The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-07-08
TheCase of
Miss Hartnett
BY MADELINE LEWIS.
opyrighted. 1908, by p. C. EASEMENT.

range for the attendance Of his ward,
Fanny Hartnett. aged seventeen, his
attention was called to the fact that
the school buildings were 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
forty and carried the idea that
1t was twenty-seven 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
nbout the institution, except couple
of servants, was Professor Balch, who
had charge of the higher mathematics
and was an old bachelor of the most
incorruptibe 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 a beau, and she
loved to go to a circus.
In fact" said Miss Taylor, "she is
what you would call fip?
Eyes, guess So Not too flip, but
little flip"
81 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 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 blank.
1t depended upon that girl to make
immediate improvement, or the report
would be mailed away to father or
guardian. AS matter of fact no re-
port was ever mailed, as such action
might have resulted in financial loss to
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 a report from the
hands of the deacon.
Much curiosity and considerable anX-
iety We're 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
tember, two days after your arrival
here, you tried to tear board off the
fence in order to look out. 1t is beliSv-
ed, but not absolutely proved, that
there was a young man on the other
side of the fence at the time.
"'Count .. That on the second week
Of your arrival you made use of such
terms as "hully gee" come Off" "too
thin" etc.
"'Count 3. That on the third week
you were chewing gum and eating car
amels.
count 4. That while going to and
returning from the postoffice 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 a certain night in
the fifth week of your arrival and
while you were supposed to be asleeI
in bed you We're as a matter of fact
sitting up in bed and singing about al
old darky whose name was Uncle Ned
"'Count 6. That on one occasion yor
mounted to the roof of your dormitory
by way of the stairs and scuttle anC
waved your handkerchief at some
young men playing baseball.
"'Count 7. That it is believed, though
not proved, that an epistle Of sent
mental nature was tied to a stone an(
thrown over the fence and that it wal
meant for you. and you received it ant
boosted that Uncle Sam didn't run al
the postoffices in the country. Their