The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-03

1t was a shabby, unpainted and unin-
viting little wooden house, built mostly
by the farmers whose small and unat-
tractive homes dotted the prairie for
miles around it.
We had but four months school each
gear. beginning usually the first of No
vember, SO that the entire session was
held during the coldest and snowiest
season OF the year, when the thirty-five
or forty boys and girls who made up the
school were not needed on the farms.
Miss Dodge lived alone in little log
and frame house. She and an eld0rly
brother had come to the West a number
of years before my story opens. The
brother died a year or two later and
Miss Rebecca was left alone.
She hired man during the summer
months, but from October until April
she bad a solitary life.
She fed and cared for her horses and
cows and pigs herself, and did so much
other outdoor work properly belonging
20 a mans duties, that she could not
help appearing masculine in her man
ner.
Miss Rebecca did not like it when the
.school-house was built SO close to her
own.
II iist know how it'll be. with pas
sci of boys and girls whoopin' and yellin'
around all the time like pack of wild
Injuus and doin' all they can to poster
the life out of body!
Il lived in the house highest to the
school-house once, back East and the chill
Slreu was perfect torment the hull en-
doorin' time. They'd hook my flowers and
fruit, and break my winders with their
balls, and come racin' all over my prim-
roses every day till | had three or four OF
'em took up for committin trespass;
and even after that they was dretful
Ioosance. with all their racket and car
Tyin' on!'
The pupils all knew how Miss Dodge
.7eit toward them, and it did not tend to
All increase of affection for her on their
part
The first day of every term brought
bliss Rebecca 20 the school-house for the
purpose of giving the teacher his or her
ORDERS regarding the pupils conduct
while on the playground.
Il jist come over to say she would
begin, standing grim and erect before
us. --that ! want you to make these
young ones keep their place on the play
ground, and not let 'em come round to
poster me. don't want one of 'em to
set foot on my place unless they come
over fera pail of water; and don't think
there's any use of 'em drinkin' water
doorin' school hours, anyhow. It's only
a habit they've got into. Boys and girls
dida't do SO in my day. But want 'em
M know that amt goin' to be bothered
by era"
And out Miss Rebecca would stalk,
arrayed- it might be, in one of her
snoEher's old coats, worn over her short
and skinny skirts, and with mans
hat set back on her iron-gray hair, which
sac always wore short, to save her.
self the ,n0able of ''doin' it up" as she
said.
sometimes, when we were playing ball
ON the playground, more vigorous
stroke than usual on the part of some of
She boys would send the ball into Miss
Dodge,s yard, and woe to the boy who
,climSed over the fence after it, II Miss
uttbecca saw him.
''IiL yon there!" she would scream,
in her1hgbest and most shrill notes.
~-What you doin' on my primises? Git
yourself right back there to whore you
belong, az III make you wish you had;
aad don't you ever daSt to set foot on
any ground again.
And one dreadful day. Tom Green
wood, big, fat but cowardly boy. gave
the ball such whack with the ball club
that IL went flying over the fence and
crashing through pane " glass in one
OF Miss Rebecca's little windows. The
teachers bell rang at that moment, and
we ran into the school-house. with Miss
dodge in swift pursuit