Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-12-18
LOVE IN A STEEL-TRAP.
Br TIE COLONEL.

the blind god himself, as shall show You in the
sequel Of this brief story
- But will You 20 tonight"
'' Yes will. -
And if have old Bob behind the harm nj
twelve, you III be waiting inside. and we II drive
to New York and get married right straight off
the reell''
Eyes When all the folks are in bed and
asleep, I'll steal out of the wash house door. 90
to the barn, get in, and disguise myself. When
you come, put In your finger, lift the latch
open the barn door, and III drop into your
arms like ripe apple. Oh, do SO love to run
away. Won't it be delightfuR''
The speakers were Joe Clayers and Mary
Miller. l need not mention that they were
lovers. Mary 5 father was prosperous farmer
In Connecticut, and Mary herself one of the
widest, most lig ight-headcd, romantic innocent
and affectiOnate creatures ever made after the
." almost divine model of mother Eve Joe
was generous impulsive youth, whose parents
had once seen hattering days, but had of late
been unfortunate, and fallen into comparative
poverty.
Farmer Miller, as ho drew rich, grew ambi-
tiOus- Mary was his only child. He looked TO
her settlement in the world as n means of his
own social advancement, and had already Sc
lected, III his minds eye, a suitable match for
her. OF course, JOc's attentions therefore, did
not meet with his approval; and while he was
unwilling To be thought SOrdid enough to reject
JOo openly, for his lack of means he had sug-
gesed TO that young adycnturcr the propricty
of absenting himself altogether from Mary;s
attractive presence. This done he had assured
Mary of his resolution to dispose of her hand
according to his own notions OF feminine happi
ness.
[ need not say that these facts, operating
upon the mind of a thOughtless loving eccen-
trlc, and spirited child like Mary, had a pecu-
liar effect That very moment she determined
10 marry Joe Clavers. He was evidently per.
dearer to her. She liked him before, but now
she loved him. In fact, the more she thought
UI II, the more she was convinced that he was
an angel, and that perfect idolatry on her part
would only he an act Of noble devotion.
1t Farmer Miller had been a sensible man,
and at all disposed to study human nature he
would have adopted perhaps a very different
course towards his wayward daughter. He
would have introduced his proposed son -in-law
and forbidden her, at the same time to indulge
In the slightest regard for him The proba-
bility is that she would have fallen desperately
in love with him at first sight, and given Joe
his coRge without further ceremony; but Far
mer Miller had way of his own in all things
and he was satisfied that, should Mary feel
disposed to play him a trick, he was quite able
TO manage a Roland for her Oliver.
The very next morning after he had, in this
manner, opened his mind, as he called it,
10 his daughter, he luckily happened to see
Joe Clavers make his furtiye entrance into the
kitchen where Mary was busily at work but
not singing usual, for she was brooding over
the parental cruelty.
Farmer Miller did not permit many minutes
TO elapse before he had placed himself in the
wash-house. which adjoined the kitchen. so that
he might hear all that passed between the dis
cOmhted lovers. He dI1 hear the dialogue
with which L have commenced this histoJitte
He possessed himself of the plan OF the con-
templated elopement, and be was satisfied.
Nha iza To- al, l.. -
to himself. I'll teach him a lesson, war
rant me and as for the little Gipsey, I'll settle
her business very speedily"
After tea that evening Mary retired to her
little room her heart beating with anxiety for
the approach Of midnight. Her surprise may
be imagined when, half an hour afterwards
she found herself a prisoner. She tried the
handle Of the lock. II would not move, What
was to be done Could it have been fastened
on her by accident! She called for her father,
and he came.
What's the matter, Mary - was his excla-
nation, without, however, opening the cham
Der door
My door is fast ard can get out.''
Very well, dear, wa his reply; Ego to
bed, like good girl, and I'll open it in the
morning
She knew it was not of the slightest use to
demonstrate. lie must, by some means, have
discovered her design. She could do nothing
but weep and bite her lips with vexation.
The next thing the farmer did was to visit
the barn. As usual, il had large wagon-door,
IN which was cut for common use a smaller en-
trance The latter was only secured by the
ordinary latch inside which was lifted, in the
customary way, by thrusting n finger through
small hole made in the door, beneath the
latch, for the purpose.
Farmer Miller remained in the barn long
enough TO arrange matters to suit his private
purpose, and then coming out through the sta
adIOIued mr. In fIv bar
II, he walked quietly home, laughing heartily
20 himself. lie first listened at his dauyh
door, AMI finding all quiet, retired to his own
room and went to sleep.
Just about midnight, horse and wagon drew
silently up, on the road, behind Farmer Mil
ler's barn. Joe Clavers got steaIthily out Of
the vehicle, jumped the fence and crept eau
tiously around TO the door of the building in
question. How happy he felt, In another
moment, Mary would be his own, In the
morning, she would be his darting little wife
Farmer Miller would storm, OF course but
the farmer loved his daughter dearly. He was
proud Of her. lie would therefore, relent, for
give, and bless them, Full Of these delightful
aRticipatOns, Joe thrust his finger in the hole
of the barn-dOOr TO reach the latch, but --
Al how he yelled with pain. A steel-trap,
adroitly placed on the inside, so as to catch any
obtruding article, had snapped, and his bleed
ing finger was held fast with its iron teeth,
IL was a cold night. and Joe's feelings may
be conjectured rs he stood there, shivering and
shaking, hour after hour, unable to move from
the spot, held prisoner by the savage instru-
ment, his lacerated finger Occasioning him ex-
quisite agony, and his heart fairly sinking into
his boots with the conviction that daybreak
would only expose him to the former indigna-
ton and the village ridicule.
Just at dawn, Farmer Miller chuckling over
the success Of his THSe, won't down to the barn.
There still stood Joe, and not far of the horse
and wagon. / need not say how Joe implored
pardon and promised everything that could be
desired to purchase it and silence. Farmer
Miller and he finally closed bargain. Joe was
released. Nay, more, Farmer Miller gave him
one hundred dollars, and Joe was in New York,
before noon, en- route for Iowa.
As for Mary-this incident occurred two
years ago, and have just kissed her first baby.
She pleased her father, and seems to have
pleased herself in consequence, quite as much.