Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-08-26
MATRIMONIAL STRATAGEM;
o R,
How Two Households Became One.

&AOW L WV x4OubO1lO1uD oCCd11C OuGs
Mrs. Benoni Benson was fat, fair, and
forty-four, when her husband, soap
boiler in very good circumstances, was
called from his life-task of contributing
to the general publication Of mankind.
Mrs. Benson took refuge from her grief
i'll pretty cottage, situated on the prin-
cipal street in the town Of G..
At first she was inconsolable; and she
used to say, with solemn emphasis,
which carried conviction to the hearts OF
her hearers, that nothing but the
thoughts of her daughter Florence
would have prevented her from termina-
ting her existence by the intervention OF
poison. a -a7
Mrs. Benson was, in no small degree,
indebted to her daughter-since in less
than three months she threw aside her
mourning, and became as lively as ever.
Touching Florence, she had now
reached the mature age of nineteen, and
began to think herself marriage able
She was quite pretty, and tolerably we'll
accomplished; so that her wishes in that
respect were very likely to be fulfilled.
Just over the way lived Squire Mark
ham, the village lawyer, just verging up
on fifty, with his son Charles, who was
about half his age. Being young man
of agreeable exterior, the latter was
quite favorite with the young ladies in
the neighborhood, and considered in
common parlance quite 'scatch.'
AS yet, however, his affections had
never been seriously entangled, and
might hive remained SO, had it not been
for the sudden apparition, one morning,
of Florence Benson, riding by on horse.
back 49,
1t struck him at once that she was re.
markably graceful, and really quite pref
ty. Thereupon, he cultivated her ac.
quaintance with increased assiduity, and
after while asked the fatal question.
Florence answered in the affirmative,
and, instead of referring him dutifully to
her mother, limited (being romantic
young LADY, how charming it would be
tie steal away to the next town and get
married without anybody being the
wiser.
Charles Markham caught at this hint,
which chimed with his own tempera-
ment, and he resolved to adopt it.
In order that it might be carried out
with perfect success, it was resolved to
seem Indifferent to each other until the
| day fixed, in order to ward off any sus.
picion which might otherwise be arous-
ed $3.50
SO well were these arrangements car.
ried out, that Mrs. Benson had no sus.
picion OF what was going on. .<a
Not so with Squire Markham. He
had obtained clue to the affair in some
manner, so that he not Only discovered
the fact of the elopement, but even the
very day on which it was to occur.
"Sly dog, that Charles" thought he
to himself, as he sat down before the
fire in his dressing-gown and smoking
cap, leisurely putting away at choice
Havana. "But l don't wonder at it; he
only takes after me. Still, l owe him
something for keeping it so secretly
from me. 1t would be a good joke, if
were little younger, to cut him out
and marry her in spite of him."
Squire Markham, who was one o.
those Jovial widowers who take life as il
comes, unused more and more on this
idea, stuck out by chance as it were. till
he really began to think it worth so me-
thing, sss.a
"After all" shouted he, 81 am not So
old either, or at least the ladies saw SC
and they ought to be good judges in
such matters. have been a bachelor 8
good while, and ought to have found out
before this how much more comfortable
1T would be to have pretty wife to vel
come me home, and do the honors O
my table, and to help me keep that ras
cal Charles in order. Egad! I've half
mind to do it, a.--
Squire Markham took two more Whit:
and EXCHANGED
81 vow, I'll do it!'
What this mysterious IT was, we will
leave the reader to infer from his yer,
next movement. Ringing the bell, h,
inquired of the servant
'Is Charles at homer"
'No, SIR" was the reply, she wen
out this morning, and will be gone al
day."
"Humph!" that'll do. So much tn
better for my purposes" thought he
when alone.
NOW l shall have the ground left t
myself. Let me see; the rascal intend
running away next Thursday evening
and to-day is Monday. Nothing Xix