The Washington bee., 1911-03-18

y years old. He was uneducated, un-
cOutb and awkward, but be had ro-
nance In bis soul. He fell In love
with the new schOolma'am at once. and
as be 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 ne 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 it that way. He was a
poor reader, but he had digested so
many love novels that he wasn't going
to let go without a try for it. He had
drawn the schOolma'am on his hand
sled. be 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 it 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. At first the trouble seem
ed to De to 1nd 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 and wear a mask and
speak In a hOarse voice. In rescuing
her I've got to give you a 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 a schOolma'a am. and be didn't
want to be licked. He came to it in
time, however. Fifty cents in cash
was not to be 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 sa W
fresh signs" and he took him to task
again.
jed" he said, ''if you are going to
make a 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 q mile to go when ready. Some
times two or three pupils stayed ana
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, and he could both watch and
have a 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 8. She
was just dOnning cloak and rat when
a 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 a masked villain
before. No man. holding a peach
stone 10 his mouth to make his voice
terrible, had ever thus addressed her.
She thought she recognized the figure.
and there was a something about the
terrible 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 a
grip Of steel and bore her out to his
sleigh. She screamed and struggled,
but she had to go. Jed Smith had
said that it would be all the better for
the plot If she screamed and strug-
gled More credit would be due him
for Fescuing her.
What neither of the plotters had
counted on was that some one might
come driving along the highway at the
critical moment. Some one did come
He was a man without romance IN his
SOUL He was driving a fast horse TO
a cutter, and when the masked man
swung the schOolma'am 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 and his horse. In fact, the
horse ran away. and just as he reached
the point where the rescuer stood
waiting he SHE'D into a drift and
things were upset. Jed jumped for
ward, but he had scarcely rOared out.
Die. yillain," 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 bIan-
kets and stood one side, and then her
rescuer went in to have some fun with
lbductOr and TeScuer.
He stood them on their heads 10 the
drifts; be jammed them about; he wal
Ioped them up and down, and when
they shouted for mercy be walloped
the harder. Then, when tired out. be
lifted the girl into his cutter and drove
her home. 1t did not break up the
school; 1t simply broke up the romance
1f the thing. When Farmer Smith
had got through using the CAD on the