The Lamar register., 1917-12-19

doing. OF course, such nan, out-
side of books, i shall never find, and
unless my nature changes as the years
20 by, 1 shall never marry. Now, Fred,
I've told you truly the state OF my
mind, and you will be pleased some
day that you missed getting such
girl as am for wife. Such love as
I have, however, belongs to you, but
you know yourself 1t isn't the kind to
kAan hnnsa on. oh. If we could only
go back to the grand old Roman days,
or to the days when knighthood was
In floweri"
Fred arose at the conclusion Of this
novel speech. and dipped his yellow
curls, and said: "Good-by, Eller."
"Say, man, whar's them ole his
tories that ar little bow-legged teach
er left heer two years ago?" said Fred
Garfield to his mother after he had
arrived home.
'They're out, piled away In the
smokehouse. somewhar among a lot
of ole trumpery-what ye want with
hist'ries. I'd like ter know
"Never mind, man," said the youth,
as he went whistling out of the back
door.
After long search among old
shoes, trace chains, dried beans, corn
cobs and other debris, Fred finally
fshed out Goldsmlth's History of
Rome, an old English history. With
some labor he read the Roman his
tory as far as the rape of the Sabincs.
and, with n great grin and chuckle of
exultation, he laid 1t aside. Then he
took up the history of the Norman
Conquest, but dropped 1t when he read
how great King William, when a duke
In Normandy, won his exasperatlng
wife. Then he threw 1t aside, and,
plunging his hands deep In his pock-
cts, strobe to and fro across the floor,
his lips struggling to smile and whls-
tie at the same time.
A few minutes later he looked out
and saw Squire Watkins passing on
the highway. He hailed him. The
two talked at the fence few minutes,
then parted, laughing and slapping
their legs.
MAN." said Fred, early the next
morning, as he appeared In his "best
duds" at the door of the smokehouse.
where his mother was compounding
some soap grease, 81 want you to
drop yer soap-mnking terday an go
ter cookin' up some good things"
"Why, what's up?"
"Never you mind, ole mammyl You
fist mind var han'some son. say
H. t..N ~ xxraft
Fred then strobe rapidly out Of
the yard gate. where his big bay horse
stood nervously paving the earth. He
mounted him and went with rain Of
hoofs down the hard road toward the
home of Ella Mccoy.
Riding up In front OF the house, he
yelled. "Hallor' John Mccoy, big
brother of Ella, came TO the door.
'sTell Eller to come out to the fence
a moment" quietly spoke the horse
man.
Ella responded. Interrogation points
in her eyes.
"Step close to the fence a moment,
Eller; I'm goin' away, an want to
tell ye sumthin'."
She stepped up, her face quite pale,
when Fred, making a huge hook Of his
left arm, Instantly caught her around
the waist with II, lifted her up In
front of him. drove spurs in his horse.
and dashed furiously away.
The old man Mccoy and three sons
ran out, yelling, but their horses were
In the stable. and sister and daugh-
ter was being borne away at a 2:4O
galt.
Ella squirmed and screamed, but the
big giant pressed her against his great
chest and smiled gently.
"Oh, papa and the boys will kill
you'll" she yelled.
Possibly; but the Sablnes didn't
kill folks like me, nor did the Romans
you brag about. Besides, people don't
often kill son-in-law. no how"
"Oh, you villain i-boo-hool-I won't
marry your
"No; the squire that's waitin' down
at the fork of the road will do that
for you. Stop your snubbini I'm er
Roman an er William the Conqueror
both at oncei"
The little woman could do no more
She was conquered. She had caused
this lawlessness, and she began to
Iaugh Than Ioolyfnp nm in the fine