The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-08-27

olnn6lng q one side a ~ vallsy viii
Il the edge o. the wood. The interior
Of The building presents : scene COM
mon 70 every country school-house. A
shattered window pane 4 pasted ovr
with . leaf from m old copy-book.
The noor h dusty and Uttered with
scraps Of paper. There are TWO long
desk with benches along them for schoI-
ars 70 sit on while writing. The great
0ld-fashi0nod box-stOve II not used
during the summer. but II left appar-
emily 70 mark out the center Of the
room. Bare feet are grating over the
floor. and bare toes slyly kicking shins.
In the old arm chair sits the mysteri-
Gus school-master while . class Of
young urchins are ranged In line
The low murmer Of tho pupils voices.
coming over their lessons. may be
heard on this drowsy summers day.
like the hum Of a beehive; interrupted
now and then by the authoritative
voice Of the master, In a tone Of COM
mand- The mysterious school-master
was . firm Is . military officer and
never spoiled the child by sparing the
rod. He was not one Of those cruel
pedagogues who delight in the infic-
lion u punishment The weak falter-
ing urchin who shrank under the birch
he passed by, to lay II with double
force upon the incorrigible and unpen-
itent- Il was noticeable fact that for
day or two after his visits TO Mocks-
Vile or one Of the other towns where
the school-master imbibed too much
brandy, he was more irritabls than
usual. Usually he laid aside the dig
nifty Of school-master at recess and,
Notwithstanding his silvered locks.
Joined the boys on the play ground.
making one Of their number. But
being more morose than usual he sat
alone at his desk when the hour Of
noon came. and burying his face in his
hands. refused to move during the en-
| tire hour given to recreation. When
the time came to resume school duties
| the master seemed TO brighten up.
and rang the bell bringing in the
boys and ranging them in seats. But
few moments later he sank back in
his chair and buried his face in his
hands a. r. he were in confusion and
doubt or had sunk into an apathetic
state. Suddenly he started, assumed
. military position. much to the aston
ishment of his pupils, and saluting,
| shouted:
''Hirc Ia republique! Hire rEm-
pereur"
A moment later he stood proud and
commanding As il he were At the head
Of division and the Emperor was in
front Of him, and then as the shadowy
visions his memory and imagination
had conjured up faded away. leaving
only . score Of astonished boys, he
realized how ridiculous his position
and sat down.
The school-master got through thu
day. but the children had strange tale,
Of what they had seen. and Il only
added one more to the general mys
teries about the school-master.
- He 10 more than he seems sale
Mr.. Houston to his wife. = He ma,
be-" be stopped short; whatever b.
was about to say he checked himself
in it not because he had any thing b
wished to conceal but because he has
nothing to say. What connection has
this country school-master with tn
portraits Of those two distinguished
men! Il was : riddle he could no
solve even to his own satisfaction.
i A few months later the school
master went to the village where b
ssgot on . spree, and again was hi
tongue let loose. Mr.. Houston knew
nothing about il until few days late
when one Of the villagers came TO hin
and informed him that in . boastfu
mood, while intoxicated, the school
master had declared be was Marsha
Ney, Napoleon Bonaparte's celebrates
officer.
Marshal Ney," cried Mr.. Houston
in astonishment. 1.-THE man wa
drunk. He can not be Marshal New
Marshal Ney was killed in Paris on III
7th Of December. 1875" Then to con
vince his neighbor Of the fact he too
from shelf An old history Of Franc
in which he read the details in ful
} Of the execution Of the great Marshal
There was mystery about the schoo
} master and the "a mot d engine was nc
| in their reach.
For eight years the mysteriou
: schoolmaster had lived in close intel
course with the people Of Mocksville
Newspapers came 20 the neighbor
hood which Peter hey read with avid
ity. Peter had great scar upon b
forehead over which he kept his iror
gray locks combcd. The good peopl
. began searching the history Of the d
funct Marshal Of Napoleon. and to the
surprise found he had . Similar seal
the effect Of saber cut His feet an
legs bore the same scars Of wound
that did the Marshafs; many now bold
asserted that this mysterious man wa
none other than the materialized spir
OF the Marshal come back among ther
to engage in school teaching. The a<
cession Of Louis Philippe 10 the thron
Of France in 1880. was iirst discoverc
in the papers BY the mysterious school
master. His conduct was 50 strang
Is to brighten and astound even his int
: mate friend, Mr.. Houston. He gave wa
. alternately TO paroxysms Of rage an
grief. AZ one moment he was swcal
ing and raging Ike mad man. an
the next be was weeping like . chile
Mr.. Houston did every thing he coul
to console the poor school-master, an
J after time he partially succeeded.
. week passed and the school-master va
= ~k.ox~nI vxnas. H. k.I r~~r-x vvn>s