SOLDIER DICK AND
GIRL ARE PARTED.
"WAIT 'TIL I'M 21" HE SAYS,
"I'LL BE TRUE," GIVES
CHESSIE.
"Mooning" Around Third
and Main When Arrested
by Policeman.
CHESSIE NAVE AND RICHARD WILIFORD.
Chessie Nave is 16, and Richard Wiliford is 20, but they each felt a great deal older and more responsible than when they arrived in Kansas City yesterday morning on an early train, with a wish and a determination to get married. they didn't feel so old nor so responsible last night. This is the way of it:
Last Tuesday the young people ran away together from Lexington, Mo., where the young man is a student in Wentworth Military academy. The girl is just a girl. they were accompanied on their matrimonial excursion by two friends, Grace Nave, a cousin of Miss Chessie, and Calvin Cook of Bartlesville, also a student in the military academy. The plan of the eloping kittens was to get a marriage license in Kansas City, Kas., where officials dealing in Cupid's paper are generally supposed to be gentle and kind. They missed the direction and went "mooning around the vicinity of Third and Main streets at an early hour yesterday morning. There a policeman found them.
The police had been notified that the young people were headed toward Kansas City with some kind of a prank in veiw, and the policeman saw them and happened to remember. He nailed them.
HIS FATHER ARRIVES.
Joel Wiliford, Woodford, Ok., father of Richard, had also been notified of his son's unceremonious leave in company with a little girl in skirts. The old gentleman hopped a train and got to Kansas City about as soon as the elopers. He dropped into central police station about the time that Richard and Chessie, Grace and Calvin were making a botch of trying to argue the police into the belief that while the resemblance was probably great, it was not absolute.
Papa Wiliford tried moral persuasion on his son. Nothing doing. Son was obdurate. What's the use of trying to make a soldier of a fellow, anyway, if you expect him to give up his girl at a mere parental command Richard said a soldier should never surrender. And he further declared he wouldn't. So into the dungeon cell went he, like any real, spicy, belted and buckled Don Juan of old. His good friend Calvin went along with him, but not from choice.
As for the girls, they saw life as it is from the matron's room Thus stood the matter all day. Richard would not desert the principles of academic soldiering, and Chessie vowed she would be as true as "Beautiful Bessie, the Banana Girl, or, "He Kissed Me Once and I Can't Forget." Then came Nash Ruby, brother-in-law of Chessie. He came From Lexington. He looked real fierce.
HERDED BEFORE CAPTAIN.
Forth from the dungeon cell marched Soldier Richard, and friend Calvin. Down from the matron's melancholy boudoir minced Chessie and Grace. They were herded into the office of Captain Walter Whitsett, where more moral suasion was rubbed on.
Richard, during the afternoon, had agreed with his father upon a compromise, bu which he was to return to school and finish his education. Later he took it all back. And w hen he saw Chessie he said:
"I'm going to marry you, Chessie, even if I never become a great general."
"That's where you're wrong," mildly said Papa Wiliford.
Then Chessie put in her word. But it didn't move anybody at all. Unless it was Nash Ruby, Brother-in-Law Nash. "You'll come along home with me, miss," said he. Chessie subsided. But when it came to parting, Richard uttered his defiance. "I'll be 21 before long," said he, "and then we can marry."
"I'll be true to you," sobbed Chessie.
Brother-in-law Nash led her away to catch a train for Lexington. this morning Richard will go to Woodford, Ok., with pa. Friend Calvin went home last night. That's all, except it is said Chessie made a face at her future father-in-law.
