Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-22

| at Mendham was the first available
means Of earning his living that pre-
scented itself two years ago, when he
Eleft his alma mater. The real reason,
although no one knew 1t but Tom, was
that Sally Phelps was about to enter
Mendham, and, although Tom hadn't
mentioned the fact to her. he rather
liked the idea OF being near her.
1t was a springlike day in February
when Sally had been in college a year
and@a half that Tom Newberry at last
decided that he could wait, no longer
to make his declaration. Second Sc
mester had begun, and he had decided
never to begin another. In fact, he had
accepted a position as mining engineer
and had decided to persuade Sally to
leave school with him in May.
He had decided to make his long
deferred declaration down the lane
that leads from the campus toward
the woods at Meadham. The dormi-
tory reception room Is so frghtfully
uncompromising, so unsympathetic to-
ward such an adventure. Even on a
cold day, the lane toward the woods
was a warmer spot.
But planning was M thing and get
ting Sally to stroll down the lane was
quite another.
Really I'm dreadful sorry" she told
him, looking out Of brown eyes that
were, as frank and honest as his own,
yes, too, that looked at Tom almost on
q level, for Sally was every inch az
tall as the youngest professor. You
see, tonight's the night of the sopho-
yno~a horny,o< H0py~ in Tho h0ofhN11S0
across the lake. We have had fires
laid In the f1replaces and the caterer Is
going to manage somehow. You see,
we had to have it some place that the
freshmen would not suspect. Don't
breathe a word Of it."
There was no use asking Sally to see
him after the banquet or to give him
time before, for Sally was class presi-
dent and there would be no room in
her busy evening for thoughts Of aught
besides class matters. And before Tom
could speak Of a possible stroll down
the lane. the following evening she was
of on the pretext of having to spend
the afternoon working over the speech
she had to make that night.
1t was in no very cheerful frame Of
mind that the youngest professor
strolled down through the campus be-
fore going to his boarding house for
dinner that evening. What if Sally
wouldn't accept him after all? Had he
been wasting those two years when he
might have been working at a mans
job In the mans world instead of clois-
tered away in a woman's college,?
He walked slowly down to the exact
spot in the lane that he had chosen in
his earlier plans for asking Sally. He
leaned over the footbridge that span
ned the little stream and took in long
breaths of the crisp, bracing February
air, in which there was ever so slight
a hint of approaching spring. The set.
ting sun sent long shafts Of red golden
light through the mass of tangled brush
that bordered the little stream below.
Then in the recently melted waters
of that very stream he saw Sally's re-
Election, even before he realized that
she was standing at his side.
He turned and would have spoken
when Sally clapped her hand abruptly
over his mouth. ,.
"Quick!" she whispered. Hide me!
They'll see us. Here. down under the
bridge in the brambles. They will
never think Of looking there"
And before Tom had a chance to
ask for an explanation he and Sally
had secreted themselves under the
bridge in the woody growth Of
! brambles and vines that grew at the
side of the stream.
"It's a little soggy here" Sally
whispered at length, Selling Toms
hand to keep from slipping on the
thawing ground. But I think L am
safe. They won't think Of looking
here, will they?"
"Who wont?" asked Tom, clutching
the brambles in an effort to keep his
footing.
1.-The freshmen. You see, we tried
to keep it a secret about that banquet,
but it leaked out and now they are try
ing to kidnap me. The idea you know
Is always to get the class presidents
on banquet nights. Well, I started out
and I thought I'd get around to the
boathouse all right il I went this way.
l put on Peggy Adams coat. You know
what a giant she Is. I'm tripping on
the coat now. But they must have
found out that l got her things because
Just when l got this far I heard them
calling. l heard one of them say:
"'She's making for the little lane.
Bind her hand and foot and tie the bag
over her head You know, they aren't
very careful what they do to class
presidents on banquet nights. I'm per-
fectly safe here, Of course, only I've
got to get to the banquet"
It may nave been highly inopportune,
but with Tom there was no time like
the one planned for the deed. Why