The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-10-03
THE LITTLE
SCHOOLMA'AM.
Copyright, 1907, by Mary McKeon.l

TIC Sc0OOlS III >IDe CITY, ndNluS ID
class, and she was referred to as chat
little SchoOlma'am" oftener than as
Miss Sutherland She was hardly above
sighteen years old, and there were
those who thought it curious that such
a slip of girl should have secured the
position. There may have been a
"pull'' somewhere, but as she was per-
fectly competent to fill the place no
Dne had any right to complain.
The little schoolma'a am was one of
six teachers boarding with good Moth
er Williams. She had kept a boarding
house for schoolteachers for many
long years and had come to be regard
ed as q mother to that class. She took
Miss Sutherland under. her wing at
once. and no incident of note happened
for the first three months. Then dia-
mond ring belonging to one of the 9TH
er teachers in the house was suddenly
missing Three more articles were
missed; then a detective was called in.
He was not ten minutes making up his
mind about it.
"The three robberies were committed
by the same person, and that person is
your Susan" he said. '"The fact that
she has been with you for five years
and has never stolen, anything before
makes no difference Men live straight
lives for fifty years and then commit
crimes. Let me take her to the station
house, and / can make her confess
within half an hour"
Mother Williams would not listen to
this. She not only refused to make
complaint, but gave the teacher the
amount she had lost and kept Susan in
her place. The robberies were, OF
course, a subject of conversation
among the teachers, but that any one
should suspect another was a thing
impossible. 1t was month before
anything further happened. Then
debt of $40 was paid to Mrs. Williams
in cash. AS she had no bank account,
she put the money in her trunk in her
room. In just a week 1t was missing
She couldn't say within three days OF
the time it was taken. q 1t was there
all right of Monday, but on Thurs
day she looked for lit in vain. The
door of her room was never locked,
and on Tuesday afternoon when she
went out to market she remembered
that she left the key in her trunk.
This last robbery made things look
serious indeed Every one clamored
for another detective to be called in.
and the girl Susan, who felt that she
might be under suspicion, declared
that she would not remain another
day unless a thorough investigation
was made.
There are detectives and detectives.
The second one called, heard the par
ticulars of all the rObberies and did
not lay any one under suspicion. He
said he would think it over and see
what could be done He talked with
the servants and the teachers and
agreed with them that it was a mys-
terious case Two weeks had gone
by and he had not been heard Of again
when the little schoolma'am took a
book in her hand of a Saturday after
noon and went into one of the public
parks. She had been reading for half
an hour when a man sat down on the
bench beside her. She looked up to
recognize the detective. He was q
middle aged man, of fatherly look,
and, though engaged in detecting and
publishing evil doors, it was evident
that he had kind heart. After few
casual remarks had passed he said:
''Nliss Sutherland, I have been wait
ing for the last three days to see you
alone Had called at the house and
had a private conversation with you it
might have been embarrassing
"But why should you want private
conversation with mew she asked
"About those robberies, my dear. /
have found where the ring and the
watch were pawned. / have the dates
when you expressed the money to
your sister Mary"
.'Sirr' exclaimed the girl, rising.
''Sit down, child, and don't attract at
tention. You can't be vicious by ma
ture. You have not spent cent of
the money on yourself It has all gone
to some one else. Tell me what actu-
ated you l am here to pity more than
to accuse. 1 can't believe that you
realized the Nervousness of your Of
lenses. Don't weep and draw atten-
ton, but just tell me all about it."
The girl was white as sheet and
trembling all over, but she fought back
her emotions and after minute said:
sit was all for Mary. Mary is my
sister, and she is a cripple. She hasn't
had the chance that / and other girls
have had, and 1 have always pitied
her If you knew her and knew how
good and patient she is you couldn't
. help but love her. Soon after l came
to teach school young man fell in love
with her. We are very poor but very
proud at home. | wanted this young
man to marry Mary wanted it, oh,
so bad, and II stole the things and
money to buy her clothes. That was
it-that's all. You can take me to Jail
now We are all ruined and Mary
can't get married now
The detective sat there with his face
In his hands and his eyes on the ground
L. 10 cnIr ~