The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1858-08-26

ingly strange manner, to his sons think
ing. Occasionally he would burst into
hearty laugh, which he would rendeav.
or to suppress. and pace up and dowr
the ROOM, as if to walk off some of his
superabundant hilarity. al, ~:
Whats in the wind 2 thought Char
ley to himself. 1t can't be the Gov
ernor's getting crazy Something was
the matter, beyond doubt. But wha,
it really was, he had not the faintest con
lecture. r..@,@.'..., ~.
AT the hour specified, the Squire had
his carriage drawn up at the appointed
rendezvous. He began to peer anxious
ly in the dark for Florence, AT length a
female form, well muffled up, made its
appearance. Thanking her in a very
low whisper, least it might be suspected
that he was the wrong person, he helped
her into the carriage. and drove off.
During the first part of the journey
nothing was said. Both parties were de-
sirius of ooncealing their identity. AT
length, Squire Markham, considering
that after all he could not marry the lady
without her consent, and that the discov.
cry must be made before the marriage
decided to reveal himself, and then urge
his own suit as well as he might.
My dear Miss Florence he continu
ed, in his natural voice.
'Why!' shrieked the lady, Il thought
it was Charles -
And L. said Squire Markham, re
cognising Mrs. Benson's voice with as
tonishment, thought it was Florence.
Was it you, sir, who was arranging
TO elope with my daughter p u
No, but l concluded it was you
who was meaning to elope with my
son.
Indeed, Squire Markham, you arc
wrong the affair coming incidentally te
my knowledge, | concluded to take hel
place secretly, in order to Illustrate hel
plans.
q Egad the very idea | had myself,
said the Squire, laughing but The
fact is, ma'am, we've both of us bcei
confoundedly sold, ard the mischief o
it is, / have left letter for that young
scamp Charles, letting him know it; 81
undoubtedly he will take tie opportuni
ty to run off with Florence during on
absence, and plume himself, the rascal
on the way in which | was taken in
/ confess that | left note for Flor
ence to the same purport. How she vii
laugh at me. What an embarrassment
/ tell you what said the Sqre, af
ter moments pause, I'VE can carry
out our plans. after all. We each cam,
out with the intention of getting married
Why not marry each other, and then
you know, we can make them believe W,
had it in view all along, and only inten
ded to frighten them.
Mrs. Benson assented with little urg
| ing, aud in the course of an hour the
twain We're made one. They immedi
ately returned, but found, as shey hat
anticipated, that Florence and Charles
discovering their departure, had them
selves stepped off in a different direction
with similar intent.
They made their appearance the mex
morning prepared to laugh heartily a
the frustrated plans of their parents, bu
! learned with no little astonishment tha
they had struck up bargain for them
selves. Squire Markham and his wife hat
the address to convince them that it wa
all premeditated plan, and to this da,
the young pair are ignorant of the plo
and counter plot which led to this doub
lie union of the two households.