Mexico weekly ledger., 1921-03-10
ARE YOU A MASON7
ey eERrRuoE euRNAAM.


10 1920. By Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate. !
AL Mason had just received a tele-
gram. He read IT while the small
group on the store steps watched him
with III concealed curiosity.
After a moment Al looked up. trans
ferring his attention to a 1.-THE young
mountaineer who was swinging around
the corner, oil can In hand. With
out saying a word he grabbed the new.
conner, Jud Dixon, by the arm n led
MN inside and thrust the telegram
INTO his reluctant grasp.
: Jud read:
Alvin Mason, Granville, KY:
VIII arrive Saturday night. Open
Eshoof Monday. Leta Mason
wen" he remarked calmly, raising
MS eyes to Mason. relative of
,ours?"
No" explained Mason, "the new
teacher; and she particularly wanted
to board with us because our names
are alike. Strong on family l guess.
Now mother isn't able to have her and
jess wouldn't like it a little bit If a
pretty girl came to stay with us"
Jud nodded. But how does that
connect up with me, Alp he ouerIed
m~nocentiy, although the quIrk of his.
mouth showed that he understood
something of his friends intent.
Couldn't you folks take her? It
wouldn't do for her to get here and
have no place to go to. Your house is
nearest the school. Besides" he add.
ed with crafty intent, she's young and
pretty"
"That wouldn't make any difference
as far as | Inn concerned" shrugged
the cynical Jud; but I'll take a look
at her when she lands tonight"
When a much "slicked up although
somewhat ill-at-ease Jud saw the trim
little person who carried her head SO
proudly descend from the train he ca.
pitulated at once.
Her frank brown eyes singled him
OUT as he approached In the confu.
sion Incidental to the trains arrival.
ana she addressed him confidently at
once.
"You, Of course, are Mr.. Mason" she
said brightly and extended a friendly
hand.
All Jud's carefully prepared explana.
lions died on his lips and he murmured
something unintelligible. His thoughts
were In a whirl as he mechanically
took her bag and handed her into the
wagon.
He Don cleaned from her CONVEX.
sation that she had been greatly sur
prised and pleosod to find one of hen
own name and possible kin living
there.
And you" she smiled. touching his
watch charm, "are both kinds Of a
Mason, a real one indeed, aren't your"
Yes, I'm a Mason" amended Jud,
tacitly consenting to deceit with his
half-trut1.
Leta promptly fell in love with Jud's
plump little mother who presided so
cheerily over the small home, and was
very happy In her new surroundings.
The Dixons did not live near the
renter of the village, so Jud was able
to maneuver so carefully that Leta
did not have the slightest suspicion
that she was not living with Masons.
The blow fell at a lawn party.
Mr.. and Mrs. Alvin Mason, bride
and groom, were there. During the
evening while ,Jud was getting some
Ice cream In blissful ignorance, they
went up to Leta and introduced them.
selves.
Leta wondered mildly at the knowI.
edge that there were other people
named Mason in the town, whom she
had not before heard of. The tenor
Of AIS conversation soon allowed her
to comprehend the situation.
AS soon as she could conveniently
excuse herself she sought out the un-
fortunate Jud who was unconscious Of
impending disaster.
II am quite ready to leave If you are,
Mr.. Dixon she announced Jelly, an
phasizing the name in a name which
left him in no doubt as to her state
Of mind and knowledge Of affairs.
In stricken silence Jud brought the
team around and the old mare trotted
briskly off toward home, bearlng two
passengers who were thinking busiIy.
After a long interval Jud essayed
the plunge desperately and began to
explain as best he could. ycS.
"You see" he founGeeed. when I
saw how lovely you were and how
proud you were, of the M,tyon name |
was so ratified that ! didn't have a
chance to explain. Then, afterward,
I wanted to keep you so badly that /
didn't dare to tell you" His voice
tralled off into silence.
but didn't you know that postpone
ment would only make it wofse In the
end?" inquired the lmpersonal, judi.
cious Leta.
well, when you're in love you can't
seem to a like that" explained
Jud humbly.
"0h. ! see" There was SO much Of
softening In those three small words
that he felt rather emboldened to plead
his cause, with such apparent success
that In a few minutes 1t looked as
though Leta would be a life boarder al
the home Of Jud Dixon.
AS they turned In at the Dixon gate
Leta smiled 8 bit ruefully. well, Jud
I'll have to change my name, for you
never were my kind Of q Mason al
ali.r
Then Jud proved that he hadn't for