The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-11-02
The School Marin Of Red Elm,
BY SARA BEAUMONT KENNEDY

By SARA BEAUMONT KENNEDY.
Copyright 1900. Daily Story Pub. Co..
There was something Of q sensation
wnen she came to take charge of the
district school. The first Sunday after
her installment eyes and whispered
comments followed her up the aisle
rs she went with Squire Bailey to
seat; and after service she was the
one subject Of conversation.
You say she's eighteen? Well, she
amt spent her time growing; a pound
OF soap after weeks washing is as
big as that"
THE children said she was so little
her feet did not touch the floor when
she sat in her chair on the rostrum;
but didn't expect to see such kid"
said Mrs. Moore. "She doesn't even
dress like teacher-look as those
elbow sleeves and yards and yards of
ribbon"
She'll never govern that school this
side of kingdom come" sighed Mrs.
Wade. Bob Smith and his crew will
scare the life out of her the first time
they get to cutting up. She'll have to
resign"
Eyes, for it takes as much muscle as
book learning to teach in Red Elm"
replied Mrs. Moore. Il wonder what
Squire Bailey was thinking of to en-
gage child like that. My Sally could
do as we'll, for she's ciphered up to
miscellaneous examples in the back
OF the arithmetic, and everybody heard
how beautifully she spoke 'Curfew' at
the last concert" But the others were
silent when memories of that recita-
ton were evoked.
The disapprobation, started that
Sunday, spread during the weeks that
followed, and everybody was prohsey-
Ing Waterloo for the new teacher
the first time Bob Smith got out of
bed with the wrong foot foremost"
And meanwhile Mamie Lewis sat on
the school room platform. with her
little feet two. inches from the floor,
and worked like Trojan and earned
every cent of the scanty salary the
country districts allow their over
worked teachers. She had come to Red
Elm with many misgivings, having
heard of the big boys who made life in
the schoolroom as exciting as "ghost
dance" of the painted Indians. Espe-
cially had she been warned about Bob
Smith, lad of nearly twenty, hand
some. idle, restless, and possessed of
legion of mischievous devils. His
invalid mother humored and adored
him and his busy father neglected him,
and between the two his better nature
lay dormant. Miss Lewis studied him
covertly all that first morning, and
planned her line of attack. for if she
was to stay here, then she must have
Bob on her side. And with a womans
intuition she found the Achilles heel.
That afternoon some blackboard work
had to be done, and after tiptoeing a
rev minutes in vain effort to reach
high enough, she turned around and
said, with a fetchingly .beseeching
smile:
Bob, won't you come and help me?
you are so nice and tall"
Surprised and rather complimented
the boy did as she asked. Thank you
dear" she said with another soft
smile as he stopped to put the chalk
in its box. Then with a sudden GEES
ture she pushed the hair from his
brow with her pencil and added: "Witb
such fine forehead as that you ought
to have the making of a president in
YOU" And confused, but tingling in
his boots, Bob went back to his seat
| That afternoon everybody fingered,
but Bob outstayed them all, and Miss
Lewis found him pretending to mend
the gate latch when she came out. :,
DO you go my way Bob? That is
nice. Come on this side and take INV
umbrella; my arm gets so tired of
holding it-tilt it just a little more
there. that's dear"
Again Bog tingled; and then he
asked himself if it were really he walk
ing along the road carrying a girls
parasol.
You're the littlest thing ever
saw" he said presently, looking her
over out of the corner of his eye. Then
he blurted out, boy fashion: But say.
you're awful pretty"
I'm glad You think so,' she an
swered, with flattering accent on the
last pronoun.
A long look ahead as If he had not
heard her. then he asked: "Why?"
"Oh, because like you and want
you to like me. AS you say, am so
little that I sometimes need a big
strong friend like you to look after
me-"
The words and the glance that went
with them finished the subjugation of
the young rough. The next day he
said to the other school boys:
"That girls too little to be bullied
The first fellow that starts it will
have to answer to me. See?" And
Dick James. the other "unterrifed
quantity" Of the community, having
nodded his agreement, Miss Lewis was
as safe as IL a troop of Rough Riders
had been picketed about her desk. But
the gossips did not know this, and so
they kept waiting for Bob Smith to
put that wrong foot out OF bed. And
while thew waffod thu o,,fun,r ,x,oI