Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-04-29

er'S bureau In the east and, while
awaiting response. the secretary
joined with his colleagues in advanc-
ing the work of construction which
was going on at the Forks. There
was not little speculation as to what
sort of person the new teacher would
be, and we concluded that he was
likely to be of the sickly, earnest, I'M
practical missionary type.
One afternoon, about three weeks
after the first directors meeting, was
at Hawley's store waiting for the after
noon mail, and discussing with him
the advisability of writing again to the
| teachers bureau. While we were talk
| ing blackboard ratified up to the
door, and presently a-well, was go
ing to say an angel, but there was
rather too much of an atmosphere of
| perfectly human health about the
| vision at the door to describe her that
way-presently some one asked, in the
sweetest of feminine voices: us this
| the post Officer"
An electric shock couldn't have
started us to our feet more suddenly.
1t was an hour to mail time, andefaw-
ley and were alone in the store Our
hats were off in quarter of
second, and would have given
great deal if | hadn't taken
of my coat and braces up at
the cabin. Hawley rose and went
towards the vision, acknowledging
with shocking matter-of.fact Bene-
dictine bow the next question: SIS
this Mr. Hawley?" Then she--the
vision--continued II am Miss Fiske,
of Denver. came to see about the
school here. | understand a teacher
was wanted"
Alec turned helplessly to me with a
weak gesture, and 1 came forward
"Miss Fiske-ah-ah-Mr Lawrence,
the secretary" and Hawley reiterated,
leaving me to explain to the vision that
we wanted a man teacher.
But Miss Fiske had come to get that
school She was bound to have it, and
we couldn't do anything but let her try
it. What else could o few helpless
men do?
SO when, few days later, letter
was received from a young man at
Omaha who wanted the position, of
which he had heard through the teach
ers' bureau, the writer was duly in
formed that the place had been filled;
and Miss Bertha Fiske was installed as
principal and corps of instructors at
the Kingbolt Forks academy" as
most of its patrons were pleased to
call II.
About week after the opening OF
the school the board of directors made
a call of state upon the teacher and her
flock, and Miss Fiske reported prog
ress as we'll as three or four cases OF
well-deserved trouncings she had ad.
ministered just where they would do
the most good. She pointed out the
trouncees and intimated that they had
suddenly developed heretofore unsus-
. pected goodness.
, 1t was evident that Miss Bertha
/ Fiske was not only an excellent
teacher, but had practical ideas of dis.
cipline. We took vote before we sep.
|
the new teacher was success.
She also made great hit socially,
and in less than fortnight after her
arrival was star boarder at the home
: of Maj. Densler, manager of the Star
, of the West, and she and Mrs. Densle1
were bosom friends.
+ There were a number of other peo-
pie in camp who would have given all
t they possessed to occupy the position
, of bosom friend to Miss Fiske. These
, were, it must be stated, mostly men. Of
4 whom there were at least twenty oil
0 the eligible variety. ! am quite conf
t dent that frank confession on the
part of the seven or eight bachelors
{ who became regular callers at Maj
Densler's would develop the fact thai
n a round half dozen availed themselves
1 during that fall, of opportunities more
o or less favorable for proposing to the
: pretty schoolma am. But she couldn't
accept all of them, and wouldn't &C
a cept one. / am inclined to think thai
i she gave each and every one of them {
e big-sisterly lecture, winding up with {
G serious dissertation on the mission O.
n womankind and an argument in favor
! of universal celibacy, for l overheard
Q belong and Parry, two of the rejected
S ones, comparing notes, and their ex
J, periences were strangely similar
+ wondered why Stansbury was 81
l. indifferent. / was, for reasons unnec
d essary to explain, merely loolser.on
n and could, therefore, give the matte
It disinterested study. Ihad only known
= Stansbury few months, he having
y come to the camp a stranger the win
y terprevious, but we had been thrown to
e gether good deal, and had often hear'
" his opinion on the subject of women an'
G matrimony-and they were not yer,
complimentary or delicately-expresse'
: opinions. Still, have heard othe
h men talk as he did, and have observe,
l. that when the enemy appears, at som
period, they capitulate even more easil,
than do some other men. had rattle
expected that Stansbury, under the cir
cumstauces, would succumb to tn
charms of the pretty schoolma' am
but he didn't He called upon her a
often as any of the other boys did, bu
his spirits remained the same, and h
didn't grow pensive or lose his appe
tite. tried to draw him out once i
awhile by mentioning Miss Fislse, bu
he treated the subject in his usual of
hand way. Not that he made discoul
teous remarks about Miss Fiske-h
was enough of a gentleman not TO az
ply any of his coarser remarks to an
individual member of the sex. But h
scoffed, nevertheless.
One day we were talking about poo
belong, who was in a bad way wit
the case of unrequited affection befor