The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-02-18
A WIN Err
ROMANCE
Bv NJ. QUAD
Bv NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

ing to marry Miss Seymour or know
the reason why. When he began to
betray signs of his love his father
took him out TO the barn and turned
on him 10 say:
Now. Jed Smith. don't you go and
make no ding dang fool of Yourself"
1t was plain. sensible talk. but Jed
wouldn't take it that way. He was e
poor reader. but ne had digested so
many love novels that he wasn't going
to let go without Il try for IT, He had
drawn the schoolma'am on his hand
sled, he had skated with her. they had
slid down hill together. he had brought
her the biggest apples of any one. but
there was really nothing in these
things To arouse her romance and be
realized that romance must come be-
fore love After thinking over il for
ten long nights and losing hours of
sleep he got his plan. The school
ma'am must be abducted and he must
rescue her. Al first the trouble seem.
ed to be Ia find the abductor. but Jed
Smith had II way with him. Having
got the next biggest boy in the district
out to the iarn with him. he unfolded
his plan and added
Jim. you've got to bear the school
ma'am away, ard I've got to rescue
her You've got to turn your coat
wrong side Out and wear Il mask and
speak In Il honrse voice. I'm reScuing
her I've got To give you n mighty good
licking. but rs au going 10 give you
so cents you mustn't mind that"
Jim demurred. He didn't want to
abduct a SchOolma'am. and he didn't
want TO he licked. He came to il in
time, however. Fifty cents in cash
was not 10 be snPezed at. and he would
be licked If he refused TO enter into
the plot II took some little time TO
perfect the details. hut at last every
thing was ready. Jed's old father saw
fresh signs and he took him to task
again.
jed" he said. IF you are going to
make fool OF yourself in any way.
then look out for me-
In winter. especially on cloudy day.
1t begins TO get dark soon after 4
o'clock in the afternoon. The school
ma'am had often TO stay after school
had been dismissed to look over the
work for the next day. She had only
half a mile TO 20 when ready. Some
times two or three pupils stayed and
walked along with her: sometimes
she was alone. Luck aided the con
spirators. II was young Jim Andrews
who was to do the abducting part
His fathers barn was near the school
house, and he could both watch and
have horse ready harnessed. Jed
Smith was to be waiting up the road.
One afternoon the signal was given
and the plot was afoot. The teacher
had remained until almost 5. She
was just DOMINIC cloak and hat when
masked villain appeared before her
and announced in an awful voice:
Come with me. If you scream or
struggle 1t means death"
Miss Seymour was properly shocked
She had never seen masked villain
before. No man, holding a peach
stone in his mouth 10 make his voice
terrible, had ever thus addressed her
She thought she recognized the figure.
and there was a something about the
te,rrible voice that sounded familiar.
but she grew faint. her knees weak.
,ened. and she was about to sit down
when the villain seized her with Il
grip of steel anG bore her out 10 his
sleigh. She screamed aud struggled.
but she had to go. Jed Smith had
said that 1t would be all the better for
the plot if she screamed and strug-
gled. More credit would be due him
for rescuing her.
What neither of the potters had |
counted on was that some one might |
come driving along the highway at the |
critical moment Some one did come. |
He was Il man without romance in his |
soul. He was driving a fast horse to
a cutter, and when the masked man |
swung the schoolmaam into his sleigh |
and started off at a gallop the stran-
ger followed on and cracked his whip |
and shouted to let the girl know that |
help was at hand. She heard him. and |
so did Jim aud his horse. In fact. the
horse ran away. and just rs he reached |
the point where the rescuer stood |
waiting he SHE'D into a drift ana |
things were upset Jed jumped for
ward. but he had scarcely roared out, |
"Die. villain" when he was knocked !
silly by the stranger Then the strug- !
Cling Jim caught it. The schoolma'am
was pulled out of the robes and blan. |
kets and stood one side. and then her
rescuer went in to have some fun with
abductor and rescuer.
He stood them on their heads in the
drifts; he damned them about; he wal
loped them up and down. and when
they shouted for mercy he walloped
the harder. Then. when tired out. he
lifted the girl into his cutter and drove
her home. II did not break up the
school; it simply broke up the romance
Of the thing. When Farmer Smith
had got through using the CAD on the
Jed he threw it aside and
said
You was after romance and m |