Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-04-14


said, grimly. II GU ess this has gone
about far enough. Ne may rs well un-
derstand each other rightnow. Neither
Mrs. Ayres nor wa mt TO DE chairman
We've been voting ZACH 5or the other
right along, and Wa can Aeepit up a
spell longer, IL meet he. That shows
that you must have been voting for
yourself
Yes, MADAME" ex claimed the now
furious Joshua. II have lbeen voting
for myself, and 1 sb; IN continue to do
so, because l believe hat -sm; the only
member OF the boar u capable.pf per-
forming the duties of chairman es
they should be perfor E1ed.''
That's all right interrupted Sa-
nsntha. 1--WE don't b lame .you.a mite;
and as we don't want theeofficewe are
willing 10 elect you ON the ineoct bal
lot, only you must agree tossomethinos
first Meiknow how You have, carried
on, howyou have refused to puttOvote
motions you didn't like and bullSozed
generally the. other members OF the
committee. ITS time to call a halt. II
you will promise, faithfully, in the
Presence'of these. people, that Won b ave
invised hereto dealrvith as fairly.and
to oondRcti the meanings of ahis-eom-
mittae in "a parliamentary manner.
we'k elect you Ii You won't promi Sc.
we can keep UP thesieadIock sore,ser.
| Wlazt do,yousay?"
4 litter had begun in the audience
VII teh grew into a hearty laugh. and
nm; Thy broke into open applause as Ss-
maiitha ceased speaking. Fora mo-
merit Joshua looked about him ut the
people and at the wonen before him.
IKE some -enrssed animal who .could
toss thernhll onthis horns. But seeing
that his neutrality-suspicious. held rshe
upper hand; and that the syrnpat1rv ~
the people was clearly against him he
restrained ihimssSf yith,.an effort s.rd
forced "a smile TO his lips.
Il GLADLY promise ;, he said. Ito do
whatever Is right More than thst i
would nat promise for che highest of
ice In the laRd. Let, us gelose the sis-
iccossion aud prepare our aenth ballot"
MT. Baker was, an unanimously elected.
lsbutthe women had won a,yictory. ana
Joshua was mot ronly defeated. but
ahumiiiated openly before the people.
Y HuIniHa4ed he ,certainly was, and
sought saRagely for !, an opportunity
10 take revenge. The meetings of the
scnool boand that winter were stormy
oness-a and it was largely to the crowds
that gathered 30 witness she frays
that Mrs. Abel land Miss Samantha
owedS'their escape from much the
sanae hbrowbeating to ,wbirh their
predecessors had submitted. As the
lnd
thwarted at every point, the tldicule
at his discomiture became more open.
Ridfeule Us powerful factor IN poll
tics. and Joshua viewed with alarm
his waning prestige. Itwas not until
spring, however, that he saw his
chance TO strike a decisive: blow and
assert his .rnastership.
There had been Constant. difsculty
that year In keeping q teacher at the
Center school One kad yresignea to
accept a mare lucrative position else
where, another had been ptaken sud
denly I'D. while a third had proved in
capable and been dismissed. As, eech
vacancy occurred, Mrs. Abel and Miss
Samantha urged the election~ofa Miss
Clay, of Ridgeville, young woman
4 admirably fitted for the position, but
whose election had been strenuously
opposed by Joshua. The last timeshe
had won his point only by promising
that Miss Clay should be givena trial,
should another vacancy occur during
the year.
NOW on the opening day of the
spring term, Joshua received word
that the young man they had en-
gagged was unable. 10 appear As he
walked up-street ina quandary how
to, avoid keeping his former promise,
he saw Mrs Abel and Samantha ride
past An the stage, apparently boand
to the city. A sudden light broke in
upon him. He posted messengers to
the houses Of his absent fellow-eona-
mitteernen 10 cali a, special meeting of
the board that noon, to elect new
/ teacher. Then, feeling sure there
could be no meeting thatsday and that
she wasFtechnically justified IN acting
on his own account, he himself
FASTENED to the city, to secure
young man he had kong bad in mind
for the position.
But Mrs. Abel and Miss Samantha
had not gone to the city. They had
each received notice. like that sent
to Joshua, that the teacher they had
engaged had failed them, and having
in mind Joshua's promise, had decid-
ed to act on their own responsibility,
without farther consultation. Ac-
eordingly they had merely gone down
the road a mile or two, by stage, to
the home of Miss Clay, where they of
fered her the position. In short, Miss
Clay opened school that very mern-
ing, less than two hours after the
regular opening hour.
Finding Joshua's message, on their |
return home, the two women met |
again, shortly afterward, at the Sc
lectmen's room, at the specified hour, |
but no Joshua appeared. Partly sur
missing the truth, and hugely enjoy |
ing their advantage, they elected Miss |
Clay permanent teacher, and fixed her |
salary with due formality.