The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-03
THE PRETTY TEACHER.

That there story reminds me-" said
Uncle Dan, who had come up from the
country to spend the holidays, "of the
school teacher We had down to the Plum
| Run districk three years ago. this win
ter. She came from somewheres over
| IL Chester county, dunno just where
but anyway, she was a mighty purity
lcokin' girl, and it wasn't moren a week
after she got there before about every
young Teller in them parts was shyin'
around tryin to make up with her. They
took er to all the dances there was go
in on. and q different chap brought 'er
TO protracted meetin' nearly every night.
and all the other girls got to kind of
tIrnin up their noses at 'er and sayin'
she used stuff to make 'er lips red and
er eyebrows black, and SO on. But that
didn't have no effect on the boys. They
were plumb crazy after 'er. She finally
seemed to give up one after another till
she got down to Tom Hammond and Bill
Bigelow. Then it looked like If she was
stuck and didn't know which one OF EN-
to let go.
What made it more interestin was
that Tom and Bill were the worst of en-
enlies. They'd both licked all the other
young fellers arouna there that had any
pretentions to bein' fighters. but some
how they'd never got together them
selves. They blowed around a goot bit
about what they'd do to each other, but
it looked as though one was afraid and
the other'n dassen't.
Finally they was TO be spellin' at the
Plum Run school house, and some way
it got noised about that Tom said he
was goin' TO give Bill a lickin' if they
met there that night. I guess nearly
everybody in the district was on hand
when they commenced choosin' sides, and
the little teacher up on the platform
nnl i'm ~ te<sn e-% err1r
spelled down before they'd been at 1t long
and slipped out. Everybody knowed the
fight would be started right off, and all
except the ones that were still spellin
snuck out TO see the fun. When l got
there they were at it good and hard.
They'd clinched and were bitin' and
kickin' and gougin' and chokin, and
purity soon they went down with Tom on
top
Everybody was so excited that nobody
noticed when or how the teacher got
there, but the first thing any one seen
sne'd got through the crowd with a
bucket of ice water and poured it all over
both of 'em.
THE fight stopped quicker'n a wink.
and when they stood up she told 'em
they were rowdies and ruffians. and said
that people that stood around watchin'
them wasn't any better. Then she told
them to shake hands and beg each others
pardon. Well, they done it. and she asked
everybody to go back in the school
house. When We got there she told us
all to set down. After things got quiet
and Tom and Bill were settin' there. all
cratched and bruised and wet and shiv-
erin she says-o' course dunno I can
use her very wOrds-but she says:
L understand this fight was on ac-
count of me. hate fightin and despise
fighters If there is any young man in
this school house that never had a fight
ir his life, let him stand up. I'm goin
to ask him to take me home. and after
that We can see about making future ar
rangements.'
What happened sthen?" the old man
was asked.
Every blamed teller in the house but
Tom and Bill stood up. When they all set
down again she said they was only one
thing she hated worse'n a fighter or ruff
fan, and that was a liar. So she rode
home with Deacon Swasey and his folks,
and you never seen such a glum lot of
fellerS in your life"
And is that all of the story?"
Purity nigh. She give out word that
she'd be willin' to keep regular company
with the first Plum Run young man that
took up grammar and learned to talk
English as she ought to be talked, but
that was too much. BY golly, us directors
made up our minds it was bad enough to
let our boys be called ruffians and liars.
but when she come to castin' slurs at
the eddycation of the hull blamed dis
trick we drawed the line and bounced
'er from 'er job. But she was good
lcokin' I'll say that. in spite of her in
sultin remarks, SEEM there amt none
of the women folks around. Chicago
Record-Herald.