The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-03-06
Love in a Stool Trap.

lu tho sequel Of this brief story
" liut viii yol go tonight ~
Yes, wilt"
"Aud III have old Bob behind thc ham ar
twelve, youll hc waiting inside, and $50 wil
drive 90 New York and Prt married straight
of Ihc reel P"
"Nes. When all the folks are in bed and
asleep, Ill steal out of the Wa,l-huusr door
go 10 the barn, gtt iu and disguise mysplf
When y0H come put iH Your finger llt lht
uloh open the barn door, and lll drop into
your arms Ike ripe ppplr. o do 30 love
90 un away Won't IL be drlif fhtiul
The speakers were Joe CtYcgf ull Mary
Miller ! need not mrfliou thlt thoy were
lovers. 'Ninryt1uthrr was O prosperous iaT
NOR of tounccticui, and Mary hcrgclf wa one
ofthr widest, most light hearted romantic
innocent and nfectiouaic creatures ever made
atcr the "almost divine" model Of mother
I've. Joe was o generous, impulsiyc youth
whose parents hur once seen initcriug days
bat bod OF late bten unfortunate and fallen
into comparative poverty,
Farmer Miller o, hc grew rich, grow avn
bilious, Mary was bis only child. lie look
cd tu hes settlement To- the world as the means
Of bis own social ndNunCcmcut and bad nl.
ready selected in his minds oyo, suitable
match tor hrr OF course Joc's attentions
therefore, did not meet with his upprdyuti
and while be- was unwilling 60 Dee Thought
sordid enough 10 reject Joe openly for hig
lack Of means hr had suggested % that
Young udycuturcr the proprirty OF ahscutiug
himself altogether from Mays attractive
prD.nucc, This done, bu assured Mary Of
biz resolution % dispose of her hand ac-
ourding 60 his own notions Of feminine hap.
piIcas.
need not say that thc,o facts, operating
upon toe mind Of % thoughtlcss, loving, &C.
centric. and spirited child, like Mary, had q
peculiar effect, That very moment she hc-
tcrmiucd 70 marry joe Cnycrs. lie was cv-
idcntly pcrsccutcd' Persecution only made
him Gctfcr to her She liked him before,
but now she loved him, In fact, the more
she thought Of 10, the more she Was convinced
that he Was an angel, and that perfect idoln-
ity on her part would only Doe an act ofuoble
devotion,
II Farmer Miller had been a sensible man,
and at all disposed 10 study human nature
hr'wogld have adopted perhaps a very differ
Cnt course toward his WayWard daughter
lie would have introduced his proposed son.
iu-law, and forbidden her az the same time
90 indulge in the slightest regard for him -
The probability is that she would have fallen
desperately in love with him at first sight,
and given Joe his cOHgc without further ccr-
cmouy but Father Miller had way Of his
owu IN all things, and he was satisfied that
should Mary feel disposed 20 play him trick,
he was quite able to manage q Roland for
her Oliver,
The very next morning after be had ia
this manner "opcncd his mind, as he called
II, 20 his daughter, he lutsiy happened 90
see joe Clitcrs make his IIiuNe entrance
Wdifk,, Out nf,6i Sinking "a dsGssl, 15f sGc va;
Ag"eajaF axe. the para9,ia! oru.,ty,
Farmer Miller did not permit many MINI
ute, TO cl4psc before bee placed himself iu the
wash house which ndioiucd the kitchen, 40
THAI he migh; hear Iii that passed hetWeea
the discounted lovers lie did hear the dia-
logue with which | have commenced this
lc posscsscd himself Of the plan
OF the contemplated elopcmcnt, and he was
sat 5ii-Jl --------=.--
She is going to run away, is she P" lac
said to himSelfi an teach him a lesson,
warrant me and as for the little gipscy, III
settle her business very speedily
Attcr tea that evening Mary retired to her
little room, her heart heating with anxiety
Tor the approach OF midnight Her surprise
may be- imagined whcA. half an hour after
wards, she found hcrsclfa prisoner She tried
the handle Of the lock- Ii would not movS,
What Was to be done? Could it have been
fastened on her hy accident? She called for
her father, and hc came.
What's the matter, Mary ?" was his OK
claulalinn, Without however, opening the
chamber door
My door is fast, and cannot get out :"
Very well dear was his rcplyi "Eo TO
bed, like q good girl, and III open it in the
morning"
She knew it was not of the slghtcrt use
to rcmonstratc. lie mustby some means have
discovered her design. She could do nothing
but weep and bite her lips with vexation.
The next thing the farmer did was to visit
the barn. As usual, it had 4 large wagon
door, in which was cut for common use "a
smaller entrance. The latter was only Sc
cured hy the ordinary latch inside, which was
lifted in The customary Wdy by thrusrIUV Il
finger in through small hole made in the
door, beneath the latch, for the purpose.
Farmer Miller remained in the barn long
enough tn arrange matters to suit his private
purpose and then coming out, through the
stable that joined, or rather lay partly be-
meath it. he walked quietly "hcme laughing
to himself lie first listened at his dough-
ter's door, and finding all quiet, retired to
his own room and went to sleep.
Just about midnight horse and wagon
drew silently up, on the road, behind Farmer
.NIillcrs barn. Joe Clavers got stealthly out
Of the vehicle, jumped tho fence, and crept
cautiously around the door of the building
in question. How happy he felt In another
moment Mary would{e his own! In the
morning she would be his darling, little wife
Farmer Miller would storm of course but
the farmer loved his daughter dearly, aud
was proud Of her. He, would, therefore, re-
lent, forgive, and bless them Full of these
delightful anticipntionsT Joe thrust his finger
in the hole of the barn door to reach the
latch, but. All! how he yelled with
pain. \ steel trap odroitly placed on the
inside, so as to catch amy obtruding article
had snapped and his bleeding finger was
held fast with its iron teeth.
1t was a cold night, and Joe's feelings may
be conjecturpri as he stood there. shiHering
and shaking, hong Hllcs hour, unable to move
fros the spot, hcp a pfsohet by the savage
instrument, his laceratcd tingrr occasioning
him exquisite agony, and his heart fairly sink
ing into his boots with the conviction that
!. ,,,,,11 ,,lN hin, %, hn E.r-