Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-10-08

| squire MARKHAM Old not consider tnal
it might make little difference with the
bride expeetant. He considered it as a
capital joke on his son, and looked no far
ther. He accordingly drew his writing ma
terials towards him and indited the follow
ing epistle: @ -'a lssl.a
"DEAREsr FLORENCE II find the day
fixed for our elopement, on some accounts
Objectionable, and would like, with your
permission to substitute tomorrow eve
If hear nothing from, You, 1 shall infer
that you assent to this arrangement. /
shall have a carriage in readiness under the
large oak tree, at half past eight o'clock.
You can walk there without attracting sus-
picion; and, as there will be no moon, we
shall be able to carry out our plans with
out fear of discovery. I am happy to say
that the Governor dosen't suspect in the
least that dauhgter-in-law is in store for
him. Won't he be shamed! Your de-
voted @ - CHARLES"
"Egadr' said Squire Markham. (augh-
ing heartily,) that isn't bad; especially
that about humbugging me. Charley
couldn't have done it better himself"
So saving, he sealed it up and sent it
over by a little Irish boy in his employ
ment, having first marked apriuate' in the
corner. Ac- s
aBe careful, Mike, to give it to Mrs.
Benson; AMI don't let any one else see it."
was the parting injunction.
Mrs. Benson was sitting in her quiet
parlor, casting her eyes over the last num-
Der of Harper's Magazine. Florence being
absent on shopping excursion, she was
left alone. The ringing of the bell sum-
moned her to the door. With some sur
prise she saw that the caller was Mike,
Squire Markham's 'boy of all work."
"Please, ma'am," said he, holding out a
missive, 'here's letter for Mrs. Benson,
an its very purticler that nobody else
shoodn't see il"
The air of mystery conveyed in this
characteristic address, aroused Mrs. Ben
sons curiosity, especially when she observ-
ed that it was directed to her daughter,
ard not to herself as she at first supposed.
She returned to the parlor, not to read
Harper's Magazine; that losts its attrac-
tions.
"What in the world can it BEG" she said
athat they should be so secret about it 3
Can Florence be carrying on clandestine
correspondence? 1t may be something that
| ought to know"
Stimulated by her femme curiosity, Mrs.
Benson speedily concluded that she would
be false to the responsibilities Of a parent
if she did not unravel the lnyetsry.
81 think 1 will open it, and fit shouldn't
be anything particular, can easily re-seal
it, and Florence will be none the wiser"
This she accordingly did. What was
her astonishment when the plan of the
elopement was discovered to her!
"Here's pretty doings~ she exclaimed, as
socn as he could rtc ,ver breath. $50 Flor
ence was going to run away, and get mar
ried to that Charles Markham, without as
much rs limiting word to me"
She leaned her head Oh her hard, and
began to consider. She was naturally led
to think CT her own marriage with the late
NJ. Benson, and the happiness of her we'd
ded life, and could not help heaying sigh
at the recollection.
cam always to remain thus solitary"
she thought sI've half mind not to show
this letter to Florence, but to run away
with Charles 10 o-morrow night on my own
account. It's odd if l can't pursuade him
that the mother is as good as the daugh
ter" and she glanced compiacently at the
still attractive face and form reflected from
the mirror.
Just then she heared the door open and
Florence entered. She quickly crumpled
up the letter and thrust it into her pocket.
Florence and Charles did not meet dur
ing the succeeding day, chiefly in pursu-
ance of the plan they had agreed upon, in
order 10 avoid suspicion.
Squire Markham acted in an exceeding
ly strange manner to his sons thinking
&c ,asionally he would burst into heavy
laugh, which he would endeayor to repress
and pace up and down the room, as if to
walk off some of his superabundant hilarity.
"What's in the wind?" thought Charles
to himself. at can't be the Governors
getting crazy! Something's the matter
beyond n doubt" But what it really was
he had not the faintest conjecture.
At the hour specified the Squire had
his carriage drawn up at the appointed rem
devious. He began to peer anxiously iu
the dark for Florence. At length a female
form, we'll muffed up, made its appearance.
Thanking her in very low whisper, lest
it might be suspected that he was the
wrong person, he helped her into the car
riage and drove off. Their destination was
the house of the Justice of the Peace, re-
siding at the distance of some eight miles.
During the first part of the journey moth
ing was said. Both parties were desirous
of conceallng their identity. At length,
Squire Markham, considering that after
all, he could not marry the lady without
her consent, and that the discovery must be
made before the marriage, decided to re-
veal himself, and then urge his own suit
as well as he might.
"My dear Miss Florence" he continued
in his natural voice.
"Whyw shrieked the lady, 81 thought it
was Charlie" !"
"And l." said Squire Markham, re-
cognizing Mrs. Benson's voice with aston
ishment, ''thought it was Florence"
"Was it you, sir, who was arranging to
elope with my daughter?"
"No; but / conclude it was you, ma'am,
who was meaning to elope with my son."
"Indeed, 'Squier Markham, you are
wrong; the affair coming accidentlyr to my