The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-02-12
CAPTURING A WIFE.

Paul Cheney sat AT his desk in the sChoo
room of IA rural district. where h. haa becl
Teaching 90 use Wcll-N orn udagc) the yOuni
idea how 10 shoot. HIS present task was tina
OF wiring u letter to Chum III his city home
mo doubt (hc wrote you imagine | an
dwelling in Il sort OF rural Arcadia. and JUS
us ii,r ~ physical nature goes, | am, Tor ther
can he nothing more green than the hills
nothing more Gear, cool, limpid or muslca
than the brooks that everywhere ribbon tn,
valleys. Paradise itself could not produce
more iitc.giving breczcs, and yet my life is
burden, because the girls (and they arc greatly
the majority OF my pupls) are such wide
awake, mlschciloying, tormcnting beauties
rs were never before given 10 one person Il
manage, They will have their own way anc
completely denora!zc the school; they tease
coax and whccdlc me out Of my most impur
tant rules, and when endurance ceases to he d
virtue, cast upon me such rcproachiul Chances
and put up such poutlng, pretty lips, that i
fellow is tempted TO seize his hat and vamos,
the rancho, ~ they say west. But in spite OF
Imy complaints, don't imagine me suDjugated
| have at last ISSUED positive commands Di
the students not To range OF during s,udy
hours, ~ has Occn the practice.
! "A sort Ol gypsy encampmcnt is located neal
an isolated Look among tue hills. Among the
tribe Is an old iOrunc,tclicv and of course the
| pretty heals of my female scholars are com
lpItlrIy turned, and have not only LAID down
the law against visiting the camp, but fixed
u penalty thereto.
| Nov | know you will raise your hands in
holy horror when tell you that after exhaust
lnE every o;her form OF punishment, from the
duncc.captO writing lengthy compositions (thc
bitter adherence OF every feminine heart y aud
| all To no purpose, have, IN this instance, re-
sorted 10 the uid-tilshluncd one the ferrue
And 80 help me tate, | will carry it out to the
bitter end, and make every little hand smart
whose owner dlsobcyS, or my name Is not
Paul Cheney
| The school house where our hero presided
was situated some distance from the village
where he boarded, and The walk, though pleas
| ant, WAS Lonely and passed graveyard And
of late weird tales had been told of ghosts who
| walk there by moonlight, and IN one or two
instances, when the sChoOmasCr had been be
| lated he had observed an object clothed IN
white fit at II distance before him, and in hi
very path. Though II tri0c startled, he had
no doubt that it was a riddle that time would
unravc. Therefore, upon the night when he
! had remained writing 10 the city friend, rs he
hurried homcward to be in time for supper
be gave the matter no thought, and had reach
ed the bounday of the graveyard, whcn he was
confronted by the whItc,robed apparition, ap
proaching HIM with extended arms.
The suggestions natural to its appcarauc,
were the reverse OF pleasant yet lie never
dreamed the gliding visitant was other thar
earthly, and quickencd his pace to meet /.
but to his establishment, il disappeared a,
lQuickly and entirely as if swallowed bv tn,
earth. Not Il llttIc startled and puzzled, h,
FASTENED home, but kept his own counsel,
| The next morning he proceeded To thu
school earlier than usual, and spent some tim,
in accommodating the walk OF the ghost, ant
lcvdcntly To his satisfaction, for the broat
smile that illuminated his face ~ he entered
the schooroom appeared to assure the pupils
that their teacher was in the best humOr, ant
they would accordingly receive many indul
genCGS.
At recess number Of pretty heads we're il
Iciosc consultation, and Sue Salmon. "A black
lcycd beauty said with pout:
Wasn't it mean in Mr.. Cheney to threaten
to whip any one who went up 10 the gypS,
lencampmcnt. JUS, rs if he dared to do IT.
!, ~ would like 10 sec HIM furruC my hand
lcMmcd in Mary Ellis.
"Or mine, cllhcrw exclaimed Kitty Dalton
"What's the use Of being such cowardly i'm
MES girls? Lets go IN spite of him."
4 Il will pay for any girl who will go witt
me 10 day to have her fortune told" Laughed
Sue Salmon, mcrrly.
VIII you? Then We Will go, even II W
nave to submit 10 the punishment" answered
May
1t was decided To run the risk, and accord
Iinglv when school closed at noon they march
ed of boldly 10 learn the mystery OF the tu
turc.
1t must be halfpast one o'clock at least
lcxCiaimcd one of their number IA they wcr
. Fastening back from their visit to the gyps
camp, half repentant, and anxious TO know
what would be the result OF their breaking III
Law.
Il wish We hadn't gone" sighed Kitty, rue
fully. 81! was all your fault, Sue"
IL know it," returned the young lady wit
merry laugh; land am ready not only t
take my share of the punishment, but yours a
well"
ITS all very well to talk" said May, "bu
you are sure you will get of with the lghte,
penalty, and that you can do anything 20
please with Paul Cheney
Can /; Well, then I'll shield you fror
lyour disobGdience. So cheer up and be BRAY,
Here We are and school has commenced.
They marched in and took their seats, an
lifted their guilty eyes to encounter the indil
lnantly flashing ones Of their much abuse
teacher OF all the scholars, Sue was tn
lpretties., most lovable and most trying. Sh
laughed his most serious and Just reproof I
lscorn, and when she found he was reall
wounded, her great black eyes would fash II
to HIM through tears and appeal to be forgiven
And somehow his voice always tuncd itsc
lower when he addressed her. and IN spite
himself she managed Ia throw upon him III
solving of all of her most difficult problem
IShe would come to HIM with such m prptt
lpleading pout with, my head aches So" an
lprotest she couldn't do her algebra unassistec
l"Migbt not be excused from writing tn
ldreadful compostiOn for last this ono