The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-05-31

Il may he easily understood that
when ladies seminary was opened
in the village IL revolution was
broughtaboutin thelittlecommunity.
The students were ola higher grade
in apparel and appearance, in beauty
and display than the residents. The
young neil for the first time in their
lives saw women of cultivation and
Observation-Disclosures. The delicate
figures of tho newcomers. their small
and shapely fest and hands, their
Unframed compilations, their willow
grace, their jewels, their rich colors
in dress, eyes and complexion were
so much in contrast with what all
tie young men had hitherto know
that they became at once infatuated.
Old attachments were ruptured, EN-
gagements broken, and over the
Ence OF manga country girl lines of
sorrow supplantcd the plump
smoothness of other days. In the
once pacific village there was now
incessant fog, cloudincss and storm.
The seminary became n species
of shrine; one that commingled the
nature of n saint and IL sinner-semi-
sensual and semi-sacretl. Each Sab
bath young pilgrims from the neigh.
boring farms thronged into the town,
sunburned, with long hair, cowhi,!e
boots and hats and coats of all pat
terms, and arranged themselves
along the street over which the line
of seminary girls passed on their
way to and from the churches.
Verynaturally there grew up jcal-
ousies, particularly among these
Young men. Some OF them thought
that Others We're more favored than
themselves. For IL long time the
principal of the seminary conducted
his school with all the seclusion of u
convent. There were no social even
ings at the hall; none OF the fair stu
'lents were permitted to appear out
side withoutn duenna, and it was per-
mcnted with all the mystery, security
and charm of II seraglio.
Two or three persons We're allow
ed the entree, and against these
there was very naturally created
dislike on the part of those debarred
from the charmed precincts. One of
thembecame particularly obnoxious.
lie was II lawyer named Smith, who
lived on q patrimony and such ne
cessions as he gained from small
returns from the practice of his pro.
fession. He was u man about 40
years of age, slender almost to
emacintion, with n small, bald
head, sharp pointed nose, and one
eye-the other had been lost-which
was small, and which glittcred with
IN expression ny of contempt ON his
unlucky rivals.
"Rivals" is the proper word.
Mean looking. uncultivated and re-
peliant as he was, he had anopen So
same to the seminary building. He
entered when he pleased, and never
failed, when opportunity offered. to
relate his visits and to exaggerate
his intimacy. Many of the young
fellows who, while not ApolIos in
their faces and figures, were never
the less Vulcans in their muscular
strength, virile as tigers and strong
rs giants, became frantic with rage
and humiliation as they heard
this man detail his visits.
He was one of the deformcd
genii who passed at will into the
paradise OF hours, while they, man.
ly, robust, We're excluded.
Among this class lie became an OBJ
ject of furious hatred and execration.
1t was at this point in the sit,it,-
ton that l came to the village to
spend my vacation, and l soon he
came an active partisan of the boys
who hated them that monopolizel
the entrance to theseminary. Many
n meeting was held ut which the Oh
ject of dislike was mathematical
and schemes of vengeance were de-
vised,
1 was just from IL ncighboring col
lege in which it was the custom to
burn ON the campus certain text
books whose study had been finished,
and it occurred to me that some
thing Of the sanekind might lie APP
piled to the obnoxious lawyer. l
outlined IL scheme to the effect.
that on n certain evening at Il speci-
fed hour we should assemble in the
principal street, bring an ettigy of
our enemy. which We should first
hang and then consume it in n bon
fire. The plan was adopted by the