The Washington bee., 1911-03-04
\ WINTER
ROMANCE
By Nj. QUAD
copyright, 1910. by Associated Literary
Press.l


couth and awkward. but he had rO-
nance In his soul He fell in love
with the new schoolma'am at once. and
as he was the biggest Of the boys and
could lick any one Of them be 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 it that way. He was
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, he had skated with her, they had
slid down hill together, he had brought
her the biggest apples OF any one, but
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 be abducted and be must
rescue her. At first the trouble seem
ed to be to 6nd the abductor, but Jed
Smith had a 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 ! an going to give you
90 cents you mustn't mind that"
Jim demurred. He didn't want to
abduct a schoolma'am and be didn't
want to be licked. He came to il in
time. however. Fifty cents in cash
was not to be sneezed at. and be would
be licked If ne 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
sgain.
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 a mile to go when ready. Some
times two or three pupils stayed and
walked along with her; sometimes
she was alone. Luck aided the COZ
spiEators. 1t was young Jim Andrews
who was to do the abducting part
His fathers barn was near the school
house. and be could both watch and
have q 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 bat when
a masked villain appeared before her
and announced in an awful voice:
Come with me. If you scream or
struggle II means DEATH
Miss Seymour was properly shocked.
She had never seen a masked villain
before. No man, holding a peach
stone in 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 rescuing her.
What neither Of the plOtteTs 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
cutter, and when the masked man
swung the schoolma'am into his sleigh
and started off at q galIop 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 Ii 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 roarec out,
Die. villain" when he was knocked
silly by the stranger. Then the strug-
giing 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
abductor and rescucr.
He stood them on their heads in the
drifts; he jammed 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. 1t did not break I'D the
school; It simply broke up the roma nee