The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1909-11-04
When Miss Lucy
Had the Measles
BY LUCY COPINGER
Copyright. by J. B, LipplneOtt Coz

/ IN tne close rOOm-and the next DAY
Glass A was in the hands OF substi
tute. Miss Lucy. though grieving that
since she had TO catch something, II
was not some Interestingly pedagogi
cal disease like brain flag or nervous
prostration. consoled herself with the
reflection that 1t might have been the
humps, and so settled down to her
enforced holiday with resignation.
Not so, however, was the spirit OF
Glass A. The substitute was of the
rank of teachers whose pride is that
they are disciplnarians. and, besides,
never having had the baby class. she
did not understand all those little vag.
aries that are but evidences of the
struggling intellect. No one was al.
lowed to stay in after school to give
careful assistance; boards were un.
cleaned, pencils unsharpened, and the
"gee-ranum cherished nature study
blossom of the whole class--faded neg
lectedly away. For an innocent witt
cism Bum O'Reilly was sent to the
principal, charged with the sin of i'm.
pertinence; Sophie Bauerschmidt was
kept in every day for talking: Anna
karenina had been hooking every af.
ternoon, and as for Frederick William,
he hated the substitute with hatred
unusual to his peaceful little nature
this hatred being engendered NJ ON the
occasion when he was caught nibbling
at a luscious bun. The substitute, un,
like Miss Lucy, whose removals were
only temporary, had thrown the bun
into the waste basket.
"She is dead declared Anna kare.
nina gloomily, Il seen her, she god
run Offer mid beer wagon, und she
aind nefer coming back"
Jaw, git de hook" said Bum skep.
tically. "Wot yer lying fer?"
n aind," said Anna hotly; and |
seen her funeral, they was a grape
und den hacks"
Having thus uttered her account of
the splendors of Miss Lucy's obituar
les, Anna fell to reilectively spreading
her bare toes dam.lilIe across the gut.
ter. The three, Anna. Sophie and
Bum, were sitting on the curb stone in
front of the school, where they had
met to discuss the disappearance of
Miss Lucy.
In spite of these convincing details,
the other two were doubling. May.
be her and her beau is going to git
married. suggested Sophie, and may.
be then she won't be teacher no
more"
No" said Bum thoughtfully; when
you git married you don't do nothin'
but jest tend babies and live off yer
he added, with bitter
experience, hes guzzler and you
got to take in washin'." Having thus
epitomized the chief pleasures and
trials of matrimony in general, Bum
Tell to considering the case of Miss
Lucy. He remembered the prophecy
Of his mother that Miss Lucy was not
long for Glass A, but he also remem.
bered the teachers fervent avowal of
1t might not be too late
to dissuade her. AS the result of much
discussion in this direction, a letter
was laboriously written upon a piece
Of brown paper.
missis Loosely lit vent pies do not git
marrid we will lern awl the time the
geranum Is ded we will wash our ers
This letter was placed in an enyel
ope, addressed briefly to "missis
Loosely" and posted.
She'll like the ears part" explained
the tactful Bum hopefully. she allus
was fussin' about yer ears"
Having dispatched this diplomatic
plea, Glass A waited in a suspense al
most unbearable by the substitute. and
when at the end of the week 1t was
apparent that their appeal had not
moved Miss Lucy, change of tactics
was decided upon.
After much debate 1t was decided
that the principal was the object of
Miss Lucy's affections. Undoubtedly
1t was the principal. But the only way
in which an interview with him might |
be obtained was through unusual dc.
pravity. Therefore it was agreed that
On the next afternoon each member of
the committee was to offend in such
dire manner that trial by the supreme
power would be necessary. This was
an easy matter for Anna Karenina
When she appeared, for the first time
In three days, the substitute asked her
name and then consulted the roll book
severely.
Where have you been?" she asked
Anna regarded her silently.
Little girl, answer me-" repeated
the substitute. What have you been
doing?"
"Bie-faze," remarked Anna briefly
"whad you Think" and was immedi. |
ately appointed to be cast out
Equally fortunate was Bum whoa
manner Of offending was the sticking
Of wet piece of putty down Fred. |
erfck Williams back; but 1t was not
until school that Sophie, who had se-
cured only an ordinary 'keep-ino for
lay down upon the floor and
kicked her fat little legs violently
thereby accomplishing her ejectment
So il came about that when tho Az