The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-06-16

crimsoned with bushes of real shame. He
was too utterly confused and nonplussed for
| the moment to offer resistance, even had he
felt the inclination, as Zelma bravely pos
sessed herself Of his rifle and pistol.
"Now, sir, march to the school-house at
once" was the military order which the
little schoolmstress gave to the "holy-
terror Of Coyote prairie.
Bill started to obey, but suddenly halted,
confronting her with changed countenance.
An expression of intense resentment flashed
into his eyes as he said:
sim not young one to be ruled over by a
flip OF Yankee GIRL I'll give you to under
stand," and he Strengthened himself up like
q young giant "Give me back my weapons ~
and he took hasty step towards her.
There was little click of the pistol in
Zelma's hand, and he paused.
"Thunder you'd as lief shoot fellow as
not, believe" he exclaimed; and he could
not help gazing, with some degree of ad-
miration, at the spirited little teacher who
stood imperially before the huge truant,
leveling his own revolver at him.
"You will not find it very safe to menace
mo. ! intend to be obeyed, and without
further trifing too. Do you surrender,
William Warren!" demanded tho plucky
girl
The angry, sullen look gradually faded
from his face, and for answer ho turned
and walked toward the school-housc, keep
ing close by Zelma's side.
No word was necessary to prove that the
encounter had resulted for him in Water
loo; he was vanquished. Had 1t been feast
BILE, Ielma might have banished him to st.
Helena for all the resistance that Bill would
have made.
The incredulous stares of the scholars
with which they favored Zelms as she
marched in with her captive can be more
easily imagined than described.
She talked to him earnestly on the sin of
disobedience, but she did not lecture him
long before the whole school. He humbly
stood with dropped head and listened to
Zelma's words, then, when she had finished,
the crushed, would-be outlaw took his seat
and displayed assiduous attention'to his
books for the remainder of the day.
That evening she dismissed them all ex-
cept Bill, whom she desired to remain.
Little Lola Warren hurried home with
wild eyes to tell the news at home.
"You ought to saw Bill" she said ex-
citedly to her parents "Why, he looked
just as scared as could be when Miss Zelma
walked him in. And she's kept him in, and
she's got his rifle and pistol by her desk,
and just expect she'll nigh about wear Bill
.sGod grant that sbe NAV reforr, m, ,voy
ward bovU sighed Mrs Warren And NJ
Warren echoed tho nraverfnI hnno '
As Zclmn sat hv the conono .oJ utorror,
that evening, she implored him to consider
his PARENTS whose heads were bowed in
trouble over his wild ways; she appe called to
| his sense of honor, she urged him kindly to
think and develop the better nature and
manhood that she knew was in him.
When she ceased spea,inr to him. tears
stood in her lovely dark ewes. and. conld II
be possiblel-yes there were tears. also. in
| the deep, blue ewes of Bill Warren. Zelma
had moved him as he had never been moved
before.
"I've been an ugly. big brute, Miss Zelma
and beg YOUR pardon, - he stammered talk,
ing the hand which she offered him ns n
sign that peace was restored between them
.'You ought to shoot me down like prai-
rie dog for the mean way I've acted, No
body ever talked to m as if there was any
thing but meanness in me- But you Miss
Zelma, make me see my ugly rough self in
such light that want to make a change. y
"And you can make a change for the bet
ter, Will, if you will try. True, perseyering
earnestness never yet failed, if it was on the
side of right" she replied.
"Ill begin at once to try. I'm resolved to
make man of myself or I'll ride over to
the Indian camp and pay some Arrapahoe
brave to scalp me-" he responded, and then
they parted for the night
Bill was faithful to his word. He did try
to become man, and the propress bo made
furnished Coyote Prairie with possin enongh
to last it a lifetime In school he annlied
himself diligently to his studies, and his
naturally good mind readily grasped the
most knotty subjects. No one was so tire
less as he in assisting Zelma to make the
school house comfortable for winter. while
his gentlemanly department was the wonder
of his schoolmates. But Bill Warren came
OF fine family; he possessed the elements
Of noble manhood, but had never developed
them; hence, his reformation was the more
rapid, the more noticeable.
II jes believe you-uns air witch, Miss
Zelmy," Mrs Hadley said to her, one wet
evening that Zelma had come home with
the children from school, ''Nothin' short of
right big hunk o. witchcraft would tuck
the ALFRED stiffenin' outen thet wild Bill
warren as you-uns hev done."
Ihen JACOB laughed heartily, saying:
TIT clean beats me outen my socks, ter
see how ye, small Yankee gal from back
East, hev the full rulin' o. thet holy terror
o. Coyote Purary as ye hev. why, he
skeered every man teacher plumb outen the
country who tried the school fore you-uns.
But, great Scott, you-uns hev grit. Miss
lelmy, an must take after thet ole codger
OF relation o. you'n, thet yer pap tole
erpout hghtln' some'eres on them big lakes
near whar you folks used ter live. Iplumb
Dneve IL, sure ana the old frontiersman
rru Dnd ~ "a "A Aent ntNn,. slzf.