Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-01-26
THE MAN WITH A BACK BEARD.

We were all assembled I'm the little
school-roOm, girls on one side. boys on
the other. and Miss Linda in the mid
die. beside mahogany desk, piled with
spelling. books, and graced by a pol
ished ruler. which never. within the
memory Of the oldest scholar, had been
used for any more unpleasant purpose
than TO rule copies with, for Miss Lin
da's sway was gentle one. rs anyone
who looked at her fair face might well
have imagined Even our habit Of
calling her Miss Linda was proof Of
this; any other teacher would have
been addressed by her surname, but
we never thought of ours as Miss Har-
ringtOn. To this day cannot guess
her age; she was certainly young, but
her features had n lovely peculiarity
OF their own, which made IL impOssi-
BILE TO say how young she was. In her
mirthful moments she looked like a
merry child; In her sadder ones she
was quite n woman: but I'm any mood
she was as beautiful as perfect feat
ures, ivory skin. n wealth Of golden
hair, and great. long-fringed black eyes
and well-arched eyebrows could make
her.
She was i'm her merry mood this
morning. and there were dimples i'm
her rosy cheeks, and those black eyes
outrivalled the brightest diamonds that
ever glistened amid the tresses Of n
princess. The stupid scholar Of the
school (there Is always n stupid schol-
ar In the school. and he Is invariably n
boy) was stumbling through his SMELL
inglesson, and falling fat over the I'm.
surmOuntable word physician" He
had spelt IL "flzzishion," "fusition," and
was at present mute with despair, and,
oblivious to the p. omptings of sym.
pathizing little girl behind the teach
er's chair, was preparing to cover his
eyes with his coat tsleeve and bemoan
himself. when the whole school was
startled by the sudden finging open of
the door. and the entrance Of little
Lucy Darwin. the smallest of the
small children under Miss Linda's care,
In state Of violent agitation.
ooh. the man, the manP sobbed Lu-
cy. THE great tall man with the
black beardi He's frightened me out
Of my senses"
"What man. Lucy?" said Miss Lin
da. compassonately. "How did he
frighten you, my dear9'
"He came close behind me, and said,
Never, never. neverr" answered the
child; "and he put his hands TO his
forehead. and then he went away out
OF sight down by the river. Oh. I'm
50 frightened, so frightened. Miss Lin
da. you cant thinkr
'lt was only some poor crazy man,
my DEAR" said Miss Linda. "You are
safe now, Mt all events: wipe away
your tears. and tell me all about ftp"
81 was coming along the green lane
toward the school. Miss Linda, hurry
ing very fast for fear / would be late.
when | met our new minister, who
stopped and shook hands with me. aad
asked how you were. and said he
would look I'm at the school and hear
us sing this afternoon; and while was
answering him this tall man with the
black beard passed us twice, and then
stopped beside the water. And when
the minister turned away he looked
after him. and then walked very quick
ly toward school, and then turned back
again. and then clasped his hands and
said Never. never. neverF out loud.
and frightened me so that cried. and
ran here ~ fast as / could"
This horrible narration affected all
the smaller children as q ghost story
would have done; and Miss Linda, af-
ter looking around at these frightened
faces. laughed merrily, and, expressing
her decided conviction that the gentle
man with the black beard had escaped
from the lunatic asylum. called the
school TO order. and proceeded in the
usual routine Of duties. rs though moth
ing particular had occurred.
Early In the afternoon "our minis
ter did call. lie had n habit Of visit
ing the school. and " appeared TO me
that the teacher was much more inter-
esting than her scholars. At all events.
II was certain that he looked at her
much Oftener than he did at us. and
was very particular about shaking
hands when he took his leave. He
was young and very handsome man,
and rumor said he was exceedingly In
love with our Miss Linda.
p He fingered in that little school-houss
a long while on that bright afternoon.
but he went at last. and then the chill.
dren were dismissed, and the little
building closed for the night. Nv wav
was the sane as Miss Lindas and /
trotted along beside her, holding tight
y 70 her simple muslin dress. and chat
ung All the way. We came before
long 70 the pretty cottage where onT
scnoolmistress boarded. The woman
OF the house-a talkatiye New Enc.
lander-sat with her knitting nnon
tne porch. She greeted Miss Linda
with smile and began 10 emptv bs,
budget Of small-talk and news forth. IN,
"Did your ears burn to-dav,. an,
said. They ought TO. for you've beer
talked about enough. A stranger wa,
nere-a foreign looking man with I
long black beard; and he asked NJ,
about the place and people in it AM
Appeared TO be much interested ahoui
tne school, and asked the name Of II,