Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-01-22
CAPTURING A WIFE.

Paul Cheney sat at his desk in the
schoolroom of rural district, where he
had been teaching Ito use well-worn
adage) the young idea how to shoot,
His present task was that of writing a
letter to a chum in his city home.
"No doubt (he wrote) you imagine
am dwelling in 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 impid, or musical than the brooks
that everywhere ribbon the valleys.
"A sort of gypsy encampment is
located near an isolated nook among
the hills. Among the tribe is an old
fortune-teller, and of course the pretty
heads of my female scholars are COM
Pletely turned, and I have not only laid
down the law against visiting the camp,
but fixed penalty thereto.
"Now I know you will raise YOUR
hands in horror when I tell you that
after e1hausting every other form of
punishment, from the Ounce cap to
writing lengthy compositions (the bitter
adherence of every feminine hearty,
and all to no purpose, have in this in
stance resorted to the old fashioned one,
the ferrule. And 80 help me fate, l will
carry it out to the bitter end, and make
every little hand smart whose owner
d d1ssobsy1 J, or my name is not Paul
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 by moonligh int, and in one or two
instances, when the schoolmaster had
been belated, he had observed an object
clothed in white fit at distance before
him and in his very path. Though q
tride startled. he had no doubt that it
was a riddle that time would unravel.
Therefore, upon the night when he had
remained writing to the city friend, as he
hurried homeward to be in time for SUD.
per, he gave the matter no thought, and
had reached the boundary of the grave.
yard when he was confronted BY the
white robed apparition, approaching
him with extended arms.
The suggestions natural to its appear.
ance were the reverse of pleasant, yet he
never dreamed the gliding visitant was
other than earthly, and quickened his
pace to meet it, but to his astonishment
it disappeared as quickly and entirely,
q If swallowed by the earth. Not q
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 satisfac-
ton, for the broad smile that illumin-
ated his face as he entered the school
room appeared to assure the pupils that
their teacher was in the best humor,
and they would accordingly receive
many indulgences.
At recess number of pretty heads
were in close consultation, and Sue Sal.
mon, black-eyed beauty, said, with q
pout:
"Wadn't it mean of Mr.. Cheney to
threaten to whip any one who went up
TO the gypsy encampmentf Just az if
he dared to do itp'
II would like to see him ferrule nv
hand" chimed May Ellis.
"Or mine. eitherw exclaimed Kitty
Dalton. What's the use of being such
coMardly ninnies, girls7 Let Us 20 in
spite of him. =
( ~ will pay for any girl Who will 20
with me to-day to have her fortune told, p
laughed Sue Salmon, merrily.
VIII your Then we will all 70, even
II we have to submit to the punishment, $
answered May. =
It was decided to run the risk. and nc
oordlngly when school closed ct noon
they marched off bodily to learn the
mystery Of the future.
Il must be half-past one o'clock Il
Least" exclaimed one Of the number. a
they were fastening back from their
N1t 70 the gypsy camp, half repentant
ana anxious 70 know what would be the
result Of their breaking the lav. -
" ! wish We hadn't aone. $ sighad
s lily !. ruefully. !" It,va, ii Your fssit
S ] know Il, returned the younv id
Nth 9 merry laugh !" and { ~ mo-
not only g take my share of punishh.
ppt ogt you1s asWslll. a. az