The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-08-31
NOTICE
TO QUIT

To Mary, standing grimly ready for
action with her broom in one hand
and her pail of sawdust in the other.
1t was sign of mental and moral
weakness for teacher to remain in
her room one minute after the dis.
missal bell rang.
To Miss Bird, breathing in the free.
dom of those welcome minutes, 1t was
glorious opportunity for personal
talks with delinquents for rum
maging through table drawers
and lingering over droll compositions
Sometimes she even sat for a minute
or two In utter idleness, just to look
at empty seats and fancy their own.
ers faces, misty and dim above them
Miss Bird loved her work. Mary
loved her work, too. But Mary loved
hers for the speed with which 1t could
be accomplished and unfortunately
Mary's work began only when Miss
| Birds ended. II Miss Bird had not
been novice in her profession she
might have discovered earlier Mary's
Impotence to invade her domain. But
In her innocence she failed to do SO.
The great cloud OF dust that poured
ominously from the dressing room as
soon as the children had marched
away irritated her nostrils or evoked
sneeze. 1t never impressed her as
the shadow of a coming event or set
her to thinking Of the unswept room.
The Intermittent uproar in the corri.
dor brought nseting thought that
the mop or broom in use there must
be badly worn down, but she never
interpreted that humping as the her
aid OF the approach of her rightful' sue
cessor. Each succeeding night still
found her sitting at her desk.
| Once. as she was leaving the build.
ing at quarter after 4, she fancied
that Mary looked troubled. Miss Bird
smiled to her.
Then Mary spoke solicitously.
Amt you ever afraid Of gettin' cold.
sittin' in that chilly room?"
We'll, the temperature does go
down." replied Miss Bird, but l don't
mind much"
ITS the worst thing you could do
after bein' in the heat all day." Mary
assured her solemnly.
Perhaps she's right" Miss Bird re.
| Elected as she left the building II
| must get the habit of leaving early
On the car going home Miss Bird
thought with qualification of the look
of anxiety on Mary's face. What lot
of unsupported sympathy the world
held for US, after all! And Mary was
| right, Miss Bird told herself. Sitting
in that cold room was most unwise.
But the next evening there were
reports to be made out and she did
not care to take them home. She had
been at work on them for a half hour
when she heard some one fumbling
at her door with a key. Through the
glass she recognized Mary's head stu.
diously bent. AS the teachers lock
their doors before leaving, the sweep
ers are provided with pass keys.
Mary was using hers now.
Miss Bird rose and stepped toward
the door. Mary looked up in surprise,
then opened the door and put her head
in.
Il beg your pardon. thought you
was gone" She halted THE other
teachers are keeping scholars" she
added significantly. Il didn't see no
scholars here"
I'll be gone in just few minutes,
now" said Miss Bird
IAN right Then. If you don't mind.
like to be putting the sawdust
around while I'm waiting"
Mary distributed the sawdust with
such vigor that Miss Bird had to move
with some dexterity to escape 1t.
For several days after that Miss
Bird departed as soon as she could
gather together her possessions. In
doing SO she had no thought OF Mary.
She had simply come to the conclu.
sion that remaining after hours was
somehow unwholesome. She began
to take a pride in leaving early.
Then came the last day of the week,
and with 1t complaints of her ranks.
Mutiny was astir. So $3.50 found her
facing the occupants of four front seats.
They were acknowledged law break
ers, every one, but they had to be
dealt with reasonably This matter
was complicated by the fact that all
four versions Of the tort for which
they were held differed radically. 1t
was still further intensified by deaf
ening noise from the corridor Indeed
1t seemed that the last word Of every
well directed question was lost In a
terrific vibration Of sound waves just
outside the room.
Miss Bird was puzzled. The whacks
seemed to indicate careful aim and
regularity of stress, but they were
not those Of an ordinary hammer. It
was probably some necessary piece
of carpentering, but it was most un-
fortunate.
She bore it as long as she could.
Then with a throbbing head, she dis
missed the disorderly four and went