Bloody Lessons

Bloody Lessons by M. Louisa Locke

Book: Bloody Lessons by M. Louisa Locke Read Free Book Online
Authors: M. Louisa Locke
although I can see that we are thinking along the same path.” Nate chuckled, then turned serious. “I did ask him if he could bring Mrs. Anderson into the office so I could ask about her hiring, make sure there aren’t any surprises. I will represent him in any case, but it would make me feel better if I thought I had all the facts. That’s why I wanted to ask you if you thought Jamie’s mother would be willing to talk to me about Mrs. Anderson since she also teaches at Girls' High. See if she has heard any rumors about her and her teaching appointment.”
    Annie hesitated. Barbara Hewitt was such a reserved woman. It had taken months, and a rat her disturbing event last fall, to get her to the point where she was comfortable enough to call Annie by her first name. Annie thought that Barbara’s marriage might have been as unhappy as her own since she never mentioned Jamie’s father. But she could be wrong. Unremitting grief over the loss of that husband could explain her reticence. In any event, she didn’t know how Barbara Hewitt would feel about gossiping about one of her fellow teachers.
    “I will ask her. But I’ll also make it very clear that if she feels the least uncomfortable, she need not talk to you. She’s been very helpful, taking your sister under her wing. I don’t want to do anything to upset their growing friendship. Did you know it was Barbara and Jamie who accompanied her to Hattie Wilks’ boarding house this Friday? Maybe I should ask Laura if she has heard anything about any teachers still being upset about the reduction in teachers’ salaries. Then I could steer the conversation to other subjects, like what was bothering her so much about her first teaching experience this fall or male classmates who were not her friends.”
    “Sounds like a good strategy.” Nate looked out the door to the empty hallway, then put his arm around her again. “Now, before any of the boarders come out of the dining room, I have something of greater importance to discuss. Have I told you yet tonight how beautiful you are?”
    And before Annie could answer, Nate kissed her.

Chapter Nine
    Monday afternoon, January 12, 1880
     
    "Superintendent Taylor moved that a Committee be appointed to consider the advisability of granting diplomas to the young ladies of the Normal class who are to graduate in May next:" –– San Francisco Chronicle , 1880
     
    “Miss Dawson, I want to say again how much I appreciate your willingness to let Miss Blaine assist in your classroom this term. I’ve told her how fortunate she is to get the chance to work with someone who has just graduated from the state Normal School. Such a superior education.” Della Thorndike, the Girls' High normal class teacher, smiled warmly at Laura. Pulling the shy Miss Blaine forward, she said, “Kitty, my dear, do tell Miss Dawson how pleased you are.”
    The young woman, a redhead whose heart-shaped face was marred by a distinct look of annoyance, murmured, “Yes miss, so pleased.”
    Laura had been annoyed herself when she arrived in the teachers’ room of Clement Grammar for her meeting with Miss Thorndike and discovered she had brought along the student teacher she wanted to place in Laura’s class. But Hattie’s positive description of Miss Thorndike had reassured her, so she didn’t object. In fact, by the time Miss Thorndike finished telling her about the well-ordered sequence of training she had developed for the students engaged in practice teaching, Laura felt quite pleased about agreeing to the whole enterprise.
    Since Miss Blaine had her pedagogy classes in the morning, she would be at Clement Grammar only in the afternoons between noon and four. The first two weeks , she would be observing Laura’s teaching. Then, under Laura’s supervision, she would work with small groups of students on their math or reading, followed by four weeks where Miss Blaine would lead the class for an hour each day. Once a week, Laura would meet with

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