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Show TUAB COUNTY TIMES. MM smarting pink palm In turn, "It's a shome ! Hut" "Rut whut are we going to do about being expelled!" she broke In. "Father will be so crazy-ma- d at me. All the more because It's you. He hates your father NEPHI. UTAH We love each other, so! please? Please, dnd. dear! Please!" Of a sudden he whirled to face the bride and groom. "Clear out of here, both of you !" "Clear out und keep he shouted. out I Rose, you have married a scoundrel's son and you've disgraced me by doing It. After this your ways are his, not ours. I wash 111 y hands of you 1" hand In Taking Rose's bis, Tom led the sobbing girl out of the bouse. "We're well rid of her !" scoffed Mason. "If she could sink to marrying a fellow like that, she's no longer " He left the house and went to the oftlce of his lawyers, thence to the district attorney's office, and back to bis own home two hours later. He entered the house with a look of grim triumph on bis heavy face. "Weill" he grunted, aa his wife came to meet him, "I fancy young Fletcher la settled pretty satisfactorily at last. And his father, too." "Ohl" Interposed Mrs. Muson. "you've heard, then? I'm so glad I" "Heard he queried. "Heard?" what?" "I I thought you had, by the way you spoke," she replied. "Rose called me up fifteen minutes ago. She's at the Fletchers. She soys Tom's father and mother behaved beautifully about the marriage and that they're ever so nice to Rose. She and Tom are to live there for the present, and Mr. Fletcher Is going to give Tom a Job Darenport, above nil the bers of the audience, knew how des perately hopeless was his young client's plight. Rut, being of the bulldog breed, Davenport would not yield. One odd feature In the prosecution's case hsd Impressed him, and while he set no especial value on It, yet It was against this that be begun his assault. He recalled Mrs. Mason to the stand, and made her repeat ber former testimony of having entered the date of Rose's birth In the family Bible. "Mrs. Mason," went on Davenport, "you have teatlfled that you wrote this entry In the Bible, and that you did so within three weeks after Rose Mason was born, now did It happen that her father did not write it?" "He was not at home," said Mrs. Muson. "He was in Europe. He hsd gone to Moscow on legal business for the government. He was absent from this country for ten months. He did not return until Rose was nearly four months old." "I see. We will go Into that later, Mrs. Mason, do you know the law requires that a record be made of every birth, marriage or death?" "I did not know." "Do you know that there Is absolutely no record In the board of health archives of Rose Mason's birth?" "No." 'There Is not. I examined the archives while I was preparing this case. There Is no record there of her "You ought to be more careful not birth. Yet you have said she was to make mlsstutesments, my dear," born In this city on September 3, chuckled the senator. "You've Just 1898." "Your honor," spoke op the district made two In one sentence. Tom Is not going to live with the Fletchers attorney, "that Is readily explained. for the present, but at the county Jail. Mrs. Mason has suld she knew of no Aud a little later at the state's prison such law. Senator Mason was absent for about seven years or more. Also from home" Mr. Stephen Fletcher Is not going to "If your honor pleases," said Poven-por- t, give hi m a Job. The state Is going "that is no excuse. The law to do that for him. A nice cory Job does not require the parents to make chairs or peg- such entry. It Is the province of the at making Mrs. Mason," ging shoes or " attending physician. "What do you mean?" gasped the he resumed, turning again to the witwife, "what do you mean?" ness, "what physician was In attend" I mean what I started to say ance when your daughter, Rose, was when I told you Tom Fletcher was born?" 'I I don't remember," faltered Mrs. Mason. "You don't remember the physician who attended you when your only child was born?" exclaimed Davenport astonished. "No." "Then what nurse did you have?" "Surah Walters," said Mrs. Mason. "She was with me from the year of my marriage until five years ago." "I know the Walters woman," answered Davenport, "the Is now acting as housekceer In my sister's family. With the court' permission I shall send for ber to " "No!" Intervened Mrs. Mason Hurriedly. "Now thut I come to think of It. Sarah was not with me when Rose was born. I remember now. She was threatened with consumption tuberculosis and I sent ber to Saranac for nearly a year. She returned to us Just before Senator Muson got back from Kurope." I "Then who did act as your nurse bo!" "I've thought It all out very carefully." Tom told ber "and I've bit on the only solution. It'a a during sort of solution and It will take lots of pluck. Rut It'll mean a whole lot of happiness for us. Will you do It!" AUTHOR OF "THE SILVER BUTTERFLY," "Yes. Of course. What la Itr "We must get married." "SALLY BLACK PEARL," ETC "Married V she echoed, amazed. "Rut " "We must get married right sway, NOVELIZED FROM THE SERIES OF PHOTOPLAYS OF he Insisted. "Then we'll go back to BY PATHE EXCHANGE. THE SAME NAME RELEASED our parents and tell them, and It'll be too late for them to make any kick. iCOrYWGHT. 1916 IV Mtt. VII VON VOODHOVi "Hut but, Tom 1" she stammered, "we can't. We can't 1" Rut the more fragile editor was aa TENTH STORY "Why not?" nimble of body aa of mind. He leaped "We aren't of age or anything, and sideways from his chair aa the murThe Trial of Souls derous blow descended, and ducked "I'm twenty," he answered sturdaway from It, selling Ma assailant' ily. "In thla state a man can marry more Senator for Mason, year arm. x at twenty, and a girl can marry at than moot people cared to remem-tieThe two grappled. Up and down eighteen. Those are the legal ages. hnd held the thriving little up- nnd across the d So you see" tiny oftlce they state city of Masonburg In his vent and wrestled and butted their "Rut I won't be eighteen for three unpocket. In a right way, clinging months," she objected, "I'm only sevHe was the city's richest limn, tho loving embrace,together. as they fought. enteen." county's political boss und Its leading As the oftlce force, aroused by the "H'm !" he mused unhappily, "that's corporotlon lawyer. Though a decade turmoil, ran pell-meInto the room, so. I'd forgotten. Rut," he went on li lid missed, since IiIh Klnirle term In Mason atruck his a chance opponent "that needn't bother us. the senate, hp still bore the proud blow In the face that sent Fletcher brightening, All you need to do Is to write down of "senator." Tn voustesy-tyiclean off his feet. The editor fell, your age as eighteen on the marriage "'and In Somers county, his hitting his head heavily agalnat the license blank. No one will know. You will was supreme. corner of hla desk. look eighteen, all right." And now, after a quarter century lief ore Mason could pursue his adHe kissed her. And she clung to of such unussulled rzardom as only vantage, half a dozen men had seized Mm. a little. Presently be can a small-citexercise, him and forced him, kicking and snarl- said : weeping magnate Ms sway was protested. ing Into a corner, where they held him "We'll catch the 5:48 milk train to It was not a fellow millionaire or pinioned. Masonburg and go straight to the city another politician who challenged his "Take hlin out, boys," ordered hall, there, for a license. Then we'll rnle. That would have been easier Fletcher, "and turn hlrn over to a new Presbyterian minister to bear. No, bis enemy was no great- policeman. Aa soon as I can get my get nothat Avon Place to marry us." er personage than Stephen Fletcher, head tied up. I'll come around to the up owner and editor of the local news- station and make the formal charge." Senator Mason sat In the library of paper. In the Masonhurg police court, an his big house on Masonhurg's widFletcher had recently begun a cam- hour Fletcher' later, testimony est residence street. He had Just finnews of and editorials stories paign (backed by that of his office boy, who ished reading "The Appeal's" trenchattacking the senator in person; and bad seen the whole fight.) proved ant account of the preceding day's Ills financial and political methods that Mason had been the aggressor. In the newspaper oftlce, and a and his sources of wealth. It was Even the magistrate who owed fight n report of certain recent because so, had to senator his Irritating. very the Doubly appointment franchise deals wherein the senator all that Fletcher Bald about Mason no option but to believe the story. was true. He made the penalty as light as posLittle by little. Senator Via mm had sible, Imposing upon Mason merely a worked himself Into a homicidal rage fine of ten dollars and an almost against this foe who would neither respectful command to keep the be bribed nor bluffed Into submis- peace In future. sion. The climax came one day when, Somerston Is fifty miles, by roll, "opening bis morning paper. "The Dally Apjieal." Mason read from Masonhurg. It Is a fairly pretheadlines on the ty village, noted chiefly for two Int.lese stitutions thut honor It by their presfront page: ence. One of these Is the Somerston MASON CHARGED WITH CON- Military academy. The other Is the TRACT FRAUDS. Somerston Seminary for Young Stephen Fletcher's only son. Millionaire-StatesmaFails to Ex- Tom, was a cadet captain In the forplain Discrepancy in Electric-Lightin- g mer. Senator Mason's only daughter. Bids and Bill RendRose, was a member of the senior ered to City. claps. In the latter. Ret ween the academy and seminary, The senator read the headlines si times. Then, fuming and muttering, there Is supposedly no communicalie read the news story beneath them. tion whntever. Everything thnt professorial minds Turning to the editorial page, his eyes fell on a "lender" entitled "Mason's can devise to keep the girls and the cadets from seeing anything of each Rawest Ieal. Yet." With n snort like a bulled bull's, other Is moHt rigidly enforced1. And the senator snatched tip his hat and In most instances, the rigid effort Is One elopement Ms heavy walking stick, and stamped completely wasted. out of his office. Five minutes later would be enough to ruin the prestige Yet. such an lie stormed Into the city room of the of both Institutions. "Dally Apwal" nnd. brushing aside elopement occurred. In spite of all the an office boy who tried to bar his care taken by the principals and the way, burst unannounced Into Stephen faculties to prevent such a tragedy. Here are the brief details of the roFletcher's private sanctum. : mance was The editor glancing over a From earliest childhood Tom Fletchshenf of smudged proof sheets. He er and Rose Mason had been sweet-heartImtked tip. with no great show of tercst. as bis Visitor entered. Fletcher was not surprised by the call. He And even after their respective had been etpeotlng something of the fathers hnd backed horns the two "I Demand a Retraction." sort for a long time. young people bad gravely agreed that I've "Well, Senator Mason." he ssld their own affair need not be marred was alleged to have played a some- 'settled pretty satisfactorily.' Just come from the district attorney, millionaire by parental differences In which what doubtful role. curtly to the purple-faceMason waxed apopleptic with Indig- and the officers must be at Fletcher' who was bearing wrathfnlly down neither of them sympathized. One day Tom received a note which nation as he read. Nor was bis wrath house by this time, with the warrant." iiwn him. "what can I do for yonf "The warrant?" she repeated dully. cartoon of lessened by a front-pag"I came here." thundered the sena- read : "For Tom Fletcher's arrest on a himself. In guise of tor, "to order yon to cease these unholdup man. There Is trouble Heart: warranted assunlts tipon my rhsrac-ter- , Perhaps you Old Mother shouting "Your Franchise or Your charge of abduction. terrible trouble. and to retract this vile " UfeT to a group t.f trembling city don't know It, Martha, but In this Itlnkte (the girl's nickname for state the age of consent' Is eighteen fathers. "The moment the 'assaults' Iwcome the seminary principal), waa nosHis wife a sallow. returned Fletcher, erpetual!y years. Rose won't be eighteen for unwarranted." ing around In my room, thla timid womsn sst at bis side, trying several months. The man who marmorning, and, when I wasn't In vain to assuage his wrnth. Her ries a girl under eighteen, without she opened my Inner looking, served only her parents' consent Is liable to prosecondolence desk drawer, and found a whole cution for the crime of abducting her. to tnske him the angrier. handful of your letters. "I'm going to shut up thst news"Ilefore I could stop her she The trial of Tom Fletcher for abShe was horrible rcsd them. paper." be growled, "if It takes every cent I bsve. And I'm going to get ducting and marrying Rose Mason s!wtt If. She says she Is going was Mn son burl's most sensational law to write home to father, asking back at Stephen Fletcher -him to take me awsy In disgrace. He stopped short, with s grant. Two procedure of the year. The district attorney set forth the And she Is writing to the prinpeople a man snd a girl hsd entered the room. The tnsn paused near state's rase, snd prepared to estnbllsh cipal of the academy, telling hlra It. Davenport. Tom's attorney, fought a'l about It. and she says yon the do.r. In the dim Hehf. will be evpclled. did not at once recognize him. The Mm. every step of the way. Rut It ' was a losing ficht. The law was clear, "'It. Tom. WHAT are we to girl came shjly forward. the facts were evident. do If yon can come to the corAt sight t.f ber the glower Senator and Mrs. Mason were called ner of the wall at ten o'clock from Mss,ns face, lie and Ms to the stand, one after the other, to t il trv to Steal out there wife Jumped to their feet In happy a talk with you. and thro we testify that she wss not yet citfhteen. fitetnent. At the senator's own suggestion. th 1fl derld". "flow" they cried In unison. "1 sin heartbroken Msstis' family P.iMe was Introduced And I'm said Rose, TvH' mother' cared to death. Il'lSK." kissing them one after the as evidence. The A little before ten that night Tom other. "I've some hews for entry was in Mrs. Mason's ynti, Sroe atri'le thf wsll top. looking down tremendous news. Promise net to be own old fnhloned hunt. It read: below sticrt." into the dark seminary psrd-Rose, daughter of Hiram and MarMm. "Ancrv with yon. you precious lit- tha Mason, torn September 3, 1838. Presently " white nod slender fig- tle glrlT Istifhcd Ms.n Indulgent"t'entlemen of the Jury." sail the i ure emerge! cautiously from among ly, "not ro'Kh ! W hat is this 'tremenddistrict attorney, after Mrs. Msison the slisdows that lay bt een the wall ous newsT" bad tearfully verified the entry, "you and tlie seminary dormitories. Tom Drawing Tm forward from the observe itoe Muson was born m of the d'K.rwsy. Rose Septemtier 3. l'S. The date of her dropped lightly to the ground and rsn eiirtsined forward to meet the newcomer. sll fcef coursge and sn- marriage to Thomas Fletcher as at'tnreone : "Oh. Tom!" she whljcrcl agitated tested In the city records, which you V Iv. as their bands met In tbe dark. "We were rosrrted this morning. have seen was June 2, 1S1V There. i "I bad su'h an awful time getting Tom snd I. J nt a h!f sn hour ago. fore. It Is proven that Thomas lief' tito sus- We-- -' er married her when she wss one day bete' Mother Hinkle "Let's Tell Them We're Married." Her room's at the pect something. An Insrtietjtnte rosr of truly dresd-fo- l under the age of seventeen I have shown you the t'nfl! then, they bead of the dormitory sfslrs. And they will cease. ferieity from the senator Infer-fur-teshall ontlnue until I have broken the sat there all evening with the section of the Penal Code which deber faltering confession. -crookedness that is door i1 opn and the hall lights Bp tBe p!i!i'-a- l Married?" be spittered, bis btill-volr- e clares that marriage to a girl nnder wrecking our city and county. 1 " tnrr.ei tip. She's there yet for all I drowning a lessef cry of dis- the see of eighteen years, without the He rot no fnrthef. Mason's rage know. I couldn't go past her. So I may from bis wife. "Marr'ed to to consent of ber parents, constitutes the and let myself down Stephen Fletcher's son? bnrst all bounds of selfmn'nd and found a rot crime of abduction. It has been shown Tea're that Rose Mason's ttsrenfs did not sanity. Wit a wordless bnUow. the from my tnda. It hurt toy bands you're not V er.fltor swtipg Ms beavf cane aloft P.nt 1 am. dad," Rose Insisted, tery give their consent to this marriage. wfnl!y nd broirM It whizzing down 00 "Poor lltfl hands P mnrm tired pale, but with a resolve to stsnd r.er The state's esse Is proven a It stsnds. t if li f nnproteoed head We rest." Torn, s'oo.itf to klaa each of ber froiiai. "And won't jroa forjlva lay-me- tce-cblll- SALT; "THE i r, pum-mele- e In the presence cf Alclghty God, that Rose Muson was bora, on September 3, 1808?" "I I don't know," whispered Mrs. Mason, greenish white and panting. "Think, madam!' urged Davenport, with fearful earnestness, "think, bo- fore your answer. I ask you again was Rose Mason born on Septemw-3, 1808?" "No no!" whispered the ghastly and shuddering woman. A gasp ran through the courtroom. "I the records on June 1, I8fW." mumbled the witness. "Gentlemen of the Jury," proclaimed r'lslL. at" cane-seate- three-colum- n n !vm-iY- f v. "Ier well-mean- 1 t If" if Mn is vsn-ishe- d -- r ner-voii- t. it st hi A ftT-- tif nn HI d -- d at that timer "i I don't recall." "Mrs. Muson!" exclaimed Daven- port, "do you mean to tell the court thot any mother can forget such circumstance attending the birth of her only child? You cannot remember the name of the doctor or the nurse? Who Is your family physician?" "iHtctor Colfax." "How long hus he attended your family?" T I don't know. Since my marriage. I think." "Then he must have attended you when Rose was bom and be must have some record of her birth, even though be seems to have neglected to make mention of it In the way prescribed by law. I will ask leave to call Ioctor Colfax. He "No!" again broke In Mrs, Mason, with visibly Increasing nervousness. "I remember now that he was not In attendance." "Your honor!" cried the district attorney, noting Mrs. Mason's aspect of panic terror, "I have listened patiently to this line of Irrelevant. Incompetent and Immaterial questioning, because I know my learned opponent has a hoeless case. Rut the time of the court. Is being tampered with, I request to know what the name of any physician Ims to do with the fact that Thomas Fletcher Is guilty of and " "Thomas Fletcher bns not yet proven guilty of abduction, your honor." contradicted Davenport. "The whole question of bis possible guilt binges on Ibee Mason's being less thn eleliteen years old. There is tin court record of ber age. The date must be pstnMI'hod by contem;rsry witnesses and by simllsr testimony. The only known witness Is a woman who apparently recalls no rtetnil of ber child's birth evcept thnt she snys she. three weeks later, made an entry The P.lhle. your In a family P.IMo. honor. Is a sacred and ntilmpeat hnbly trti'hfut book. V.nt Its ssTed unimpeachability does not Include the recIn It by fallible ords thnt are plne-tnorlfils. Especially, by a woman whose memory has proven so eccentrically defertlve as this witness. I crave permission to go on with my questions." "I objerf!" cried the district attorney. "Objceflon overruled." derided the Judce, after moment's consideration. Davenport resumed: "Mrs. Mason, y "'l bsve testified to certnln entry In your family making P.ible. Tou were not tinder oath when yon wrote that entry. Ton are under in now. Do yon solemnly swear, nt Is" IV JL seTr,-- The Senator Discovers the per Attack on Him. Newspa- Davenport, hla voice ringing with glad e excitement. "You have seen the record. It Is dated June 2, 1010. At the time of her marriage Rose Muson was eighteen years and one day old. She was of legal age to marry. The charge of abduction falls to piece. The "I object !" bawled the dumfounded ed district ottorney. "The witness has become confused and " "It's true! It'a truer wept Mrs. Muson, all at once breaking Into a spasm of hysteria, and springing up from the witness chair. "It Is trur-- I can't lie to the Almighty. Rose was eighteen last mouth. And and she isn't my child at all. We had been married seven years, Hiram and L We hud no children. He lunged for a child. And we were drawing apart, because we had none. He was getting tired of me. I thoupht I could hold bis love If we had a child. While he was In Europe I went to the Foundling axylum at Rultcr, and adopted Rose. She was so little and puny, that I could tell him she wa three months younger than she really was. And I wrote It that way in our lillile. She wnsn't my buby at all. I don't know whilst; she was. Her mother died at the boKpitnl when she wss born. She was a stranger in the town. They gave me the record of Rose's birth at the asylum and " She sank buck In ber chnlr, crying and wrltblug, in helpless abandon ment. Amid the uproar which the Judge' gavel failed to check. Tom Fletcher for the first time let bi eye rest on Rose's. To the horrified girl hi look of stark amaze was one of disgust. She cowered before It and pressed her hands over her eyes. -l- A-t him take ber!" snarled Mason's strident voice, above the din, "A foundling brat is fit wife for a son of Stephen Fletcher." "Fit for my sonr shouted Fletcher, In a gush of contempt. "Wa don't marry nameless foundlings, we Fletchers! Ill have the marriage annulled mur-riag- and" Rose waited to hear no more. With the gasping moan f a irt animal, she ran from the room. " " Tom, getting a glimpse of her face, sprang after her. Rut the attendant thrust him back. "Walt till you're formally discharged, younster!" growled a policeman. "They'll turn you loose plenty soon, now." Out Into the street rushed the terrified girl. In ber ears mug the bitter insults of Muson and Fletcher. Slfllllped deep into her tortured memory was the supxscd disgust she bad read in Tom's eyes. She was nnmeless, oulcnst. loalhe! And the burden was greater than sli could bear. On she rsn without definite slm or purpose, knowing only that a curse hsd fallen iiKin ber and that her loved ones had thrust tier from tli- -t Presently he came to a halt. She hnd strayed to the very brink of tb lke, at the town's edge. Ilefore ,. r. rippled the blue waters. And beneath those waters l.iy forgetf illness end peace. The horror-spaswns smoothed from the white young face. The agony ho longer rncked ber tormented soul. Here was refuge from everything. Slowly, but as calmly and Joyously as a maid to her bridal, she stepMd forth Into the spnrkllngty Inviting ripples. The water caressingly lapped ber tired feet. Now It encircled the slender waist, and now It hsd risen to the white young throat. Onward she went, bravely, enrerly. 'And Jhe pitying waves closed abnv her. j While the doom of the young bride troubled the consrlencesj of those en acting various roles in the trseedy, the greater question was left unanof "Who' swered the question iulltyr (END OF TENTH STOllf.) 1 |
