The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-03-03

retain him as junior counsel to show the
iury that West had cut down a tree
which stood evenly on the dividing line
/ of the West and Colly properties, and
laughed derisively and scurriously rallied
at Collv for saying that his half of the
trunk should have been respected and
left standing.
"And if that isn't good case and a
sure winner, darling," said Philip, en-
Enthusiastically, as he folded Mabel III his
arms, 81 wonder what is. Don't yous'
-Then he kissed her again, and said he
wouldn't weary her with the dry details
of the law. 1t was very encouraging.
And thus hopefully they parted. Philip
went back to Philadelphia by night
train. and Mabel returned to her fathers
house. But the deacon gave her very
bad half-hour after supper. He said
Philip was nothing better than beggar,
dependent upon his uncle's bounty; that
he was mean fellow, and too dull to
succeed at any bar except marble
topped one with bottles behind it, and
somebody with him before it to pay his
reckoning. He said many other things
about her lover chat Mabel, beinga high
| spirited girl, could not stand at all. She
| went to her room when she could restrain
her tears no longer, and when she had
locked her door, and relieve" her heart
! with such tears as she had not shed since
her mother died, twelve years before, she
decided that she could never again have
home until Philip made one for her.
She had promised her lover that she
| would never marry any other man; but
she had also promised her father that she
would not wed without his consent.
The situation was rather.conflicting, and
only one thing was quite clear to her;
that was that neither Philip nor the
deacon should have an opportunity to
urge her to break either pledge. She
trusted her lover. and she trusted herself;
and above all, she had higher trust that
her dead mother had taught her. So
when she packed up u few articles OF
clothing in small handbag, counted
her savings, which amounted to about
seventv-fve dollars, and stole away with
the dawn unobserved by any one in the
house except the tooth-torturcd servant,
she felt lonely, and perhaps little fright
ened, but not at all the guilty conscience
stricken creature that the deacon add
most of the pious people of Squalacket
felt assured that she must be as soon as
her flight was discovered.
Deacon Stone was not, any time,
man of many ideas. He had only room
for one now, and that his wayward and
rebellious daughter had gone to Phila-
delphia to Join Philip. He fastened
there as fast as steam could carry him,
and went at once to the law students
one dingy room in Arch Street. He
found its occupant wrestling manfully
with the Revised Statutes of Pennsylva-
mia, and the earnestness with which he
assured his visitor that he was quite ig-
his own distress as he heard of her flight,
would have convinced an unprejudiced
person that he spoke the truth. But the
deacon was man of very fixed opinions.
He called the Objectionable quality that
usually won for him his own way "de-
termination. His fellow church members
referred to it as ''pig- headedness," but
that was only when there was no chance
of his hearing of the term so applied.
He now openly refused to credit Philips
declaration. But the young man listened
to his rambling, vehemently told story,
aud then with the same GOODNESS and
deliberatlon that afterward greatly helped
him in the case of Colly VS.. West, he
pretty thoroughly cross examined him.
He learned enough about the scene in
the rarlor the night preceding Mabels
dight to give him tolerably clear in
sight as to the actual state of affairs, aud
his knowledge of the proud, self-reliant
character of the girl assured him that
when she returned it would be of her
own free-will. Whatever efforts he made
to find her must be advanced with the
utmost delicacy, for he knew that any
thing like publicity would deeply offend
her. 1t was with great difficulty that he
finally persuaded the deacon to refrain
from taking the police into his conf
dence; and the old man departed, finally,
vowing that if his daughter were not
back in Squalacket before the eud of the
week he would obtain warrant for
Philips arrest, aud raise such a hue-and-
cry after Mabel as would lead to her dis
covery if she were still above ground.
Other and more important matters must
have claimed his attention, for, so far as
Philip could ascertain, he made no fur
Their attempt to lind the fugitive.
And so the dreary weeks heightened
into months. Mabel's retreat was nearly
as much mystery as ever-not as much,
for Philip received one short letter from
her, which relieved his anxiety. She
was in New York, and was safe and well.
She refused to tell him her address, but
promised to write to him again when
events justified such a course-say, when
the Philadelphia newspapers announced
that Colly had won his suit against West.
With this assurance he was obliged to be
contented; and in the early days OF
December Philip was called to the bar.
I.-A Il IL laAs II ~