Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-10-02
A CATSPAW.


town that Squire Coram's daughter,
Betty, was tabooed. Not only hands
off" was her fathers order to the
young men who coveted her. but
tongues of. and even eyes off. She
was not to be touched, or talked to, or
even looked at, and woe to the daring
youth who ventured to- transgress the
squire's command.
No wonder the young men OF Bung-
town coveted Betty Coram. Not only
was she very pretty. but reputed to
be very amiable and intelligent and
was certainly an heiress.
Squire Coram was q rich man. for
Bungtown, and Betty was his only
child, his darling, the apple of mis- eye.
He would undoubtedly leave her all
his property. But the young men OF
Bungtown sighed and longed in vain.
Squire Coram kept strict guard over
his jewel and warned all intruders of
the premises.
Among those who went wild after
Betty Coram was Excelsior Podd. the
only sen of Philetus Podd, editor of
the Bungtown Banner. Excelsior had
not been named after the celebrated
racer, but had been so called because
the elder Podd felt a prophetic impulse
that his son would rise higher in he
world than any N else.
why not?" asked Philetus Podd. II
the boy should inherit his fathers in
tellectual overs, and those powers
should be developed under the saga
cious instructions of that father, there
would be no limit to his capacity for
rising in the world. 1t was well,
therefore, that he was named Excel
sior.
AS yet, however, Excelsior Podd had
shown no remarkable appreciation of
the exalted destiny that awaited him.
He had just advanced beyond the po-
sition of devil in his fathers print
ing office, and had been promoted to
the dignity of a case"
He was chiefly noted for being an
overgrown, gawky youth of 10, who
had mo more sense than the law al
lows" and was often the butt of the
village wits.
But Excelsior had no knowledge of
his deficiencies, his opinion of himself
being reflected from that of his father,
who looked upon his offspring with adj
miring Y AS his bump of self
esteem was well developed, he did not
consider that he was at all presump-
tuous in aspiring TO the hand of sweet
Betty Coram, or in believing that he
might succeed where so many had
failed.
His disadvantages, of course, were
the same as those under which the
other young men labored, but
he showed considerable ingenuity in
overcoming the principal obstacle. He
invented all sorts of pretexts for gain
ing admission to Squire Coram's house,
and for obtaining interviews with the
lovely Betty. In these efforts he was
often successful, the more SO, perhaps,
because the squire did not believe that
his daughter could be in the least en-
dangered by the presence of Excelsior
Podd.
Excelsior thought otherwise. He be-
lieved himself to be a lady-killer, and
was sure that Betty Coram had fallen
before his inyincible onset. The truth
is that Betty was kept so secluded
that the visits Of even Excelsior Podd
were a relief to her, and she did not
try to conceal her pleasure at the
sight of O young a
This young man was sure hat he
had made a conquest, and his assur-
ance was rendered doubly sure when
George Deering, the son of the post
master, brought him a note. directed
in a delicate, feminine hand.
You are in luck, Excel" said Deer.
ing. Here is a note for you from Bet
ty Coram.'
Creation. George! how did you get
hold of it,.
Easy enough. She came to the Of
fee this morning with the squire, and
managed to slip the note into my hand.
| supposed it was for myself. and was
right mad when | saw that it was for
you. | don't know how it is, old fell
low, that you have got SO far ahead
of all the rest of us, and / can't help
envying your good fortune"
Excelsior eagerly grasped the tote
and went off to read it by himself. 1t
was in these words:
my dear friend. Excelsior Podd: 1
have noticed your looks, and believe
that you love me. If you do, now Is
the time to prove it. l can no longer
endure my fathers tyranny. and am
anxious to leave home. If you are
willing to take me out of here, / will
trust you to do so. Come tonight at
IL o'clock. The dog is chained, and
there is no one to fear but father. and
l Am sure that you are smart enough
to keep out of his way. Do not fail
me, and l am Yours ever,
BETTY"
Excelsior was in e~cstasies; he hardly
knew whether he. stood upon his head
OF his feet. Here was the beauty of
the village, the heiress of Bungtown.
actually proposing an elopement. and
with him. There could be no question
Of that. He would jump at the
chance.
During the rest of the day he was
in such a state of excitement and dis
traction that he was unable to attend
to his duties at the printing office.
At night he arrayed himself in his best
stole out Of the house, and directed his
steps toward Squire Coram's mansion.
Although Betty had not given him
any directions, he knew what to do.
He knew where her room was. and
where he must get over the fence. in
order to take the nearest route to her
window and that was the point he de-
sired to reach.
After passing through a grove. he
reached the fence which he was to
cross. 1t was a high picket fence, and
not easy to climb; but Excelsior
proved worthy of his NAME, and went
over it like a bird. On the inside he
saw a short stepladder and had fore