News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-03-04
THE LITTLE sCHOOLMA'AM.
A Story of Pluck and Adventure.

"speakin' Of tie rural regions" said
an old chap at the end of bar, who
had trouble in - sing glass of beer to
his mouth ~. RI sht arm, 81 might
be indooh j - ieetle adventure
Which = zniiany last
He was earnestly advised to free his
conscience of its burdens, and he con-
tinued:
"Well, I had been hangin' around
indianapolis for several weeks, and
finally the Police Judge advised me to
leave town. ! never argy with Police
Judge. When they come right down
to fatherly advice accept it and git. l
left the town inside of two hours, and
it didn't take me over three hours to
reach q mile post ten miles away.
About o'clock in the afternoon, as I
was restin' beside the highway, q
schoolma'am passed. She was clipper
leetle body, weighin' about ninety
pounds, and white faced, and when /
sort O. riz up to OK her If she didn't have
bit to eat in her basket, she uttered a
Womanish yelp and started off on dead
run. didn't have on my swaller-tail
coat and standin' collar on that day,
and guess she took me fur a tramp
''Now, gents, when feller is ragged,
hungry, and out O. rhino, what does he
do He makes break, In course.
walks, along fur about mile, and when
comes to farm house with look of
comfort about 1t stops in and asks If
poor man who has lost his hull family in
the great Chicago fire can git bite to
eat, to brace him up as he journeys
toward the settin' sun. The motherly
old soul of farmers wife would hev
set out squar' meal fur me, but that
leetle schoolma'am am was there to prevent
l heard 'em whisperin' together 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 purfesh
fur fifteen years hadn't orter fire up over
sich trifle as that, but 1t hit me like
blow below the belt, and determined
on revenge.
81 went into the orchard and stole
some apples, and then laid around to
watch. ! found out afore dark that the
farmer was an old man, and that there
was only three of Aem in the house,
Long 'nuff fore the lights were out
had arranged with myself to break in.
There was chance of plunder, and I
intended to scare that leetlo school
ma'am out Of years growth. I don't
say as l would hev laid hands on her,
but that very thing might hev happened,
you know.
"Well, about half an hour afoTe mid
night begins, oneEations by creepin' up
to the back door. Il wat shut, but not
locked, and crept In, struck light,
and found my way to the pantry.
There was cold meat, pumpkin pie, and
bread and butter, and 1t took me good
half hour to fill up. l might hev gone
out then, but l wanted sunthin' else
There was nobody sleepin' down stairs,
and after pocketin' watch crept up
stairs into the old folks bedroom. They
was sleepin' as sound as you please, and
the moon shinin' 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 voice cried out: 'Surren-
der or I'll shootp'
1t was that leetlo schoolma'am. She
stood in the door in her night dress, a
revolver pointed full at me, and could
sec her eyes blaze / made a rush to
seize her, when crack crackr went
the revolver, and one bullet struck me
in tho right shoulder and another in the
side. went down as if shot through
the head, and up jumps the old man
and piles on to me like a ton of brick.
The little schoolma'am went downstairs
after a rope, and then helped tie me
hand and foot. More'n that, she kept
guard over me while the old man rode
off for an officer, and every time l
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 affair, whilo the plucky
lcetle schoolma'am received public
purse of 5000 Sometimes I've felt as
if it was my dooty to hunt her up and
marry herr