The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-22
THE EVENING STORY
The Case of Miss Hartnett.
by Madeline Lewds.1

"hSh ASdCOH JOdO w MLIlau CdiicO
at Miss Taylor's Select and Highly
Moral and Refined School for Girls to
arrange for the attendance of his ward
fanny Hartnett, aged II. his attention
was called to the fact that the school
| buildings we're surrounded by fence
eleven feet high; also. that all windows
above the first story were frosted AND
impervious to masculine gaze. Further,
no pupil was allowed outside the fence
without chaperon.
Miss Taylor, who had barely turned
~, and carried the idea that it was "a
instead, then went on to speak of the
lectures she gave every Wednesday
night: of the care taken to keep news
the early hours for bed; of the fact
that the only man about the !nstitu-
ton. except a couple Of servants, was
Prof. Balch. who had charge of the
higher mathematics and was an old
bachelor Of the most incorruptible prin-
ciples.
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 gdggied; she also chewed
novels; she had had a beau, and she
loved to go to a circus.
In fact" said Miss Taylor, "she is
what you would call fip?''
nt.sa a.; l guess SO. Not too flip but
Il see. Well, while this is not a re-
formatory. We do now and then take in
pupil In order to cure her of flip
pancy. The fee is a little larger. but
we warrant perfect cure"
The deacon was willing to pay a lit
| tie more, and the financial end was
| soon settled. week later the new pu-
| Pill 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 con-
| sidered something Of tomboy, but
the phrase was not used to her detri-
ment.
| She was given to understand by Miss
| Taylor what was what and sent to her
| dorTnitory. 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 chalknne was
| quarterly reports. Every three months
private lecture room and her derelic-
| tons announced to her and recorded on
| blank.
| 1t depended upon that girl to make
| immediate Improvement, or the re-
port would be mailed away to father
or guardian. As a matter of fact. no
| report was ever mailed, as such action
might have resulted in financial loss
| to the school. but the threat had al
| ways proved a very effective weapon.
| 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 a report from the
hands of the deacon.
Much curiosity and considerable
anxiety were felt, save by the delin-
quent herself. She giggled and whis-
tied and bribed the grocer's boy to
! smuggle in gum, and when the fatal
day at length arrived she went smiling
| to the sacrifice. Miss Taylor kept her
on pins and needles for three or four
minutes to let the scare strike in and
soberly began: ,rss.
Miss Hartnett. have received sew
| eral complaints against you, and have
grouped them under the term counts.
I will read them to you:
count l. That on the Sd of Sep
| TENDER, two days after your arrival
here, you tried to tear board off the
| fence in order to look out. 1t is be-
| lieved, 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, y
too thin" etc:
you were chewing gum and eating
caramels.
".Count 4. That while going to
and returning from the postoff1ce In
| charge of Miss Lee you refused to cast
| your eyes down or look in another
direction on meeting various old and
"'Count s. That on a certain night
in the fifth week of your arrival, and
while you were supposed to be asleep
in bed, you were, as a matter of fact
sitting I'D in bed and singing about an
old darby whose name was Uncle
Ned:
you mounted to the roof of your dor
mitory by way of the stairs and scut-
tie and waved your handkerchief at
some young men playing. baseball
"'count Z. That it is believed,
though not proven, that an epistle of
a sentimental nature was tied to a
stone and thrown over the fence, and
that 1t was meant for you, and you
received it and boasted that Uncle
the country. There are reasons for
believing that on the next night you
threw a letter over in response.
"'Count s. That at various times
you have argued that there was moth
ing wicked about the circus or the
| theater, and that you have said that
you pitied old maids Also, that you
have giggled when my name and con-
dition 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 referred to Prof. Balch as
lop-shouldered 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. I don't sup
pose you have anything to say
| ooh, yes, have" replied Miss
Fanny as she drew paper from her
pocket. eyes, have something to
say, and 1 have also grouped it under
f! the term counts. I will read them, If
you please:
Count l. That upon my arrival
at the school I was told of about 500
/ things mustn't do.
".Count 2. That I was sent to dor