronted by
the while-robbed apparation, approach
ing him with extended arms.
The suggestions natural to its appear
ance were the reverse of pleasant, yet
he never dreamed the GLAZING visitant
was other than earthly, and qulckened
his pace to meet 1T, but to hls astonlsh-
ment it disappeared us quickly and en-
tirely, rs if swallowed by the earth. Not
little startled and puzzled, he FASTENED
home. but kept his own counsel,
The next morning he proceeded to
school more early than usual and spent
some time in accommodating the walk OF
the ghost, and evidently to his satistac.
.ion. for the broad smile that Illuminated
his face Ms he entered the school-room
appeared TO assure the pupils that then
teacher Was in the best humor, and they
would accordingly receive many indu,
cences.
At recess n number OF pretty heads
were in close consultation, and sue Sal
mon, black-eyed beauty SAID with
pout: =,
Wasn't it mean for Mr.. Cheney to
threaten TO whip any one who went up
10 the c ypsy encampmentp Just as II
he dared To do it,
81 would ike to see him ierrule my
hand" chimed in May Ellis.
"Or mine, eitherw exclaimed Kitty
Dalton. whats the use of beng such
cowardly ninnies, girls? Let's 20 IN spite
of him."
81 will pay for any girl who will go
with me to-day to have her fortune told
laughed Sue salmon, merrily-
"Will YOU? Then we will all so, even
if FIVE have to submit to the punishment,
answered May
1t was decided to run the risk, and ac-
cordingly when school closed at noon
they marched off bodily TO learn the
mystery of the future.
1T must be half past one O'Clock at
least" exclaimed one of the number, as
they were Fastening back from Their
visit to the Gypsy camp, half repent
ant and anxious to know what would De
the result OF their breaking the law.
81 wish we hadn't gone sighed Kitty
ruefully. 1T WAS all your fault, Sue.
Il know il, returned the young lady
with merry laugh, and am ready
not only to take my share OF punishment,
but yours ~ wsl,-