The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-04-27
LOVE IN A STEEL TRAP.
BY THE COLONEL.

Love laughs at lockslniths,' we nre
told, but rat-traps are no subject of laugh
ter, even to the blind-god himself as /
shall show you in the sequel of this brief
story. aa
But will you go to-night?'
yes. / will.' g l AS
,.And if 1 have old Bob behind the barn
at twelve, you'll be waiting inside, and
We'll drive to New York and get married
right straight off the reel?'
Yes. When all the folks are in bed
and asleep, I'll steal out of the washh ouse
door, go to the barn, get in and disguise
myself. When you come, put in your fn-
ger, lift the latch, open the door, and I'll
drop into your arms like ripe apple
Oh! do SO love to run away! Won't it
be delightful e
! The speakers were Joe Ciavers and
Mary Miller. need not mention that
they were lovers. Mary's father was a
prosperous farmer in Connecticut and
Mary herself one of the widest. most
light headed, romantic, innocent, affection
ate creatures ever made after the almost
divine model of mother Eve. Joe was a
generous, impulsive, youth, whose parents
had once seen laattering days, but had of
late been unfortunate, and fallen into COM
parative poverty. sf
Farmer Miller, as he grew rich, grew
ambitious. Mary was his only child He
looked to her settlement in the world as a
means of his own social advancement, and
had already selected in his own minds eye;
a suitable match for her. r.,-s, assam
i Of course, Jos's attentions, therefore,
did not meet with his approval; and while
he was unwilling to be thought sordid
enough to reject Joe for his lack of means
he had suggested, to that. young adyen-
turer the propriety of absenting himself
entirely from Mary's attractive presence.
!, This DONE he had assured Mary Of his res
olution to dispose other hand according
to his own notions of happiness.
i need not say that these facts, operat-
ing upon the mind of thoughtless loving
, excentric, and spirited child, like Mary
had peculiar effect. That very moment
she determined to marry Joe Clavers. -
| He was evidently persecutedl Persecu.
I tion only made him the dearer to her.
d She liked him before now she loved him
In fact, the more she thought of it thu
more she was convinced that he was ar
angel; that perfect idolatry on her par
would only be an act of noble devotion.
Iffarmer Miller had been a sensible maj
, aud at all disposed to study human natur,
}, he would have adopted perhaps a very diff
ferent course with his wayward daugh
ter He would have introduced his pro.
|, posed son-in-law, aud forbidden her, at tn,
same time. to indulge in the slightest re
, gard for, him. The probability is she
/ would have fallen desperately in love will
him at first sight, and given Joe his cong
! without further ceremony; but farmer Mil
Ter had q way of his own. in all things
aud he was satisfied that, should Mary fee
: disposed to play him q trick, he wal
quite able to manage q Roland for her OF
liver.
The very next morning after he had il
this manner, aopened his mind, as he cal
led it, to his daughter, he luckily happen
ed to see Joe Clayers make his fugitiv,
entrance into the kitchen where Mary wa
} busy at work, but not singing as usual
for she was brooding over the parenta
r cruelty.
d Farmer Miller did not allow many min
} utes to elapse before he had placed him
self in the wash house, which adjoined the
kitchen, SO that be might hear all tha
n passed between the discom6tted lovers
He did hear the dialogue with which
. have commenced this Historiette. HI
) possessed himself of the plan of the cou