Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-12-23

sideways from his chair as the muir
derous blow descended, and ducked
away from it, Selling his assailants
| arm.
The two grappled. Up and down
and across the tiny Office they pum-
meled and wrestled and butted their
way, clinging together in a right IN
loving embrace, as they fought.
AS the office force, aroused by the
turmoil, mn pell-mell into the room,
Mason struck his opponent chance
blow in the face that sent Fletcher
clean of his feet. The editor fell.
hitting his head heavily against the
corner of his desk.
Before Mason could pursue his ad-
vantage. half a dozen men had seized
him and forced him, kicking and snarl-
ing into a corner, where they held him
piniOned.
Take him out. boys" ordered
Fletcher. land turn him over to n
policeman. AS soon as I can get my
head tied up. TIL come around to the
station ard make the formal charge"
In the Masonburg police court, an
hour later. Fletcher's testimony
(backed by that of his office boy, who
had seen the whole fight,) proved
that Mason had been the aggressor.
Even the magistrate-who owed
his appointment TO the senator-had
no option but to believe the story.
He made the penalty as light as pos
sible, imposing upon Mason merely a
fine of ten dollars and an almost
respectful command to keep the
peace in future.
Somerston is fifty miles, by rail,
from Masonburg. II Is a fairly pref
ty village, noted chiefly for two IN
situations that honor it by their pres
ence. One Of these is the SomerstOn
Military academy. The other Is the
Somerston Seminary for Young La
dies. Stephen F1etcher's only son,
Tom. was a cadet captain In the for
mer. Senator Mason's only daughter,
Rose, was a member of the senior
class, in the latter.
Between the academy and seminary
there is supposedly no communities
ton whatever.
Everything that PROFESSIONAL minds
can devise to keep the girls and the
cadets from seeing anything OF each
other is most rigidly enforced. And
in most instances, the rigid effort Is
completely wasted. One elopement
would be enough to ruin the prestige
of both institutions. Yet, such an
elopement occurred, in spite Of all the
care taken by the principals and the
faculties to prevent such a tragedy
Here are the brief details of the TO
nance:
From earliest childhood Tom Fletch
er and Rose Mason had been sweet
hearts.
And even after their respective
fathers had locked horns the two
young people had gravely agreed that
their own affair need not be marret
by parental differences In which
neither Of them sympathized.
One day Tom received a note which
read:
"Dear Heart: There is trouble
terrible trouble. Old Mother
Hinkle (the girls nickname for
the seminary principally, was nos
ing around In my room, this
morning. and, when 1 wasn't
looking. she opened my inner
desk drawer, and found a whole
handful Of your letters.
Before could stop her she
read them. She was horrible
about 1t. She says she Is going
to write home to father. asking
him to take me away In disgrace.
And she is writing to the prin-
cipal Of the academy. telling him
all about IT. and she says you
will he expelled.
'Oh. Tom. WHAT are we to
do? If you can come to the cor
ncr of the wall at ten o'clock to-
night, I'll try to steal out there
for a talk with you, and then we
| can decide.
81 am heartbroken. And I'm
| scared to death. ROSE"
| A little before ten that night Tol
| sat astride the wall top, looking dow
| into the dark seminary garden belo
| him.
Presently a white and slender FL
| ure emerged cautiously from anon
the shadows that lay between the wa
and the seminary dormitories. To
| dropped lightly to the ground and "a
forward to meet the newcomer.
| "Oh, Tom" she whispered agitate
ly, as their hands met In the dar
: II had such an awful time gettir
herei Mother Hinkle seemed to su
pect something. Her rooms at Il
y head of the dormitory stairs. Al
n she sat there all evening with Il
Is door wide open and the hall ligh
:" turned up. She's there yet for all
.e know. couldn't go past her. So
d found a rope and let myself dow
le from my window. 1t hurt my han,
It awfullyr
m Poor little hands," murmur,
Tom. STOPPING to kiss each Of h