Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-09-25
NEsoTA SATURDAY MORNINGS sEPTEn1BER IS, 1s5

Am always to remain thus solitary r.
she thoughk 1--WE half mind not oishow
the letterto Florence but to run away with
Charles tomorrow night on any account. q
odd ii can't persuad him that the mother
amt as good, as the daughter" and she CLAN
ced compiacently at the still attractive face
aud form reflected from the mirror. .aa2
just then she heard the door open, and
| Florence entered. She quickly crumpled mp
the letter. thrust it in her pocket. Florence
and Charles did not meet during the succeed
ing day, chiefly in pursuance to the plan
they had agreed TO, in order to avoid suspic-
ion. IS ReNf3 .4 s.g-A &c. r3f
Squire Markham acted in an exceedingly
strange manuer, to his sons thinking. Occa
sonaIly he would burst into a hearty laugh,
which he would endeavor to suppress, and
pace up and down the room, as if to walk of
his superintendent hilarity.
=" What's in the wind p thought Charles
to himself. cit can't be that Governors
getting crazy" Something was the naas5er
beyond a 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 appointed rendez-
vous. He began to peer anxiously into the
dark for Florence. At length a female form,
we'll muff1ed up, made its appearance. Thank
ing her, in very low whisper, least it might
be suspected that he was the wrong person,
he helped her into the caIrirge and drove off.
During the first part of the journey moth
ing was said. Both parties ware DESTROYS OF
concealing their lentity. At length Squire
Markham, considering that after all he could
not marry the lady without her consent, and
that the discovery must be made before the
marriage, decided to reveal himself, and
then urged his own suit as well as he
might"
6 my dear Miss Florence" he continued,
in his natural voice.
"Why p' shrieked the lady, 81 thought it
was Charles"
+" And IT, said Squire Markham, recogniz-
ing Mrs. Benson's voice with establishment,
''thought it was Florence"
" Was it you sir, who was arranging 10
elope with my daughter p
6 No, but concluded it was you ma'am
who was meaning TO elope with my SON."
In 'eed, Squire Markham. you are wrong;
the affair coming incidentally to my know
ledge. concluded to take her place secretly
in order to Illustrate her plans"
Egad the very idea | had myself said
the Squire laughing; but the fact is, ma'am,
we've both of US been confoundedly sold and
the mischief of it is, l have left letter for
Charles letting him know it; so undoubtedly
ne will take the opportunity to ran off with
Florence during our absnnce, and plume him
self, the rascal, on the way in which | was
taken ill.,"
| confess that left note for Florence to
the same purport. How she will laugh at
me. What an embarrassment.
=" tell you what said the Squire, after a
moments pause, "we can carry out our plans
after ALL We each came without the inten-
ton of getting married. Why not marry
each other, and then you know we can
make them believe we had it in view ali
along, and we only intended TO frighten
them"
Mrs. Benson assented with little urging,
and in the course Of an hour the twain were
one. They Immediately returned but found
as they had anticipated, that Florence and
Charles, discovering their departure, had
themselves stepped off in different direction
with similar intent.
They made their appearance the next NOR
ming, prepared to laugh heartily at the frus-
trated plans of their parents, but learned,
with no little establishment, that they had
struck up bargain for themselves. Squire
Markham and his new wife had the address
to convince that it was all a premeditated
plan and to this day the younger pair are
ignorant of the plot and counter plot which
led to this double union OF the two house
holds.