Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1904-06-03
THE LONG CORRIDOR.
BY JOHN n. osKIsON.

er, fell In love with Henrietta Schoul-
or he knew that his father would OPP
pose their marriage. He was sopho-
more at Harvard, and Henrietta was
studying music with Madame Frisonne
in Boston. Mrs. Sears, the girls chap
eron and aunt, had warned the youth
that the attachment must be broken.
mot that l or Mrs. Schouler object
for you are a nice boy. Edwin; but
your father would rather see you dead
than allied to the Schoulers by mar
riage. Why? | can't tell you-go and
ask your father"
So Edwin, hurriedly packing a bag,
rushed to his parents big New York
Office, blurted out the story of his love
for the pretty music student and de-
manded the reason for the anticipated
opposition. There was quarter OF an
hour of storming-an incoherent dam
nation by the old man Of everything
connected with the Schoufers, and a
sweeping characterization Of the fam
lily that brought the young man to
his feet almost screaming with rage
before an explanation was offered.
Then old Dumble said, tersely:
"Old Schouler was my secretary
once. He married woman OF no fam
lily, an adventures, who has been try
ing to get a hold on me ever since
This daughter has been shipped from
St. Louis to Boston to study this fol-
de-rol French singing, and-mark my
words, my boy-and to take you in!
in! You've been taken in, too, easily
enough"
But" the old mans voice was raised
In anger, you must not see that Great
ure again!"
"Creature!" cried young Dumble,
starting up from his chair. 'sSir, you
must not say that again! Henrietta
Schouler is the dearest, best girl on
earth, and" Edwin controlled him
self with an effort.
There is no use wasting words be-
tween u.s." said the father, speaking
quietly now. Il can never consent to
your marriage with that GIRL can
not consent to have you see her again.
Mrs. Sears agrees with me. Now, will
you give me your word as a gentle
man-aS my son-not to try to see her
If you go back to Cambridge"
NO." replied the son. Il love Henri
eta better than my own life. | shall
marry her, whatever you say or do"
Then, for a time, the two stood face to
face. The father turned from his gaze
and, began to pace the thickly car
peted floor of his big Office, and pres
emily the son was measuring the OPP
posite limit Of the room. And so, for
half an hour. At last the old brewer
stopped to face his son and say:
81 am quite determined that this
marriage shall not take place. You
would do well not to try to force it. |
am prepared to go to any extent to
prevent it. Now, go back to Cambridge
with this thought before you always: |
shall thwart every attempt you make
to see the girl and will make it abso-
lutely impossible for you to marry her.
hope you will recover from this
madness"
The old mans tones were so even,
so controlled, that the boy suspected
disposition to yield. He began to
plead, saying that the girl was worthy,
eautiful-everything desirable. But
the thunder cloud began to gather, and
the incoherent pleading was stopped.
go now, my son, before we quarrel
further" said the old man, quietly.
Young Edwin went back to Cam
bridge, leaving his father to an hour
of fierce anger, then night of active
planning. When the rumble of the
milk carts in the deserted streets an
nounced the morning, the old man
went home and to bed with smile of
confidence.
eft will be unusual, and little hard
to manage, but it won't hurt them!"
he muttered before going to sleep.
Mrs. Sears, co-plotted with Mrs.
Schouler, was entirely satisfied with
the result of Edwin's visit to his faith
er the youth came back to her with
a pitiful pleading to be allowed to see
Henrietta. But she had to deny him,
she said. Her plan was to force an
elopement, and the boy must be goaded
to very frenzy of desire. She private
ly determined to allow their next at
tempted meeting, which was due with
n two days But when that time ar
rived s1e was thunderstruck to find
that another plotter had entered the
game; that Henrietta had been, in
some inexplicab!e way spirited away
from her home, half an hour before
the young man made his backyard en-
try to deserted first-floor parlor.
AS the youth opened the Searses'
front door on the evening following
his buglarious entry, the girls aunt
met him, wild-eyed and distrought.
"Oh. where have you taken Henriet-
ia? where is the child Mrs. Sears
was in an agony of fear.
81? queried the astonished boy. 81
have not seen her for months. Oh!
what has become of her-why did |
not see her last night?" Mrs. Sears
promptly tainted, and was given over
to the care Of her maid. Edwin could
get nothing more from her. But he
was determined to find Henrietta and
marry her at once.
In delirium of fear for the girl and
rage at his own stupidity, he started to
walk back to his rooms in Cambridge.
He never got to them. He disappeared
from the college world as completely
as though the earth had opened to
swallow him.
On the top of Cardigan Mountain, in
New Hampshire, stern-faced old man
directed the labors of two score of
workmen. This horde had suddenly
descended upon the peaceful hill vii
lage two days before, and straightway
began the erection on the mountain
top Of a curiously divided, substantial
structure, where. it was announced,
certain rich meteorological experiment.
er was to spend the winter and spring.