The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-04-15
TaE LITTLE sCHooLMA,AM.

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"Speakin' of the rural regions said
IN old chap at tho end of o bar, who
had trouble In raising q glass of beer to
his mouth with his right arm, II might
be indooced to relate leetle adventure
which happened to me in Injiany."
de was earnestly advised to free his
conscience OF its burdens, and he con-
tinued:
well, I had been hangin' around In.
dianapolis for several weeks, and finally
the police Judge advised me to leave
town, never argy with 8 police judge.
advice accept it and git. Il left the
town inside of two hours, and it didn't
take me over three hours to reach q
milc-post, ten miles away. About 4
o'clock in the afternoon, as Iwas restin'
beside the highway, schoolma'am
passed. She was, q clipper leetle body,
weighin' about ninety pounds, and
white-facod, and whom sort O. riz up
to ak her If she didn't have bite to eat
in her basket she uttered womanish
yelp and started off on q doad run.
didn't hev my swaller-tail coat and
standin' collar on that day, and guess
she took mo fur tramp.
Nov, gents, whom felcr is ragged
hungry, and out O. rhino, what does he
do? He makes Il break, IN course.
walks along fur about mile, and when
l comes to u farmhouse with look of
comfort about it l stops in and asks if q
poor man who has lost his hull family
in tho great Chicago fire can git bite
to eat, to brace him up rs he Journeys
toward tho settin' sun. The motherly
old soul Of n farmers wife would hev set
out square meal for me, but that leetle
schoolma'am was there to prevent. I
heard 'em whisperin' together in the
next room, and by and by the old lady
came back and give me the bounce. 4
tramp as has belonged to tho purfesh fur
fifteen years hadn't ortcr fire up over
sich trifle as that, but IL hit me like
blow below the belt, and determined
Oh revenge.
IL went into the orchard and stole
some apples, and then laid around to
watch. found out aforo dark that tho
farmer was an old man, and that there
was only three of 'em in tho house.
Long 'nuf fore the lights were out I
had arranged with myself to break in.
There was chance of plunder, and
attended to scare that leetle schoolma am
out of years growth. don't say as I
would hev laid hands or her, but that
very thing might hev happened, you
know.
"Well, about half an hour after mid.
night begins operations by creepin'
up to the back door 1t was shut. but
not locked, and l crcpt in, struck a
light, and found my way to tho pantry.
There was cold meat, pumpkin pie, and
bread and butter, and it took me n good
half al hour to fill up. I might hev
got out then, but l wanted somethin'
else. Thoro was nobody sleepin' down.
stairs. and after pocketin' watch
crept upstairs into the old folks bed
room. They was sleepin' as sound as
you please, and the moon shinin' in
furnished all the light needed. I went
through a bureau and got wallet, and
was searchln' the old mans pants,
when hoard a step at the door an n
voice cried out: Surrender or III shoot!'
ut was that leetle schoolmaa am. She
stood in the door in her night-dress, a
revolver pointed full at me, and could
se:Sher eyes blaze. made rush to
seize her, when crack! crack! went the
revolver, and one bullet strdck mo in
the right shoulder and another in the
side. went down rs if shot through
tho head, and up jumps tho 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 over me while the old man
went Of for an officer, and every time
fetched a groan she had that revolver
ready to shoot.
I'm conclusion, gents, permit mo to
remark that the court give mo five
years for that little affair, while the
,plucky lcetle schoolma'am received n
pubic purse of 5000 Sometimes ryo
felt as If it was my dooty to hunt her
up and marry her. ."-NcW York san.