The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-06-01
s elect Stnrp.
An Unavailing Subterfuge


An Unavailing Subterfuge
Elliott Flower in The Cosmopolitan.
The situation was awkward, and there
was little time for consideration. Above
all things, it was deemed necessary to avoid
a scandal, and yet the elopement must be
prevented. As the young couple had al
ready left in a carriage, this presented dit-
fieulties Still, letter that the girl had
overlooked in her haste told enough Of their
plans to make it easily possible to intercept
them at the station.
But there must be no scene. Mrs.
Pasker insisted. lit would be terrible to
have Madeline the center of a newspaper
sensation A young girl never wholly re-
covers from the disgrace of such publicity.
If We could only get him locked up for
little while, we could get her away to
Europe
SO, on the impulse Of the moment, Cor
pelius Pasker swore to warrant charging
Horace Bennett with larceny, and then in
tercepted the couple at the station.
1t was all very cleyerly managed. Ben
nett was caught while checking the bag
/ gage. and was hustled away without an
opportunity to say word To his prospective
bride. Meanwhile, the girl was rounded
up in the waiting room and led in tears to i
/ carriage that whisked her back home, this
detail Of the proceedings being skillf'nlly
managed by Ms Paskcr Ii had been the
intention Of the young couple to be married
in a neishboring town, - this prompt and
extraordinary procedure seemed to he
wholly effective
There gas. however, much to worry
Pasker, when he stopped to consider the
new siiaation. They had checkmaied the
yourc people without scandal, bat what
/ assurance had they that Bennett would noI
tell the whole story That would be
natural thing for him t. do, but. on the
other hand. his chiyalroas regard for the
girl might make him as anxious as they
I were to avoid dragging her name into
I police court case-if be understood Pasker
I gave him credit for being this much Of
/ gentleman. even If no, an eligible suiSor.
But he might 10, grasp this feature of the
situation, and his anxiety to protect himself
Z might be overwhelming
1 We don { want to be hanl 90 You
/ Paskcr said significantly, BY way of init
7 mating that this was merely move sn the
game and uol to b. regarded ss ease IN
I itself
Beapeti dii not design 10 reply. and /;
was impossible 10 tell whether be under.
stood the idea sought 20 be conveyed lie
had been ,old that the charge was Lreeny,
but he had learned none of the details
I Az ,he poliCc station, however, be sough.
/ further information
s'I.arceoy OF shat be demanded,
when the charge vas repeated 90 him thcrc-
4 diamond nng, vas The reply
For momeu, the youth seemed puzzled;
then ht. face broke into a smile. and finally
he laughed
That's good, he eommcusci. but
whether he meant sha, It was a gpod joke
~ 4 clever move did nol agfcar. SuA. the
smile and thr comment ysmewhaI reassurel
Pasker aud there vas no,hins especially
significant ia Bennett 5 demand that the
case he heard AZ ouco-
III jhiak tomorrow vii BE- ume
enough, suggested PaskeT.
No. now, insisted Bennett I'D
rather IL ia Jail than dirty old police sta
,ion- u get bail, If have to stay here =
This threat vas too much for Pa-keT,
who certainly did not van, ,hc ypung man
as liberty jus; yet, and, A. the police court
was in session, It was agreed that the case
should De beard as soon as Nrs Pasker
/ prv>ouee c5ull bc secured But Paskcr
was becoming more and u,orC uncomiurta.
bic He did not want 10 press ths c@se at
Z this time IN fact, he was beginning - think
be did nos want TO press II at all II he
/ could oaly keep the Young fellow locked up
and sileu, for iew DAYS, he woala be quite
contcn, to drop the proceeiings IL seemed
70 he unfair TO take advantage of his con
I sideration for the giri But Mrs PaskcT
proved To be more unErlentiug and her in,
/ huence with Pasker was strong.
He too inpatient, complained Pas
I kcr
/ "Of coar,e. his wife conceded. so
i. she. That's why we ye had to do this So
Il thought had the case well in hand 20
| persisted Pasker, ''but he rushing il too
fast for proper coutrol. He's forciog the
/ issue.
/ Then he must take the consequences,
| declared Mrs Pasker Think ot Made
T line She must be our first consideration
/ Il i better that he should be locked NJ for
/ a little while than that she should b. made
unhappy for life Besides, its his own
/ fault
From 4 parental point of view, this rea-
souing was good, but there were other
[ troublesome features
its going to be pretty hard to make
the larceny charge stick, said Pasker.
Nonsense returned Mrs. Pasker.
.'He took Madeline, didn't heY
Pasker gasped. Larceny Of girl
/ he exclaimed But that preposteross. -
And she was wearing the diamond ring,
so of course he took that, continued Mrs.
Pasker, complacentiy. He stole every
thing she had on when he took her ''
Heavens" calculated Pasker.
"It's true, isn't it?' demanded Mrs.
Pasker
''Oh, of course, answered Pasker fee
/ bly,. "He-he certainly didn't get her
separately.
Now, Pasker had taken this larceny of
the ring on faith Mrs. Pasker having sup
piled the specific charge when he had sus
gesled getting warrant. IL. had no idea
| that the ring actually had been stolen, but
he counted upon its being found in Ben
nett possession, and that would serve well
enough as an excuse to get the young man
out of the way temporarily, By the time
the affair was Strengthened out, the girl
would be safely out of reach. Now, how
ever, he suddenly discovered that he did
not have even this little basis for his charge,
and there was no time TO revise his plan
He was dazed, and, before he had recov-
cred his wits, they were summoned to the
police court. The only consoling thought
! that came to him, as he mechanically fol-
I I,-aI g., ,u.s ,-.., l. -.