Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-05-21

the window watched him until he dis
appeared over the sandy HILL half wish
ing that and the little trunk were with
him. | was reused from my reverie by
Mrs. Randall, who inquisitively said,
Amt you but thirteen?"
NO, ma'am," | answered.
"Waal,' she returned, "it beats all
how much older you look. | should s'pose
you was fall sixteen. But it's all in your
favor and ] guess you'll be more likely
to suit the deestrict, though they're
afraid you haven't any government, and
they're terribly hard to suit. SO, if vas
you" she continued, "ld hold a pretty
tight rein at first give you full liberty
TO whip my young ones if they don't be
have. They know better than to com
plain at home"
After sitting awhile, she arose to CO.
telling me ''she should expect me at
night and then | was alone | looked
at my watch; it was half past eight, and
not a scholar yet. This was widely diff
fcrent from Sunny Bank, where. by sew
en-, the house was generally filed with
children, halooing, quarreling over seats,
and watching eagerly for the first sight
of 'thc new schoolma'am am" Here the
tuDlco were luTIlCu, anu Tue SCih)Ol-
Fam" was watching for her scholars.
Ten minutes of nine and began to
grow fdgety. l should have been more
so had | known how much is sometimes
said about teachers not keeping their
hours. Five minutes of nine, and round
the corner at the foot of the hill appear
ed group of children, while from anoth-
or direction came others, shouting for
| those in advance to wait" which they
did, and the whole entered the house to-
gcther A few of the girls made slight
obeisance, while the boys laughed, and
throwing down their books in very con
sequential manner looked distrustfully
at me. My age had preceded me, and in
many of these childish hearts there was
already a spirit OF rebellion. On opening
my desk | found inscribed upon the lid,
in n bold schoolboy style, Rosa Lee,
aged 49, to which was appended, in a
more delicate hand, "Ancient-veryw
Taking my India rubber, | erased it
while my scholars were settling the mat
ter of seats. Then there ensued per
feet silence, and the eyes of all present
turned inquiringly upon me, while, with
sundry flourishes with my silver pencil,
| proceeded to take down upon big
sheet Of foolscap the names, ages and
what studies do you intend to pursue p
of my pupiles. After much talking and
arranging, the school was organized; but
the first morning dragged heavily, and
when twelve O'Clock came, and / drew
from my satchel the nice ginger snaps
which my mother had made, they cholS-
| ed me SO much that | was obliged to
wink hard, and count the rows of trees
in the orchard opposite twice, ere | could
answer the question addressed to me by
one of the little girls.
In the rear of the house was long
strip of dense woods, and wishing TO be
alone, tok my bonnet and wondered
thither. Seating myself upon a messy
log, | tried to fancy that | was at home
beneath the dear old grapevine. But it
could not be- | was n school mistress.
Miss Lee they called me- and on my
brow the shadows of life were thus early
making their impress Slowly to me
dragged the hour which always before
had been so short, and when at last |
took my way back to school, it seemed
that in that, short space | had lived an
age.
AS | approached the school house /
saw that something was the matter, r0r
the scholars were greatly excited.
FASTENED forward; but it was with diff
Guilty that | could learn the cause of
the connection. George Randall was cry.
ing, while a little apart from him stood
two boys, one of them apparently four.
teen and the other twelve They were
strangers to me, and instinctivey | felt
that they were In some way connected
with the disturbance, and that the larger
and more important looking was John
Thompson surmise which proved tC
be correct.
1t seemed that Isaac Ross, one of tn,
newcomers, had some weeks before Sc
| lected for himself corner seat, which
ms he was not present in the morning
: had been taken by George Randall, whC
knew nothing of Isaac's intentions, an,
, who now refused to give 1t up. A fgh
was the result, the most of the scholar
, taking sides with George. while Isaa
was urged on and encouraged by JohI
: Thompson, who, though not a pupil. ha,
Y come up Ito see how he liked the new
e schoolma'am." As matter of course
e an appeal was made to me, to know II
q George hadn't the best right to the seat
Ii Perhaps | was wrong; but | decide
u tHul TIC Hdui AT the nHue time dSklu
e Isaac "if he were coming to school,"
: II amt goin' to do anything else" sal
/ he, glancing toward John. who, with
|, wicked leer at me. knocked off one of tn
Re little boys hats and threw it up in tn
d air.
4, What would have ensued next l d
a not know, for at that moment Capital
s Thompson rode round the corner an
" called to his son, who, with mock defe
ence, bowed politely to me and Wake
IN away. Disagreeahle as Isaac Ross al
Is peared in the presence of John ThOml
lie son, found that when left to himself /
s. was quite different boy; and though
Is at first manifested some reluctance
)" taking another seat, he at last yielded Il
o, point, and for the remainder of the da
oil conducted himself with perfect prophet
h. On the whole, the afternoon passC
h. away rather pleasantly, and at nigh
d, when school was out, l started for II
'e boarding place quite contented. In pas
Id ing the different houses which stood upr
or the roadside, | demeaned myself wi
r the utmost dignity, swinging my sho
dress from side to side in imitation
ne Boston lady who had once taught