The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-04-28
. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TheCaSe Of
Miss Hartnett
By MADELINE LEWIS.

Miss Taylor, who had barely turned
forty-seven and carried the idea that
1t was twenty-seyen instead, then went
on to speak of the lectures she gave
every Wednesday night, Of the care
taken to keep newspapers and novels
from her pupils, of the early hours for
bed and of the fact that the only man
about the institution, except couple
of servants, was Professor Balch, who
had charge of the higher mathematics
and was an old bachelor of the most
incorruptible principles.
Then she had a number of questions
to ask about the young lady, and the
deacon had to admit that now and then
the latter giggled, she also chewed
gum. she had been caught reading
novels, she had had beau, and she
loved to go to circus.
.'Tn fact" said Miss Taylor. "she is
what you would call fip?"
Eyes, l guess so. Not too flip, but
a little flip"
IT see. Well, while this is not re-
formatory, we do now and then take
in a pupil In order to cure her Of flip
pancy. The fee is little larger, but
we warrant a perfect cure"
The deacon was willing to pay lit
tie more, and the financial end was
soon settled week later the new
pupil arrived. Perhaps Miss Fanny
was flip. At least, she was in good
health and spirits, inclined to look on
the bright side, and she could sing
some and whistle more. In the village
where she had been brought up she
was considered something Of a tom
boy, but the phrase was not used to
her detriment.
She was given to understand by Miss
Taylor what was what and sent to her
dormitory She offered no protest or
argument, but from the way she set
her jaw and compressed her lips Miss
Taylor anticipated rebellion at no dis
tant date.
One of her methods of compelling
the young ladies to walk the chalk
line was quarterly reports. Every
three months each Of the girls was
called into the private lecture room
and her derelictions announced to her
and recorded on a blank.
1t depended upon that girl to make
immediate improvement, or the report
would be mailed away to father or
guardian. AS a matter of fact, no re-
port was ever mailed, as such action
the school, but the threat had always
proved a very effective weapon.
1t came to be whispered about as the
regular quarter day drew nigh that
Miss Taylor had been saving up many
complaints against Miss Fanny and
that there must be many tears and
promises to keep report from the
hands Of the deacon
Much curiosity and considerable anx-
iety were felt, save by the delinquent
herself. She giggled and whistled and
bribed the grocer's boy to smuggle in
gum, and when the fatal day at length
arrived she went smiling to the sacri-
fee. Miss Taylor kept her on pins and
needles for three or four minutes to
let the scare strike in and then soberly
began:
Miss Hartnett, have received sew
eral complaints against you and have
grouped them under the term counts.
| will read them to you:
"'Count /. That on the Sd Of Sep
TENDER, two days after your arrival
here. you tried to tear board of the
fence in order to look out 1t is believ-
ed, but not absolutely proved, that
there was young man on the other
side of the fence at the time.
"'Count 2. That on the second week
Of your arrival you made use of such
terms as "hully gee," come off," ''too
thin" ETC.
"'Count 8. That on the third week
you were chewing gum and eating car
Rmels.
"'Count f. That while going to and
returning from the postof1ce in charge
of Miss Lee you refused to cast your
eyes down or look In another direction
on meeting various old and young men
"'Count 5. That on certain night In
the fifth week Of your arrival and
while you were supposed to be asleep
In bed you were as matter of fact
sitting up in bed and singing about an
old darby whose name was Uncle Ned.
"'Count g. Tktt on one occasion you
mounted to the roof Of your dormitory
by way Of the stairs and scuttle and
waved your handkerchief at some
young men playing baseball.
"'Count Z. That it is believed, though
not proved, that an epistle of a senh-
mental nature was tied to stone and
thrown over the fence and that 1t was
meant for you, and you received it and
boosted that Uncle Sam didn't run all
the postofices in the country. There
are reasons for believing that on the
next night you threw a letter over in
response.
"'Count 8. That at various times
you have argued that there was moth
Ing wicked about the circus or the the
alter and that you have said that you
pitied old maids; also that you have
giggled when my name and condition
In life have been discussed. Further.
that you have said that you would be
married before you were twenty one.
Further, once more, that you have re-
ferred to Professor Balch as lopshoul-
dered and squint eyed
There are the respective counts,
Miss Hartnett, just as they have been
prepared to go to your guardian, and
now you may tell me what you have
to say in offset-that is, | don't suppose
you have anything to say"
"Oh, yes, I have" replied Miss Fan
nv as she drew paper from her pock- |
ct. Eyes, have something to say, and |
have also grouped it under the term |
counts. l will read them, If you
please:
"'Count l. That upon my arrival at
the school l was told Of about 500
things mustn't do.
"'Count 2 That l was sent to |
dormitory about as bare and poverty |
stricken as our old garnet at home.
"'Count g. That | have had about |
half enough to eat up to date and |
want to get out and steal raw turnips. |
"'Count 4. That one evening / got |
out into the yard, and while shopping |
around l passed Miss Taylor's room
and looked into the window and saw
Professor Balch holding her hand in
one of his and patting it with the
other.
"'Count s. That the night in Octo-
Der when it blew such a gale lot Of |
papers were blown from the profess
or's window. One Of these he didn't |
recover from the yard next morning
was half sheet on which he had writ
ten two verses Of poetry to Angelina's
eyes. There is only one Angelina con-
nected with this secluded school, and
she Is not teacher.
"'Count g. That we don't have blan-
kets enough on the beds to keep Us
warm. -,......:...-.... ---...