Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-08-09
THE NEW TEACHER.

Ten years ago Larkspur on the Bra
EOS was the "orneriest" settlement in
the southwest. Most of the old men
in it still professed to hate the Yam
KEGS, the risen generation evinced
deep scorn for matters educational and
religious and the boys all chewed to-
bacco, smoked yellow cigarettes and
yearned to be border ruffians. Nearly
every man-jack of the 200 male per-
sons in the village carried a gun, and
in the single-room squalid school of the
district there were never more than
ten or a dozen sullen pupils.
That was the condition when Ernest
Weber, a New England college man,
took the school," He hadn't been
there week before he knew the fate
that had befallen each of his five pre-
decessors, none of whom had succeed
ed In holding the fort more than three
months. The boys had run every one
of them out of town, one at the point
Of gun, another on a rail, and a third
with a bullet in the calf of his leg.
Only two had escaped bodily harm, be-
ing Southerners, but even they gave
up in disgust after submitting in vain
to the ruffianly barbarity of the boys
who refused to learn.
Mace Jones was the leader of the
DULLES. His father kept a saloon, the
only one within seventeen miles, and
was therefore the most influential man
in town.
Starved him right" old Jones used
to say when he heard of a new outrage
on the teacher, T he can't COW them
cubs, he amt got no business teach
in school,"
When Ernest Weber struck Lark
spur to take the school" he could find
nobody to house him but the Joneses,
so he took a room over the saloon. It
happened that the first night he slept
there Mace Jones. the 20-year old bully
was tending his fathers bar. Weber,
being tired after his long journey,
crawled into bed early and slept in
spite of the noise of the jewellers in
the saloon below.
He was awakened by pistol shots
and the rattle of bullets coming up
through the floor of his room. He
stuck his head out Of the window and
shouted:
Hey, below there, Jones?"
well, what the h do you want?"
came the bully's voice.
stop that shooting or I'll come
down and stop it myself" yelled the
school teacher. A hoarse roar of
laughter and fusilade of shots greet
ed this threat, and then Weber put on
his clothes. They heard his footballs
coming across the floor and down the
Hckety stairs. The silence of curl
osity reigned as he entered the back
nj hn Oh
dered, erect young man, with calm
brown eyes. He walked up to the
bar looking at Mace. while the half
dozen hoodlums in the room winked
at each other and got ready for more
fun.
Doc Huff, the bad man" Of Lark
spur. and young Jones's guide, philos-
opher and friend, was leaning against
the dirty pine bar.
"Pm Weber, the new school teacher"
began the stranger, addressing the
young man behind the bar; 81 was
asleep upstairs"
81 s'pose we come down t. treat tn
gang" interrupted Huff, grinning at
Weber. The latter looked calmly for
a moment at the interloper, and said
quite clearly and incisively:
versation or I'll treat you to the damn
dest licking you ever had in your life"
AS he said 1t the school teacher
squared around and stood looking at
HUFF as though leisurely selecting the
best spot to strike. Absolute silence
reigned. Everyone but Weber ex-
pected to see Huff's gun get into the
row next. But, for once, the bad man
was a bit slow unlim hariOU
Purity fresh, fur a tenderfoot."
sneered Huff, his hand slipping slowly
off the bar and then suddenly darting
toward his hip.
Weber saw the motion just in time.
His right fist shot out and caught Huff
in the jugular, and down he went, his
head striking on the foot-rail and his
great hulk rolling over, face down
ward, on the floor.
"Pll just take this gun" said the
school teacher, plucking the big revolt
yer from Huff's holster; "I'm begin
ming to think may need it in my bus
mess"
He was smiling placidly at the now
standing onlookers as he said it, and
Mace Jones was staring, pale with as
constituent, over the bar.
Come fellows, help him up. I
didn't hit him hard. He'll be all right
in minute" quoth Weber cheerfully,
as the awed company came slowly
round to lift their fallen idol.
''You see, JONES'" said the school
teacher to the young fellow behind the
bar, "you see If I'm to sleep upstairs
1t won't do to shoot off pistols right
under my bed. You can laugh and
drink all you like, but won't put up
with any shooting"
HUFF "came to" while Weber was
finishing his polite instructions" to
the barkeeper. His first motion was
to grab for his pistol. He looked
aroundwith a rather sickly, foolish air
as he asked:
where is it?"
Here's your pistol, Mr.. - what's
his name? HUFF? Here's your pistol
Mr.. Huff," said the school teacher
again facing his late antagonist
Come to think it over, don't be.
lieve want it. don't like the make
I've a pair of forty-hves upstairs that
suit me better"
HUFF took the outstretched pistol
glanced at Weber for a second, fondled
the handle as If in momentary hest