The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-08-08
lie BROKE Up TILL, SCHOOL.

/
little team passed by u little whit,
house standing endwisc to the road
enclosed III II rather diIapi,lated fence
"ies, that's where you hold forth, =
remarked Uncle " Ike Woodbmn, "but
I'm Altered you won't hold out Ion.
fur we've got the toughest set of boy.
IN the state" and Uncle Zcke gave q
Kind OF n cacklins little laugh, as Ii,
thought OF the timid, demurc littl,
;:nmscl at his side controlling til.
boys OF Bear Creek school.
But don't thcdirectors cxpel then
when they are beyond the control q
theteacher?" asked Alice, herheurt be-
ginning to sink at the prospect bcfor.
her.
"Expcl EN-! no, we never cxpel no
body; ii teacher cant boss th,
school we just let it boss him; it ain't
our fight; am tho school here gencr
ally bosses the teacher, and thar's
been some pretty good men licked in
that school house by the boys"
81 did not know the school was SC
nnruly," s;,ia poor Alice, wi~hin.
heartily that she had hired ont as {;
washer woman instead ot irwin.
to teach the siva.rs of Brar,ierk
"Oh. well, mebbe it wont be so bad
this winter; tl,ar's Jim Turner, he's
one OF the tou chest OF EN-; he'll be 2l
in II month, and you'll get rid OF him
but thars the Brindiey boys, THEY'RE
mighty nigh as bad"
Poor Alice listened with n sinking
heart. The cold, hard duties before
her were dreary enough at best; but tn
90 alone and unknown into IL strange
ncighbor!oo'l to teach her first school,
ana 10 be met at tie outset hy surll
dark propheSieS, made her ir home.
less indeed. She WIS naturally II limi,l
shrinking little thing, and if she had
possessed anywhere on he whopbroa,7
earth q roof to shelter her, she would
haveturned back from Bear Creek cve,
then. But she ind no home. Hrl
mother had died wien she was but
fourteen, and she had kent house fol
her father two years, when he died,
leaving her all alone. Before he died
he advised her to expcnd the little
sum he would he able TO give her in
lifting herself for IL teacher. and Alice
had fulfilled his directions so literally
that when she had completed her
course OF study at the normal school
she had hardly $40 left. and when she
pai'l Uncle Zeke tor hauling her little
trunk from the nearest railroad town
to the district where she was oteach.
size had but 81 LETT.
On Monday morning as she started
for the school house she felt as ii she
was going to the scalfo'd. Her course
OF pedacosies in the normal institute
had included no such Il problem as
this school promised to be, aud ii il
were not for very shame she would
have gwen her single 50 for anyone o
take her back to the railroad and pay
her iare to L., the town where She had
attended school. When she arrived
ut the school house about twenty or
thirty pupils were grouped around
talking, but IL spell OF silence fell upon
them as she walked up and santc'i
them with ~ good morning" whiE
was more like the chirp OF irislltcn-
ed bird than anythin. else. AS she
unlocked the door and entered what
she had already began to regard aS II
chamber OF torture. two oi these slow.
ly followed her into the room, and de-
posting their books upon the whit
tied desk, took seats and fixed their
eyes upon her with Il stare that did
not help to strengthen her nerves.
All the rules and regulations oi her
"Theory and Practir oi Oprnlnv
Schools upon the First Fay" seemed
to vanish and leave her head whlriin.
in dizzy hel ples>reSs. She tried TO
think OF some cheerful remark, but
her brain refused to form the thought
and her tongue Glove to the roof of
her mouth. She could see in the face
OF the punils, most OF whom were now
i'll the school room TINT they we've
aware OF her fright. and enjoyed it
thoroughly. BY IL strong effort she
partially recovered herself, aud brave
" resisted the temptation to lean her
hcil'i on the desk and have IL good cry.
She felt that she must do something
or falnt, so she rang the bell, though
it lacked fifteen minutes 10 nine. She
began taking down the names oi her
pupils, ana by the time This was COM
pleted she began to !cel more at
ease. She then began examining.
the pupils in the different
branches in order to assign them to
their proper classes. She had finished
the examination in all the branches
except the advanced reading class,
which WAS principally composed OF
grown girls and young men. anon.
which WAS the terrible Jim Turner, OF
whom size had been warned.
Several OF the members O! the class
had read. and it was now thr turn oi
Moses Bradley, a huge heavy set irl
low with small. malicious eyes, and a
general air OF 1uiiunism. When he
was called upon to read lie did not
rise from his seat, but began TO read
in II thick, indis,inct voice f.om u
book hidden in his lap.
"Mr. Bradley will you please stand
up when you read" asked Alice.
81 can read just as well sit in down."
replied the fellow. wi,hn logged mir.
But it is one OF the rules OF IL read.
Ahs was" W olaiht up W FS'tu, Shl'l
Alice, her heart quakins with lear as
she forcsaw the mcipient rebellion.
81 reckon you'll have TO make d
rule for me, them" impudcntly an
swered Nose, glancing sideways ut his
companions with Il grin OF triumph
III you do not obey me ! shall be
obliged to punish you," said Alice,
bravely, though she could scarcely
stand.
II guess all the punishment you
could do woudn't break amy OF my
bones" replied the rui.ian, letrins ut
her impu1ently.
But | can break your bones foryol
i'll half u minute, and I'll do it ii you
don't stand up and read as the teach.
er asked you to do" said !, voice at
the other end Of the clasr, and Alice
looked in that direction and saw Jim
Turner step from the class and face
the astonished Nose.
Moses insoient manner abated in
an instant, his face turned pale. and
he p,ttered something about not be.