Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-09-25

MATRIMONIAL STRATAGEM.
HOW Two households became on

rood circumstances was called from his llfe-
task of contributing to the general purifica-
ton of mankind. Mrs. Benson took refuge
from her grief in pretty little cottage, stu
ated on The principal street in the town Of
c..
AT first she was unconsolable; and she us
ed to saw. with a solemn emphasis which car
ried conviction to tie hearts of her hearers
that nothing but the thoughts of Florence
would have prevent d her from terminating
her existence by the Intervention of poi
son.
Ms Benson was 10 no small degree indabt-
| ed 10 her daaghter--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 ma griagea5le. she was quite
pretty, and tolerably we'll accomplished, so
that her wishes in that respect were very like
y TO be fulfilled.
Just over the way lived Squire Harkham,
the village lawyer, just verging apon fifty,
with his son Charles, who was about halt his
age. Being young man Of agreeable exter-
ior the latter was quite avorite with the
young ladies in the neighborhood, and
considered, in common pariance, quite
| acatch.''
AS yet, however, his affections had never
been seriously entangled, and might have re-
mained SO, had it not been for the sudden APP
partition, one morning OF Florence Benson,
riding by on horse-back.
1t struck him at once that she was remarka-
bly, graceful, really quite pretty. Thereupon,h he
cultivated her acquaintance with increased
assiduity and after a while asked the fatal
question.
Florence answered in the Affirmative, and,
instead ofreferring him dutifully to her moth
er, limited, (being a romantic young lady,
how charming it would be to steal away to
the next town and get married, without any
body being the wiser.
Charles Markham caught at this hint,
which chimcd with his own temperament ,and
be resolved 10 adopt it.
In order that it might be carried out with
perfect success, it was resolved to seem in
different TO each other until the day fixed, in
order to ward off any suspicion which might
otherwise he aroused.
So well were these arrangements carried
ont that Mrs. Benson had no suspicion OF
what was going Oh.
Not SO with Squire Markham. He had ob-
tained clue 70 the affair in some manner, so
elopemcat but even the very day on which
il was 10 occur.
sly dog, that Charles" thought lie to him
self as he sal down before the fire in bis dres-
sng-gown and smoking cap,lesnrely putting
away at 4 choice Havana But don't won
der ar Il, he only takes after me. Stin owe
him something for keeping |, so secretly from
me. 1t would be good joke, if ] were liz
tie younger, to cut him out and marry her ID
spite of him"
Squire Markham, who was one OF those o
vial widowers who takes life as It CONES, mus
ed more and more on this ,dea, struck out By
chance as it were, till he really began TO think
it woi tn something.
After all" said he. II am not so old eth
er, or at least the ladies say So--and they
ought to be good Judges in such matters. |
| haN been bacheior a good while. and ought
to have found out before this how much more
comfortable il would be to have pretty wife
TO welcome me home aud do The honors of my
table, and to help keep that rascal Charles
in order. Egad / have half q mind to do
it.n
Squire Markham took two more whiiis, and
then exclaimed
Il vow, I'll do it'n
What this mysterious IT was, we will leave
the reader 10 infer from his very next move
ment. Ringing the bell, he inquired Of the
servant :
Is Charles at home ?'
No. sir was tie reply, "he went out this
morning anl Gill DC gone all day"
Hunph . that will do. So much the
better for my purposes" thought he. when
alone.
Nov shall have the ground laft to my
self. Let me see; the rascal intends running
away next Thursday evening, and to-day is
Monday. Nothing like striking while the
iron is hot. III write to her in his name, tel
llng her that 1 have altered my mi1d and
will go just at dark tomorrow night. She
won't expect anything until the knot is tied,
rnd then what laugh we will haye'
Squire Markham did not consider that it
might make little difference with the bride
, eXpectant. lie considered it capital Joke
on his son. but looked no further. He accor-
dingly drew his writing materials towards him,
and indted the following episile
DEAREST FtoaENcE - find the day fix
Cd Tor our olopenent on some accounts OBJ !
ljectionable, aud would ike, with Your per
mission. to substitute tomorrow evening. III
hear nothing from you, shall infer that
you consent to this arrangement. shall have
a carriage in readiness under the old oak tr e, !
at haf-past eight o'clock. You can walk
there without attracting suspicion, and as
! there viii be no moon, we shall be able to
carry out Que plans without fear of fdiscovery
am happy 10 say that the Governor doesn't
suspect Ia the least that daughter in-law
is IN store for him. Won't he be ashara-
ed ?"
Your devoted. CHARLEY.
Egad p said Squire Markham, laughing
heartily, "that isu't bad especially about
| humbuggng me. Charley couldn't have done
any better himself"
So saying, he sealed ii up and sent over by
a little Irish boy in his employment, having
first marked "private" III tue corner
"Be careful, Nike to give it to Miss Ben
son, and don't let any one else see it." was
the parting injunction.
Mrs. Benson was sitting in her quiet par
| lor, casting her eyes over late number Of
| Harpsr's magazine. Florence being absent
on shopping excursion, she was left alone |
| The ringing Of the bell brought her to the
! door. With surprise she saw that the person |
who rang the bell was Mike, Squire Mar
hams boy Of all work
Please, ma'am SAID he, holding out the
mlssige, letter for Miss Bcnson and it is
very particular that nobody else should SEQ
it,"
The air Of mystery conveyed in this char
acteristic address, aroused Mrs Bensons curl
oslty, especially when she observed that it
was addressed to her daughter and not to her,
self, as she supposed She returned to the
parlor-not TO read Harper's Magazine that
had lost its attractions.
"What in the world can it be- she thought.
'that they should be so secret about it p
1t might be something that ought to
know"
Stimulated by her feminine curiosity. Mrs.
Benson speedily concluded that she would be
false to the responsibilities OF parent if she