Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-05-20
A WINTER
ROMANCE
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.


nance in his SOUL He fell in love
with the new schoolma'am at once. aud
as he was the biggest Of the boys and
could lick any one Of them he felt that
he had the best chance. He was go
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 to 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 1t that way. He was
poor reader, but he had digested SO
many love novels that he wasn't going
to let so without 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 he
realized that romance must come be.
fore love. After thinking over it for
ten long nights and losing hours of
sleep he got his plan. The school,
ma'am must he abducted and be must
rescue her. At first the trouble seem.
ed to be to find the abductor, but Jed
Smith had way with him. Having
got the next biggest boy in the district
out to the barn with him. he unfolded
his plan and added:
"Jim, you've got to bear the school,
ma'am away. and I've got to rescue
her. You've got to turn your coat
wrong side out aud wear mask and
speak in hoarse voice. In rescuing
her I've got to give you mighty good
licking, but as ! am going to give you
80 cents you mustn't mind that"
Jim demurred. He didn't want to
abduct schoolma'am. and he didn't
want to be licked. He came to 1t in
time, however. Fifty cents in cash
was not to he sneeZed at. and he would
be licked if he refused to enter into
the plot. 1t took some little time to
perfect the details. but 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 a cloudy day.
it 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 mile to 60 when ready. Some
times two or three pupils stayed and
walked along With her: sometimes
she was alone. Luck aided the con-
spirators. 1t was young Jim Andrews
who was to do the abducting part
His fathers barn was near the school
house. aud 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 donning cloak and hat when
q masked villain appeared before her
and announced in an awful voice:
"Come with me! If you scream Of
struggle 1t means death"
Miss Seymour was properly shocked
She had never seen masked villain
before. No man. holding peact
stone in his mouth to make his voice
terrible. had ever thus addressed her
She thought she recognized the figure
and there was something about tn,
terrible voice that sounded familiar
but she grew faint. her knees weak
ened. and she was about to sit dow1
when the villain seized her with /.
grip Of steel and bore her out to hi
sleigh. She screamed and struggled
but she had to go. Jed Smith hat
said that it would be all the better 70
the plot If she screamed and strug
gled. More credit would be due hin
for rescuing her.
What neither of the plotters ha,
counted on was that some one nigh
come driving along the highway at til
critical moment. Some one did come
lie was man without romance III hi
soul. He was driving fast horse I
a cutter, and when the masked ma
swung the schoOln,a am into his sleig
Z, and started of at gallop the Stral
ger followed on aud cracked his viii
!. and shouted to let the girl know th:,
, help was at hand. She heard him. an
! so did Jim and his horse. II, fact, iii
horse ran away. and just as he rearllt
the point where the rescuer stu,
+ waiting he SHE'D into a drift an
I things were upset. Jed jumped fo
! ward. but he had scarcely roarpd on
+ ''Dic. villain!" when he was knockp
y silly by the stranger Then the strn.
y Cling Jim caught il. The svhoolna ~
+ was pulled out of the robes and hla1
n kets and stood one side, and then ht
rescuer Went in to have some fun wi,
o abductOr and rescuer.
h He stood them on their heads in II
f drifts; he damned them about: he WI,
! loped them up and down. aud whe
h they shouted for mercy he wallope
! the harder. Then. when tired out.
o lifted the girl into his cutter aud dro,
her home. 1t did not break up IL
o school: it simply broke up the romano
y OF the thing. When Farmer Smit