Year: 1879

teachers institute, and for that purpose
sent out printed invitations to the seLcol-
masters and schoolma'ams in all parts of
the county. Mr.. Walker is a lawyer,
who he's an Office with Mr.. Reuben
Smart, revenue collector One day.
when Mr.. Walker was directing the in
vitations to teachers, he was called
to consult with client, and he asked
| Mr.. Smart if he would not direct about
fifty of the invitations that were left, as
he desired to get them off in the mail.
Mr.. Smart is one of the most acoommo-
deting men in the world, and he said
certainly" and he sat down and direct
ed them, assisted by Mr.. Joseph Rankin
who happened to be present. Mr.. Wal
ker said he was very much obliged, and
| he would do as much for him some time.
Time passed. Time does not usually
pass, but in this instance it was deemed
| best to depart from the established rule.
| The opening day of the institute arrived,





from all points.
One of them the daughter of farmer,
rode in with her father, on a load of
wheat, and called at the residence of
Prof. Walker about half past seven in
the morning just as the family were sit
ting down to breakfast. OF course she
was. asked to ''sit by" and have some
| breakfast, and a plate was put on; the
rest of the family hitched along to make
room for her, and she moved up. While
eating breakfast, three more school
| ma'ams called, and were shown into the
parlor, and were told tc lay off their
things and make themselves at home
until the hour arrived for the institute to
open. 1t is needless to say that Mr..
Walker was in the best of spirits, and
was feeling good to have the school,
ma'ams show SO much affection for their
superintendent as to call at his house.
He asked them if they had been to
| breakfast, and they said they had left
home too early for breakfast, but that
they wasn't hungry. Of course not.
But places were cleared for them at the
table and they sat down. They had just
become seated, and had nicely disposed
of the weather question, when there was
a ring at the door bell, and two more
schoolma ans were ushered in. They
were almost Immediately followed by
two more and then three. Mr.. Walker
naturally began to exhibit some surprise,
when the young lady who had first como
arose from the table, iand said she would
be pleased to be shown to her room
Mr.. Walker looked at his wife, and she
looked at aim. At this point four horse
wagon drove up to the door, and eleven
schoolma ans jumped out and began to
bring gripsacks and Biographies into the
house. Mr.. Walker followed his wife
into the kitchen and asked her how that
pancake batter was holding out. She
said it was getting pretty thin, and that
be had better slip out the back door and
60 down to the grocery and get small
sack Of buckwheat -four, a ham, a jug of
maple syrup, few slices of beef, and
some sausage. She said, "Now, this all
comes of holding Office, and l told you
better all the time. You rush right
down town and get the things and will
see that these girls have their breakfast.
[ will help you out Of this scrape if you
will promise me on your solemn oath
that you will never take another political
Office"


He promised by the bald-headed Eli
lah that he never would, and he started
down town. On the way he met party
of girls who asked him to direct them to
the residence of Superintendent Walker.
With perspiration pouring out of every
pore, he told them to follow the process
ion, and he dropped into grocery and
got the things and came back, In few
moments he edged his way into the par
lor, where about thirty teachers ere
looking over the photograph albums, ,aud
studying algebra. He had buckwheas
flour on one side of his coat, and maple
syrup on his pants leg, that had dripped
off the Jug, and he smelled smoky, like
ham, but he smiled and told them he
hoped they would have real good time
at the institute. There was a smell Of a
big breakfast being prepared in the kit
chen, and Mr.. Walker was just wander
ing if he hadn't better hire a Pullman
car and run it into his back yard and
hire Joe Rankin for conductor, and allow
the teachers to sleep there, when black
eyed girl said:


''Mr. Walker, have got good joke
on you. How do you spell city 2"


He said "c-i-t-y," of course. She said
she had it in his own handwriting, and
he had two 't's" in it. He said she
must be mistaken, and she pulled out of
her pistol pocket the printed invitation
to the institute and showed it to him.
At the bottom Of it, written in business
hand, was the following:


''WhiIe you are in the city, I should
be pleased to haye you make your home
at my house."


He grabbed the invitation, and rushed
into the kitchen where his wife was help
ing the hired girl get breakfast. Drop
ping into a chair and covering his face
with dish towel, he said, 81 die by the |
hand OF an assassin" Mrs. Walker |
threw water into his face, and when he |
came to he said, "Reube Smart wrote |
that Invitation to the school ma'ams. o, |
will kill him." Mrs. Walker said she
hoped he would, but she entreated him |
not to kill Reuben suddenly, but TO let |
him die lingering death. At the in
stitute the joke leaked ont, and the girls |
kind of scattered arprJpd tn othar bonoao