The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-07-07

A Brief EIopement

None of the boy pupils in attendance |
particular winter that Professor Well |
man was principal had the slightest
idea that he had any romance in his
soul. He hunted for boys to lick; he
gave out double lessons; he scared lit
tie girls half to death with his scowls."
And yet the professor was bubbling
over with soft heartedness and only
waited an opportunity to develop it
The opportunity came two months aft
er he did, and he was embracing it at
the same time that we were calling him
a stony hearted wretch and predicting
that he would never find a woman to
marry him. The professor, being a
bachelor went to board in the family
of Deacon Hardman. The deacon had
been a widower for five years and had
at last at the age of forty-fv married
girl of twenty-three. He was &C
counted a fatherly man and a good
man, and it soon became common Cos
| sip that his young wife was making
things bad for him. In the school
| master she had some one to tell her
troubles to. What he didn't see as an
inmate of the house she would tell him
| When she became confidential he be-
came her champion. She told him Of
the deacon Shaping her mouth, and he
| shuddered She told him of being
choked, and he dubbed. She told him
of being dragged around by the hair of
| the head and sat on. and he wanted to
| take the husbands life.
According to the young wife, the dea-
con was sly. He would call her his
birdie at the table and half an hour
| later chastise her and squeeze her
throat in the bedroom. He would sing
hymns with her in the sitting room
and threaten to murder her down Gel
lar. The professor saw nothing, but
heard all. His pity, indignation, sym
pathy and several other sentiments
were aroused.
One day the deacon had to go over
to Berryville on business that would
detain him two days. He went by
train, leaving the old horse and buggy
at home. That night his wife and the
schoolmaster eloped Their trunks
were packed and tied on to the buggy,
and they set out to drive distance
of twenty-five miles to the train.
They had scarcely got clear of the
town when the old horse, which had
no sentiment in his soul and was not
a bit interested in Opponents, fell
down and broke the shaft Up to this
moment the wife had been as soft as
butter and as tender as chicken, but
now she suddenly changed and called
the professor names She called him
q doughhead and q fool and lot of
other things that astonished him, but
by and by he repaired the broken shaft
and a new start was made.
A mile farther on it began to rain.
It was cold rain. 1t was a rain that
meant business. 1t soaked them to
the skin in ten minutes. Then the
deacons birdie swore She swore
cheerfully and freely. The astonished
: professor chided her, and she slapped
his mouth. He expressed his belief
that she wasn't the martyr he took her
for, and she slapped it again
BY and by the rain held up 1t will
do that sometimes, no matter whether
you are clipping or out on the road
buying hogs. Then a new start was
made The professor was between two
: minds He didn't know whether to
keep on and save the woman from fur
e Their chOkings or go back and lick the
e boys harder than ever, and as con
g sequence he drove into n mudhole. the
wi nl n
he had arrived at the end of his Jour
ney. the old horse lay down and al
lowed the buggy to settle to the hubs
The woman swore some more. She
2 also clawed the professors face.
' 1t took an hour to make the horse IN
f derstand that the journey had just be
c gun and to extricate the vehicle, and
! then a new start was made for an is
land in the Pacific Sentiment had
} chilled. but not killed. They had made
another half mile and were talking
about the way the husband had men
aced her with the Crowbar when both
front wheels of the weary buggy went
down in unison, the old horse stagger
ed and lurched around, and finally the
e outfit rolled down the bank into 8
creek. The woman was the first out
:, She welcomed the professor with Ian
: guage and kicks. She made a new at
;, tack on him with fists and fingers II
fact, he had to haul off and hit her II
h the nose in self defense. The professor
:. crawled up the bank and started bach
for the village. If any observations fol
lowed him he gave them no heed. HI
knew that he was followed for some
= distance by a woman with a club. bu
. in the darkness he had all the advan
e tage
On Saturday and Sunday we saw thu
professor about He looked like maj
that had loved and lost. The deacon
got home Sunday night to find that hi
: wife had gone, and certain folks SAX
that they hadn't seen him look so re
ieved since his marriage He was evel
jOcular and jolly in his talk. On Mon
day morning we were in school at tn
usual hour So was the professor
d That something was about to happel
s. we could all see. Something did II
/ began with the biggest boy in schoo
: and went down to the smallest girl an,