Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-08
wnom ! .enr TO carry INV oroers.-

whom sent 10 carry my oroers."
Bills head dropped. His bronzed cheeks
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 rife and pistol.
Now, sir, march to the schoolhouse at
once" was the military order which the
little schoolmistress 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
"rm not a 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 r.
and he took hasty step towards her.
There was little click Of the pistol in
Zelma's hand, and he paused.
Thunder you'd a. lief shoot fellow as
not, believe" be 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
me. 1 intend to be obeyed, and without
further trifing, too. Do you surrender,
William Warreni" demanded the plucky
girl.
The angry, sullen look gradually faded
from his face, and for answer ne turned
and walked toward the school-house, 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 it been feast
bic, Zelma might have 'banished him to st.
Helena for all the resistance tina. Bill would
have made.
The incredulous stares of the scholars
with which they favored Zelma 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 rife and pistol by her desk,
and Just expect she'll nigh about wear Bill
out if be don't mind her."
'tGod grant that she may reform my way
ward boy" sighed Mrs. Warren. And Mr..
Warren echoed the prayerful hope.
AS Zelma sat by the conquered terror"
that evening, she implored him to consider
his parents, whose heads were bowed in
trouble over his wild ways; she appealed 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 speaking to him, tears
stood in her lovely dark eyes, and, could it
be possiblel-yes, there were tears, also, in
the deep, blue eyes of Bill Warren. Zelma
had moved him as he had never been moved
before.
"Tve been an ugly, big brute, Miss Zelnla,
and beg your pardon" he stammered, TAX
ing the hand which she offered him as a
sign that peace was restored between them.
You ought to shoot me down like prai-
RE dog for the mean way I've acted. No
body ever talked to me 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 l want to make change"
"And you can make a change for the bet
ter, VIII, if you will try. True, persevering
earnestness never yet failed, if it was on the
side Of right" she replied.
"I'n begin at once to try. I'm resolved to
make man of myself or Phi 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 progress he made
furnished Coyote Prairie with gossip enough
to last it a lifetime. In school he applied
himself diligently to his studies, and mis-
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 a 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
d IlRut U1S HULK y NIICuCIdAI NOuIO "a luC n
the ALFRED stiffenin' outen tibet wild Bill
Warren as you-uns hev DONE"
Then Jacob laughed heartily, saying:
SIT clean beats me outen my socks, ter
see how We, a small Yankee gal from back
East, hev the full ruin O. tibet 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.
Ppt how Mia
Zemy, an must take after tibet ole codger
of a relation O. you'n, tibet yer pap tole
erbout ightin' some'eres on them big lakes
near whar you folks used ter live. plumb
b'iieve it, sure" and the old frontiersman
gazed at Zelma Archer prideful!y.
One evening as Zelma was walking home,
Bill Warren overlook her. He was riding
his spirited pony and leading beautiful jet
black one on whose back was an elegant
new side-saddle.
"Miss Zelma," he addressed her. 81 am
not up to making presentation speech, as
they do in the East, but you have expressed
a wish to own gentle pony; SO please ac-
cept this one as gift.n
at would not look we'll for me to accept
such a costly present" she replied, never
theless looking admiringly at the black pony
with its proudly-arched neck.
But Bill insisted that his mother had had
the pony ''trigged up for her for Christ
mas gift, and would feel very much hurt II
Zelma refused it. For they knew that Mr..
Archer had nothing but mules to ride, and
Mr.. Warren had a great number OF ponies
at his ranch, and the Wsrrers desired to
crafty . wish Of the young teacher, whom
they esteemed SO highly This being the
case Zelms accepted the beautiful present
with many thanks