The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-12-07

tcrs at the windows, bailt roaring
fire, and gave tull vent to their JOY u
having ''come up" with Miss Pike. Re
fusing entrance to all, they waited the
arrival Of Miss Betsey in fever Of ex
citement.
"Well show the old lady who's run
ming this scht,l," said Tom Lee, glee
fully.
"Won't 1t bo fun to hear her rave out.
side?" cried Hadley Bunker.
Now don't weaken q bit when she
comes," said Fred Hooper. eve jus,
want to give her to understand that
there's been new leaf turned over an
we intend to manage this school,"
"That's so, Fred" acquiesced Jed
Bunker; it's time she was learning that
we're not afraid of her."
The other pupils now began to arrive
and to clamor for admission, which was
jeeringly refused thea, and the arrival
of Miss Betsey was momentarily ex-
pected. Tom Lee was drawing a hid
eous caricature of her on the blackboard
by the light of a candle held in one
hand, for the closed solid wooden shut
| ters at the four small windows made the
room as dark as night. A closet where
the teacher hung up her wraps, and
where the broom, the chalk and other
school articles were kept, was in one
corner of the room.
Lets see what she keeps in here"
cried Jed Bunker. "Wouldn't BE sur
prised if--o-o-o-hw
He gave wild roar of amazement and
pain as he fell fat on the floor, and Miss
Betsey strobe out over him and said, in
o stern voice:
"I'm going to whip every boy in this
room. We will see who's running this
SCHOOL,"
She rushed to window, threw open
the shutters to give her light, and then,
armed with long and keen rawhide,
she made dreadful onslaught on the
amazed boys. Cowards at heart, their
feeble courage vanished at the sight Of
the downfall of their leader, Jed Bun
ker, and they fled wildly before the pur-
suing Miss Betsey.
Fred Hooper, who had cautioned the
others not to "weaken." flew to corner,
crying out: so, Miss Pike! I-I-pIease,
Miss Pike, let me-oh!" for she had
taken him by the collar and was using
the cowhide Justify upon his back while
he struggled to free himself.
Those who were outside listened with
growing wonder to the howls and the
din inside Several climbed up to the
window and peeped in, with dumb as
tonishment-all but little Billy Ketch-
um. He ran about holding his sides, his
red face distorted with grinning Joy.
SHE'S in there!" he proclaimed to those
awaiting him, "Miss Pixies in there, an
if they amt gittin' it! Hear 'em They're
tearin round like mad an her after
'em!''
Fred Hooper had tried to unlock the
door and escape, but Miss Betsey had
caught the key from his hand and
dropped it into her pocket When she
finally unlocked the door and the other
scholars came in, they saw the six reb-
els sitting in a woeful subdued state on a
long bench. Fred Hooper and Gregory
Bunker had their faces hidden in their
hands and were sobbing dismally. Jed
Bunker, sullen but subdued, sat at the
end of the row, with wen-lise bump on
his head, a swollen cheek and a torn
coat.
Miss Betsey stood at her desk striking
her skinny skirts with the rawhide,
and keeping an eye on the six boys,
while the other pupils silently took
their seats. During the day Mr.. Jason
Perry and the other two members of the |
board visited the school. News of the |
trouble had already reached them, and |
they congratulated Miss Betsey on her
victory.
''And now," said Mr.. Perry, uncon-
sciously using the words of Fred Hooper,
you boys and girls want to understand
that's there's been new leaf turned
over in the management of this school,
and the board intends to stand by Miss
Pike; and in order to help her along a
little we have agreed to eXpel for a
month the six boys who tried to bar her
out. They can come back at the end OF
that time, if they will agree to behave
themselves"
That completed Miss Betsey's victory,
and it was the beginning of new era
in the history of the school, which she
taught winter and summer for the next |
three years without serious trouble of
any kind.-J. l.. Harbour, in Youths
",