Holbrook argus., 1912-05-07
Love On
 Ice
By Donald Allen

was three miles long Justice 0f the Peace Fiemming was moderator of number one, aud Farmer Davis of the other. The moderator is the chair man of the school board in a country district, and what he says is law.
 There wes g time when the two schools dwelled together in unity. but now there Is war between them. It started with an outside thing that should net have been dragged into the schools at all. One day Farmer Davis met up with the justice In the village and challenged him to a horse trade in the following language:
 Judge. how much boot will you give me between this boss and your gray mare?"
 'sYou are moderator of school dis. tFict number one. I believer" replied the judge in judicial tones.
 "Of course"
 And it's your duty to push the cause of education along?"
 ''It is."
 And yet you say 'hoss' for horse!'"
 "It is 'hoss.'"
 "Any child i've years old knows better"
 Look s-here. judge. I'm fifty years old. and I've always said 'hoss' and no one has had the impotence to say that I was wrong. Where do you get your suthority?"
 'In the dictionary"
 "Show me-"
 | Farmer Davis was taken into the okhee and the word pointed out. It was spelled and pronounced horse" :"
 That's all right" said the farmer. That probably means @ bay horse, but I'm talking about a black hoss. I've been charged with hindering the cause of education. Let's see wheth- CT have or not"
 The word couldn't be found, but Farmer Davis owned the only windmill in the township and had the biggest barn. and 1t was not for him to give up. Other people interfered and one school district became 'hoss' and the other horse district. There had been spelling contests in the winter. and HOW these were abolished. There had been sleighrides. but they were given up. Both had always hired men teachers, but now Farmer Davis said to tho others on the board:
 What we want here is female teacher. and the best looking one in four counties-ene to take the rag right oR the bush."
 2: "But she can't lick the big boys" was, objected.
 "Shs won't have to. We'll be the licking committee ourselves"
 But gal can't wade through snow drifts"
 >"Some of us will drive her to school and back in sleigh"
 But If they have a young man in the other district and we have a gal in this won't they fall in love?"
 Not by forty ring-tailed coons!" replied the moderator as he smashed his list down on the desk Our gal has got to be told in advance that there's got to be nothing of the sort going on. The minute she falls in love away she goes. We ain't going to run 8 matrimonial bureau at this l 0HO Ot the lah0.
 When the winter term came on one school district had Mir Edward Cars ton for teacher. and the other had Miss Mary Burton. MT. Carston was about twenty-four and Miss Burton three years younger It was agreed on all sides that both had style. When contracted with, both received plain l %O -6o% I | of them. They were to look upon each other as enemies. and If they hap. pened to meet on the highway they were to pass each other with the most supreme indifference.
 Mr Carston was a fine skater. So was Miss Burton. On Saturdays, If the weather permitted. they were on the Ice. also, on moonlight nights and after school hours. line was drawn across the center of Plum lake each district kept to its half
 One night. when skating alone, NIT. CarstOn crossed the boundary and went on a scout into the eneJny's country. He saw girl dodge into a little bay. He paused for a moment, Her movements on the steel runners wero so graceful that he knew it must be "the gal teacher" They were alone on the lake, but they must not come within ten rods of each other MT Carston went his way. but at day. light next morning he was skating into that bay. The ice there was as smooth as glass. Only one pair of skates had left marks there. After 2 look around he wrote this message on the ice with the heel of his skate: Greeting To You"
 That night, after the lake was well clear of skaters, he secuted down to the bay again. His message had been scratched out and another left It read: