Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-05-05
IN LOVE WITH THE
SCHOOLMA'AM

day suit and grease your hair and
boots.'
What for?''
She's come, and she's just peaches"
"The new schoolma'am?"
1t had become known throughout
School district No. that new school
ma'am would take hold on Sept. 1, and
1t had leaked out that she was young
and pretty. She would board around,
as all schoolteachers do in the country,
but would put in the first two weeks
ait the home of Farmer Ross, where
Abe Botsford was hired man.
Abe was twenty-five years old, as
steady as grandfathers clock and as
timid as a girl lie had been almost of
q mind to run away for those two
weeks and only the fact that the farm
er was not feeling we'll and the work
was driving had kept him from going.
The day had been set for the teacher to
arrive and a neighbOr had driven over
to the railroad town and fetched her
in his buggy. Abe was cutting corn
along a roadside field when the neigh
above. 1t was 4 o'clock in the after
noon and supper would not be ready
until 6. Those were long and uncom-
Portable hours for Abe He realized
that he was homely, ungainly and I'M
cultivated, and the idea of meeting a
real young lady and having to sit at
table and converse with her set his
heart to pounding.
you comb your hair, put on a col
lar and a coat, and I'll introduce you"
said Mrs. Ross. "She's a girl that
shines over any one in this county for
looks, but she won't be snippy. You'll
just be glad that she came I'm fat and
hOmeIy and don't know beans when the
bags united, but she just put her arms
around my neck and kissed me when
she came, and l feel as if I'd known
her for year"
Abe would rather have had six of his
front teeth pulled, but it was all over
in few minutes. She called him Mr..
BOtsford and began asking about farm
work and in ten minutes the thump-
ing of his heart had ceased. When sup
per was through and he went to the
barnyard to milk she followed him and
asked many questions.
Abe felt that he was living in a diff
ferent world for the next two weeks,
and when Miss Hattie Messmore went
to board with another family it seemed
as if she took all the sunshine with her.
1t was then that the hired man discov-
cred that he was in love-
Abe was dazed and frightened by his
discovery. He didn't hardly dare to adj
NIT it to himself, and not for the best
farm in the state would he have put
anybody next. He loved the pretty
schoolma am, and he knew he loved
her, and vet when he thought that to
get her for wife he must some day
stand in her presence and tell his love
a cold SILVER went up his back.
There is always more or less trouble
for the country schoolma'am. There
were three 'big boys in District No. 5
who set the rules at defiance. There
were three or four farmers daughters
who were jealous. There were parents
who thought the teacher showed par
TALLY There were two widowers and
three young men who wanted to marry
her. She went the even tenor of her
way as we'll as she could, but as the
weeks slipped past and her troubles
did not diminish she shed tears.
She was soon to return to Farmer
Ross to board for another two weeks
wAen Abe drove past the schoOlhOuse
one day and stopped to give her mes
sage. The pupils had gone, and she
was alone and crying. The young
mans heart swelled at sight of her
tears. 1t also swelled with Indignation
when she told him of her tribulations.
Then he forgot who he was, his timid-
ity vanished, great courage took pos
session of his soul, and he asked for
the right to protect her
He never could recall the words he
used, but she understood. She brushed
away her tears, gave him her hand and
then talked to him like a sister. She
pointed out things to him that hurt,
and yet in their hurting he had to ac-
knowledge that they were facts. She
spared him all she could, knowing what
q big, honest heart he had, but she
made him see that marriage between
them was impossible. When he left her
he had been dealt hard blow, and yet
he said to himself that she was the
very best little woman in all this
world
Few men can face a woman after
finding that their love has been in
vain. At least they must have time to
get over the hurt
The schoolma am had no idea that
Abe would take it so seriously, but he
went home to give notice that he should
go away in two weeks. Then he took
the TRAIL The widowers and young
men who were buzzing around the girl
were either knocked out or had to give
their solemn promise to haul off. The
jealous girls were told that they were
red headed, cross eyed and freckle
nd ILL l. \