The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-03-24
THE
.SCHOOLMA'AM
BY WILLARD BLAKEMAN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

way! AT last, when we'd just fired
one Of 'em, a good lOokin' gal applied
Tor the position and got it just be-
cause she wasn't like any of the rest
or 'em. She was soft spoken and said
she preferred managin' the children
by kindness rather than any other way.
Some of the teachers we'd had were
great trouncers, and the boys didn't
like 'em.
Miss Hathaway-that was her name
was engaged, and 1 must say the
school settled right down to business.
l don't know how much larnin' the
children got, but they was quiet as
lambs. Some of US tried to find out
how she done 1t by questionin' the
scholars, but they didn't know. Some
of 'em said that when she TOLD 'em to
keep quiet she looked at 'em in a way
that convinced 'em they better had.
The cashier of Boobies bank fell in
love with Miss Hathaway and wanted
to marry her. She KEEP him on the
rack, not givin' him any decided an
swer. We who had children to eddi-
cate hoped she wouldn't have him,
for the school was dom mighty we'll
and had never succeeded before The
mothers were especially anxious, not
that they was particular about their
children gittin' larnin', but because If
the school wasn't runnin' and they had
to take care Of their young uns they
hadn't no time to gossip over the fences
that divided the back yards. .,
But somehow if Miss Hathaway
brought us good luck with the school
a heap of trouble came with her There
was raids made on the town by boss
thieves one after t'other till nearly
every boss in town was stole. 1t look
ed as though some un who had lived
In the town was leadin' 'em, for they
seemed to know just where every boss
was located. When there wasn't but
a few bosses left their owners tried
to hide 'em. But it didn't do no good
the thieves seemed to smell 'em and
went right to where they was hid.
All this time Shinkley. the cashier Of
Boobies bank that l tole you about,
was a-settin' up to Miss Hathaway.
he had fine iron gray boss he paid
5000 for that he used to drive her out
with. He was awful afraid he'd lose
the animal, and Miss Hathaway sug-
gested that he keep him nights in the
schoolhouse. Nobody wouldn't think !
of lookin' there for boss. He done
1t, and, sure enough, in the mornin
there was the boss, safe and sound. |
But he only KEEP the critter there few |
nights when somepin happened that he
didn't need to keep him there any |
longer.
One night Shinkley visited the teach
er, and when he went away they both
went to the schoolhouse. which was
close by, and put in the boss. Then
Shinkley kissed her good night, for |
she'd promised to marry him. He went
home and to bed. He couldn't git no
sleep because he was so happy at git
tin the only gal he'd ever seed that he
wanted to marry.
That was in June, when the day
breaks early. Between and 4 O'Clock
in the mornin ShinkIey was awoke by
clatter of hoofs comm down the
street. Thinkin' it was the boss i,
thieves and wishin' to git sight of
'em, he jumps out of bed and runs to
the winder. He was In plenty Of time
to see all he wanted to. Five men was
ridin' down the street. headed by wo-
man ridin' straddle, just as they was.
When they got opposite the winder
where Shinkley was looking out he see
that the woman was the schoolteacher,
and she was riding his iron gray boss.
She looked up at him and larfed.
"Much obeeged," she said, 'for CIV
in me the combination of the safe. My
friends have been after somepin better
than bosses this time We got all the
currency in the bank"
Then the Teller ridin' next to the
schoolmarm he sung out, Take that
for kissin' my wifer' And he fired
shot that went through panel Of
glass jist above the cashiers head.
Well, now, reckon that cashier
was mad Nothin' makes anybody so
mad as to git fooled. Shinkley had
been fooled as to his affections, had
lost his fine boss and given away an
entrance into the banks safe.
Mebbe he didn't git move on him!
Without stoppin' to git into his clothes
he run down and out, and, SEEM
friend of his'n that had bicycle, he
got him to follow the robbers while he
got I'D a posse Inside of ten minutes
men was leavin' the town on wheels
they wasn't no bosses to ride-all arm
ed with rifles. They didn't wait for
one another. but as fast as Shinkley
got a man cut he sent him on. When
Shinkley had started a dozen men he
1T out himself.
The robbers, KNOWN there was no
bosses in the town, forgot about bi-
cycles, and they didn't expect such a
quick chase. They didn't hurry much.
The bicycles closed up and made
chase together. A boss gifts tired, and
a bicycle doesn't, so every one Of the
robbers was token.
shinkley couldn't revenge himself on
a woman by hurtin' her. The way ne
did it was by hangin' every one of the
men, includin' her husband, who had
shot at him. She was forced to see
one after another swung Off, includin
her husband. When the ceremony
was over they left her lynn in heap
In the middle of the road. She was
all gone up