The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-13
A WINTER ROMANCE.
(BV M. Quad.


Miss Nettie Seymour had not been
teaching school in district No. over
two weeks when she was declared the
greatest success for the last Is years. I!
was large district, and she had over
so pupils. Miss Nettie was not only
girls" attending the winter term ali
were at once attracted to her. and she
was companion as well as a teacher
Of the five big boys all farmers sons.
each was in love with her and jealous
of the other They brought her apples
and hickory nuts and walnuts AMI
maple sugar; they drew her to school
on their hand-sleds and they drew her
home again. whichever one had the
honor Of fastening on her skates OF
Saturday afternoon was licked by the
others before Sunday noon
This state of affairs would havo
broken up the school within a month
had not Miss Nettie been polite and
diplomatic and dignif1ed. She was there
to teach instead of falling in love- She
treated all as pupils. Even when the
five big boys" came in a body to pass
the evening at the farm house where
she was boarding she would not accept
them as callers, but organized them
into spelling school.
Jed Smith was a farmers son. 20
years old. He was uneducated, I'M
couth and awkward, but he had ro-
nance in his soul. He fell in love with
the new schoolma'am at once, and as he
was the biggest of the boys and could
lick any one of them he felt that he had
the best chance. He was going to
marry Miss Seymour or know the rea-
son why. When he began to betray
signs of his love his father took hin,
out to the barn and turned on him to
say:
Now, Ted Smith, don't you go and
make no ding-dang fool of yourself!
The schoolma'am is all light. She amt
going to fall in love with nobody. You
git right over your nonsense and learn
something about spelling and geog-
raphy. You kin pillow and SOW and DRAG
and split rails, but no SIGH gal as that
is going to marry a Teller like you.''
1t was plain, sensible talk, but JED
wouldn't take it that way. He was a
poor reader but he had digested 81
many love novels that he wasn't going
TO let go without a try for it. He ha
drawn the schoolma'am on his hand
sled-he had skated with her-they had
sid down hill together-he had brought
her the biggest apples of any one, but
there was really nothing in these things
TO arouse her romance, and he realized
that romance must come before love.
After thin king over it for ten long
nights and losing hours of sleep he got
his plan. The schoolma am must BE-
abducted and he must rescue her. AT
first the trouble seemed to be to find
with him. Having got the next biggest
bow in the district out to the barn with
him he. unfoIded his plan and added:
Jim, you've got to bear the school
ma'am away, and I've got to rescue
fer. You've got to turn your coat
wrongside out and wear mask and
speak in hoarse. voice. In rescuing
her I've got to give you a mighty good
licking, but as I am going to give you
so cents for the job you mustn't mind
hat
Jim demurred. He didn't want to
s.bduct a schoolma'am and he didn't
want to be licked. He came to 1t in
'ime, however. Fifty cents in cash was
not to be sneezed at, and he would be
licked If he refused to enter into the
lot. It took some little time TO per
feet the details. but at last everything
was ready. Jed's old father saw fresh
"signs'' in spite of the sons apparent
careless demeanor, and he took him
to task again.
s'Jed." he said st noticed that you
didn't eat any beans for dinner and
If you hain't feeling we'll it's all right.