The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1858-04-21

& "Egad. sald squire Markham
laughing heartily, that isn't bad; es
pecialIy about hunbogging me. Char
ley wouldn't have il better himself.
So saying, he sealed it up ana sen
it over by little !fi-h boy in hi. en-
ployment, having first marked 'pri
vate' in the corner.
BE careful, Mike, to give it to Mis-
Benson, and don't let any one else see
1t, was the parting Injunction.
Mrs. Benson was sitting in her quie
parlor, casting her eyes over a lat,
number OF IIarper's Magazine, Flor
ence being absent on shopping cx-
cursion, she was left alone. The ring
ing Of the bell brought her to the door
With surprise, she saw that the per
son who rang the bell WAS Mike
Squire Markhan's boy Of all work.
please, a'am," SAID he, holding
out the missive "a letter for Mss Ben
son, an be very particular that no
body else should see it"
The air ofmystery conve! cd in this
characteristic address, aroused Mrs,
( Bcnson's curiosity, especially when
she observed that it was addressed to
her daughter, and not to herself as she
first supposed. She returned to the
parlor-not to read llarper's Maya
ziuG, that had lost its attractions.
What in the world can it be-" she
/ thought, "that they should be so secret
about it? Can Florence be carrying
on a clandestine correspondence? 1t
may be something that ! ought to
! know"
Stimulated by her feminine curiosi-
ty, Mrs. Benson speedily concluded
that it would be false to the response
bilties Of parent if she did not un-
ravel the mystery.
Il think" said she, II will open it,
and if it shouldn't be anything, J can
easily reseal it, and Florence will BE-
none the wiser"
This she accordingly did. What
was her astonlshment when the plan
of elopvment was discovered to her!
Here's pretty doings!" she ex-
claimed, as soon as she could recover
breath. $50 Florence was going to
run away and get married to that
Charles Markham, without so much
as limiting a word to me"
She leaned her head upon her hand
and began to consider. She was natu-
rally led to think of her own marriage
with the late Mr.. Benson, and the
happiness of her welded life, and she
could not help heavins sigh at the
recollection.
Am always to remain thus soIIta-
ry2 she thought. I've half a mind not
to show this letter to Florence but to
run away with Charles tomorrow
night on my own account. It's odd
flcan't 'tpersuade him that the mother
is as good as the daughter, and she
glanced complacently at the still at
tractiye face reelected from the mir
ror.
Just then she heard the door open,
and Florence entered. She quickly
crumpled up the letter and thrust 1t in
to her pocket.
Florence and Charles did not meet
during the succeeding day, chiefly in !
pursuance ofthe plan they had agreed
TO. in order to avoid suspicion.
Squire Markham acted in an ex-
ceedingly strange manner, to his sons
thinking Occasionally he would
burst into hearty laugh, which he
would endeavor to repress, and pace
up and down the room, as if to walk
oil some Of his superabundant hilaritv.
What's in the windF thought
Charles to himself. 1T can't be the
governors getting crazy! Something
was the matter beyond 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 ap-
pointed rendezvous He began to
peer anxiously in the dark for Flor
ence. At length female form, well
muflled 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 carriage and drove off. Their des-
tination was the house Oft the Justice of
the Peace, residing at the distance OF
some eight miles.
During the first part of the journey
nothing was said. Both parties were
desirous of eoncealing their identity.
At length, Squire Markham, consider
ing that after all he could not marry
the lady without her consent, and that
the discovery must be made before the
decided to reveal himself,
and then urge his own suit as well as
he might.
NV dear Miss Florence he con
tnued in his natural voice.
'Whyr shrieked the lady, i thought
it was Charlesr
And |, , sad squire Markham, re-
Mrs. Benson's voice with
astonishment, thought it was Flor
enceP
Was it you, sir, who was arrang-
ing to elope with my daughterF
No, but ] conclude it was you,
ma am, who was meaning to elope
with my SON.
Indeed! Squire Markham, you are
wrong; the affair coming incidentally
to my knowledge, | concluded to take
ner place secretly, in order to Illustrate
her plans.
'Egadl the very idea | had myself
said the Squire, laughing; but the
fact is, we've both of US been con-
foundedly sold, and the mischiefofit