The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-02

Marked Tardy at School-Her Parents
to Tell the Teacher-PriDcipaI Declares
This to be Truancy and Suspends the
Child - Heartbroken, She Leaves the
School and Her Distracted Family.
Last night at 24o North Emporia ave
nue., as we'll as all day yesterday and
the night previous, there was 10 be wit
messed a scene which would melt a
heart of stone.
Mrs. j. Y. Quintin is almost heart
broken with grief such as appeals TO
every mothers heart; the husband and
father was aroused from sick bed and
only smouhers his great grief in the
presence of his wife and children. The
house is filed with grief-stricken, SYM
pathetic mothers, the sons of the strick-
en- household neither eat or sleep, so
great is their distress concerning the
whereabouts of their only sister, the
pet of the home-Bessie T. Quintin-
who so mysteriously disappeared from
Webster school house on the afternoon
Of Thursday, April 30
The Eagle, desirious Of obtaining all
the facts and leaving the responsibility
Tor all this sadness and a11iction fail
Where It belongs, detailed a reporter TO
gather from each source and let the
readers judge whether or not those con-
nected with the case are wholly guilt
less Of any blame or not The child is
gone, Of this IA CT there canbe no Ques-
ton. Children do not leave pleasant
and happy home without cause and
the cause Of the young girls disappear
ence was sought after.
AT Webster school house the reporter
first met the janitor who directed him
TO room No 6, where he said the child
attended school
A knock brought Miss Miller to the
door, very gentle looking young lady,
who at once recognized the reporter
and began to beseach him to say moth
ing. She appeared TO be almost heart
broken over something and when the
question was asked If little Bessie Quin-
ton was not pupil of hers she re-
sponded in the affirmative and asked
with an appeal, which seemed to come
from the heart, whether any tiddings
had been heard Of the poor girl. Upon
being answered in the negative, she
said, poor child"
Just then the lady's attention seemed
10 be attracted in southwest direc-
ton, and she paled as though she was
watched by the eyes of an infurated
beast OF some kind. Her lips trembled,
and in a husky voice she said: miss
Stuckey. please come herer'
The reporter glanced in the direction
OK the teachers eyes and there beheld
a woman with q set face and flashing
eyes pearing at him as though he had
been guilty of stepping upon some Of
the abominable red tape of the esthetic
school system of the present age.
The reporter returned the gaze and
bowed to the stout built woman before
him, realizing that ne had not inten-
tionally violated any of the known rules
of civilization and if inquiring for a
lost child disturbed the sensitive nerves
of a principal of the school he was glad
that he had so intruded, as neither rain,
sunshine, cyclone, thunder storms or
the ill-tempter Of a school marin can
force a reporter from an item of news
when only the cause IS sought with the
best OF Intentions to all concerned.
With her voice strung up TO a high
&c, and with her head thrown over at
an angle Of % degrees, she responded
no the bow, calling the reporter by
name: 81 won't be interviewed nor sub
nit to any teachers being interviewed
during school hours without an order
from Mr.. Dyer. the superintende.
The reporter was dumbfounded, being
an American citizen and representing
the best daily published upon the face
of the earth in a city the size Of Wfch-
ita and resting upon his own dignity
he politly informed the lady that he had
only come TO ask few civil questions
concerning a subject which interested
every father and mother in the city,
and If she did not desire to give her
side OF the affair it was her privilege
but that time and inclination prevented
him from calling upon Superintendent
Dyer or any other man upon the face
Of the earth TO ask him for the privilege
of asking a few civil questions.
She ventured to return and give out
the Information that the home of the
absent child could be found at 240
North EmDOria evenue.
At the house indicated a knock
brought Mrs. Quintin TO the door.
One look at the lady's face was suffi-
cient 10 show what torture she had suf-
fered. She did not wish to make
statement for fear that she would in
jure some one, and blamed herself be-
cause she had not written her daughter
an excuse She said that Bessie had
told her that she had not gone to school
IN the morning when she found that she
would be rardy. Continuing she said:
''T'hs child had never been tardy and
stood IN mortal terror Of the conse-
quences of being late" She said the
child was extremely proud, and sensi-
tive and could not stand TO be humili-
alted. She told Bessie 10 go and tell her
teacher all about ii, and II would not
be necessary to write an excuse. The
father was sick on the bed at the time
and he approved OF the course. This
was the last the mother or father had
seen OF the child In the afternoon a
boy came 10 the door and brought
note signed by Miss Stuckey. as princi-
pal. announcing the fact that Bessie
had been found guilty of playing truant
and had been suspended from the
school The blow almost set the house
hold wild. and with hearts almost brok-
en- over trouble which had came upon
them SO unexpectedly and with no
thought on their part Of forcing their |
child TO meet such q TRADE for such a |
trivial offense they at once sent their
son. Clarence, to bring the child home. |
When Clarence called at the room Miss |
Miller told him that Bessie was in Miss
Stuckey's room and he went there. |
That Clarence said he saw Miss Stuckey |
grab his sister and shake her severely
and that Bessie was crying as though |
her heart would break. Bessie told her
Awarded