Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-12-01
''Re careful, Mike, to give it to Miss Ben


son, and let no one else see it," was the
parting injunction.
Mrs. Benson was sitting in her quiet par
lor, casting her eyes over a late Harper
Florence being out shopping, she was left
alone. The ringing OF the bell brought her
to the door. With surprise she saw Mike,
Squire Markham's boy of all-work.
please ma'am," holding out the missive,
''here's a letter for Miss Benson, an its very
particular no one else should see it,
The air of mystery conveyed in the charac-
teristic address aroused Mrs Benson's curios-
ity, especially when she observed it was
addressed to her daughter, and not to herself,
as she supposed. She returned to the par
all its attractions.
'What in the world can il be?' she
thought, ''that they could be so secret about?
can Florence be carrying on clandestine
correspondence 1t may be something that
I ought to know"
Stimulated by her feminine curiosity, Mrs
Benson speedily concluded that she would be
false to her responsibilities as a parent if she
did not unravel this mystery.
Here's pretty doings!' she exclaimed, as
soon as she could recover her breath $50
Florence was going to run away and get
married to that Charles Markham, without
as much as limiting word to me -
She leaned her head upon her hand and
began to consider She was naturally led
to think of her own marriage with the late
Mr.. Benson, and the happiness of her mar
ried life, and she could not help heaying a
sigh at the recollection.
Am l always to remain thus solitary ?"
she thought I've a notion not to show it
to Florence. but to run away with Charles
myself tomorrow night. It's odd if | can't
Persuade him that the mother is as good as
the daughter" She glanced complacently at
the still attractive face and form reflected
from the mirror
! just then she heard the door open, and
Florence entered She quickly crump led
up the letter and thrust it into her pocket
! Florence and Charles did not meet during
the succeeding day, chiefly in pursuance Of
! the plan they agreed to, in order to avoid
suspicion.
! Squire Markham acted in an exceedingly
| strange manner to his sons thinking. Occa-
| sionally he would burst into a hearty laugh
which he would endeavor to suppress, and
pace up and down the room as if to walk
! off some of his superabundant hllarity
"What's in the wind ?" thought Charles
! to himself 1T can't be the governor s
! getting crazy" Something was the matter
| beyond any doubt but what it really was he
had not the faintest conjecture
At the hour specified the Squire had his
carriage drawn up al the appointed rendez-
vous. He began to peer anxiously in the
dark for Florence. At length female form,
we'll mufaed 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
During past Of the journey, nothing was said.
Both parties were desiroUs &c ooncealing their
identity. at length, Squire Markham con-
sidering that after all he could not marry
the lady without her consent, and that the
discovery must be made before marriage,
decided to reveal himself and then urge his
own suit as well as he could.
"My dear Miss Florence" he commenced
in mis- natural voice.
Why" shrieked the lady, Il though. ii
was Charles"
And l." said Squire Markham, recogniz-
ing Mrs. Benson's voice, Thought it was
Florence"
WAS 1t you, sir, who was arranging to
elope with my daughter :"
mo; but [ conclude it was you ma M
who was meaning to elope with my SON."
Indeed, Squire Markham, you are wrong
|
edge-I concluded to take her place secretly,
in order to frpstrate her plans"
''Egad the very idea had myself" said
the Squire, laughing; ''but the fact is
mann, we have both been confoundedly sold
and the mischief of it is, have left letter
for Charles, letting him know it; so un
dodbtedly he will take an opportunity to run
away with Florence during our absence, and
plume himself, the rascal on the way II
which | was taken IN"
Il confess left note for Florence to the
: same purpose. How she will laugh at me
What an embarrassment.
''Fll tell you what, said the Squire, after
! a pause; t'We can carry out our plans after
all. We each came out with the intention o
getting married. Why not marry each other
t and then you know, We'll make them beiev,
we had it in view all along, and only intended
, to frghten them"
, Mrs. Benson assented with a very little
urging, and in the course OF an hour th,
: twain were made one. They immediatel,
returned, but found as they anticipated, tha
Florence and Charles, discovering their de
3 parture, had themselves stepped off in diff
ferent direction, with similar intent.
S They made their appearance the nex
, morning, prepared to laugh heartily at th
frustrated plau Oh Gueir pireuCS, out learneu
to their astonishment, that they had strucl
f up bargain for themselves. Squire Mark
ham aud his new wife had the address t
: convince them that it was all premeditate
plan, and to this day the young pair ar
ignorant of the plot and copnterplot whic
led to this double union of the two house
holds
, - Mrs. Partington says, if she shoul
ever be cast away, she would prefer meetin
{ With the acaident In the Rau of BiScnlt: