Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-03-18
THE LITTLE SCHOOLMA'AM.
A STORY OF PLUCK AND ADVENTURE.


'Speakin' of the rural re2ions,' said
an old chap at the end Of Il bar. wht
had trouble in raising a glass of beer Il
his mouth with his right arm, Il nigh
be indooced TO relate a little adventure
which happened to me IN Iujiany last
summer
We'll, | had been hangin' arount
Indianapolis for several weeks, and
finally the Police Judge advised me tt
leave town. rnever argy with Po.
lice Judge. When they come right
down to fatherly advice l accept it and
git. l left the town inside of two
hours, and it didn't take me over three
hours to reach mile post ten miles
away. About O'Clock in the after
noon, as was restin' beside the high.
way, a schoolma'am passed. She was
clipper leetle body, weighn' about
ninety pounds, and white-faced, and
"hCH quiz " iiL w W "a lCl IL oliC
didn't have bit to eat in her basket.
she uttered a womanIsh yelp and start
ed off on dead run. l didn't have on
my swaler tail coat and standin cola r
on that day, and | guess she took me
fur tramp.
Now, gents, when teller is ragged.
hungry, and out o. rhino, what does he
do ? He makes break, in course. l
walks about fur about "A mile, and when
comes to farm house with look of
comfort about it | stops in and asks if
poor man who has lost his hull fami-
ly in the great Chicago fire can git a
bite to eat, 10 brace him up as he jonrn-
eys toward the settin' sun. The moth
erly old soul Of a farmers wife would
have set out a square meal fur me-, but
that little schoolma'am was there to
prevent. I heard 'em whiSperin' to,
gether in the next room, and by and by
the old lady came back and give me the
bounce. A tramp as has belonged to
the prufesh fur fifteen years hadn It
orter fire up over SIGH a trifle as that,
tit -hit-me- -lilee-a-bI below the
belt, and determined on revenge.
Il went into the orchard and stole
some apples, and then laid around to
watch. l found out afole dark that
the farmer was an old man, and that
there was only three Of 'em in the
house. Long huff fore the lights
were out had arranged with myself
to break in. There was a chance of
plunder, and I intended to scare that
little schoolma'am out of year s
growth. / don't say as would hev
laid hands on her, but that very thing
might have happened, you know.
Well, about half an hour afOre mid
night begins operations by creepin ,
up to the back door. 1t was shut, but
not locked, and | crept in, struck a
light, and fou:d my way to the pantry.
There was cold meat, pumpkin pie and
bread and butter, aud it took me a
good half hour to fill up. l might hev
gone out then, but | wanted suthin'
else. There was nobody sleepin down
stairs, and after pocketin' watch l
crept up stairs into the old folks bed
room. They was sleepin' as sound as
you please, and the moon shlnin' in
furnished all the light needed. went
through bureau and got wallet, and
was searchin' the old mans pants,
when heard step at the door and a
voice cried out : Surrender or I'll
shoot y
1T was ibat leetle schoolma'am. She
stood in the door in her night dress, a
revolver pointed full at me, and | could
see her eyes blaze. l made rush TO
seize her, when crack crack y went
the revolver, and one bullet struck me
in the right sholder and another in tie
side. | went down as if shot through
the head, and up jumps the old man
and piles on to me like ton of brick.
The little schoolma'am went down
stairs after rope, and then helped tie
me hand and foot. More'n that, she
kept guard Uver me while the old man
rode off for an officer, and every time
] fetched a groan she had that revolver
ready to shoot.
In conclusion, gents, permit me to
remark that the Court give me five
years fur that little aft lir, while the
pluckY leetle schOClma'am received a
public purse of 5000 Sometimes I've
felt as if it was my dooty to hunt her
up and marry her.
IL