Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-07-31
A Brief f|openlent |

particular WINTER lnaL PROFESSOR We'll
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. aud he was embracing it at
the same time that we were calling him
a stony hearted wretch and predicting
that he would never find woman to
marry him. The professor, being
bachelor, went to board in the family
OF Deacon Hartman. The deacon had
bsen widower for five years and had
at last at the age Of forty-flve married
a girl Ut twenty-three. He was &C.
counted fatherly man and good
man, aud it soon became common Cos
stp 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 slapping 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.
Arcnrr1inr tI, tho ro,,n rz,(Po +l,n Hoo
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 90 over
to Berryville on business that would
dstAin 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
bit interested in opponents, fell
down aud broke the shaft. Up to this
moment the wife had been as soft as
butter and as tender as chicken, but
now sue suddenly changed and called
the professor names. She called him
9 doughhead and fool and a lot of
other things that astonished him, but
By and by he repaired the broken shaft
and new start was made.
A mile farther on it began to rain.
1t was cold rain. 1t was a rain that
meant business. 1t soaked them to
the skin in ten minutes. Then the
deacon's 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 eloping or out on the road
buying hogs. Then new start was
made. The professor was between two
minds He didn't know whether to
keep on and save the woman from fur
Their choktngs or go back and lick the
boys harder than ever, and as con-
sequence he drove into mudhole, the
whole outfit sticking fast. Thinking
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
also clawed the professors face
1t took an hour to make the horse un-
derstand that the journey had just be-
gun and to extricate the vehicle, and
then 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 lnrched around. and finally the
outfit rolled down the bank into a
creek. The woman was the first out.
She welcomed the professor with Ian
guage aud kicks. She made a new at
tack Oh him with fists and fingers. In
fact. he had to haul OF and hit her in
the nose in self defense. The professor
crawled UP the bank and started back
TOR the village. If any observations FOL-
lowed him he gave them no heed. He
knew that he was followed for some
distance by woman with q club. but
In the darkness he had all the advan-
tags.
On SATURDAY. and Sunday wo "a w tho