Des Arc citizen., 1867-02-02
A Double Elopement--E Extraordinary
 Solution of a Matrimonial Riddle.

A Double Elopement-- Extraordinary
 Solution of Matrimonial Riddle.
 Our Edgcfield neighbors have recent ly been favored with sensation not less racy than startling, in the shape of nothing less than double elopement. l The circumstances are as follows: For some two or three months past a family named Riddle, from East Ten nessee, have been living at Hicks old block yard, in lower Edgefcld. The l family consisted of MT. Riddle, his wife, little son of Mrs. R. by a former mar riage, and young lady whose name we were not able to ascertain. Here comes in the inevitable young gentle man. His name was Harris, and his visits were frequent. Having estab- lished close intimacy with the Riddles he introduced into their Eden "sar- pint" named John Lambert. John was sixtyfve and, as the denouement proved, seductive.
 Last Sunday week Harris and Lam- bert went to Riddles house ill compa- ny. Their errand was a sinister one. They went to tear Mrs. k. from the embrace of her unsuspecting husband ; and so the latter was informed by Lam bert. Riddle snickered at the idea twas good joke. But when he mo- ticed the fiRn compression of Lam- bert's lip and the ominous glitter of Harris eyc-when Lambert groWled out from between his teeth, in the most approved melo-dramatic style, that they had come for Mrs. Riddle, and were going to have her, and that if he made any resistance they would ''decapitate" him in the shape of sheep's tail, Rid dle realized the intensity of the crisis, and sprang to the bed for his pistol. The charges had been drawn. There was '"traitor ill the camp Riddle was betrayed. At this juncture Harris, who was heavy on the muscle, seized and tied him fast. Forth came the recreant wife and undid him with four brief words. ''It is too true" With imper- turbable calmness, and a grim sort of smile, as if she were paying off old scores, she proceeded to revelations, which filled the soul of Riddle with any amount of uncomfortable emotion. In the first place, all arrangements for I I T. ,.,1l concluded. She was abound" to go with Lambert, and the young lady (name unknown) was bound to go with Harris. The affliction was certainly ''hard one" for the 'sold man," but she considerably hoped that he would ''grin and bear it." Lambert had given her something to make her love him ;" some sweet oblivious antidote-and that was the long and short of it. She had, in fact, been perfect stranger to love until she met Lambert and it would be very ungenerous of Riddle to stand in the way of her happiness. The least thing he could do for all concerned was to let her depart in peace.
 Strange to say, this singular plea "set Riddle" as our informant states, "to thinking" Such an aggregation of do- mestic calamity at such short notice paralyzed as it were, his powers of ac- tion. So he took a seat, utterly sub dued, and while he was groping in the dim recesses of his mind for relief from this great sorrow of his life, morning came, and with it the express wagon which was to bear away Mrs. R. and her luggage. Riddle aroused himself !; he made a last appeal to his levanting better-half, without avail. Lamberts love potion was still in successful op- eration.' Seating herselfon an ancient cedar chest-the gift of her first hus- band-she waved adieu with yellow bandana pocket handkerchief until lost by distance to the tear-dimmed vision of her deserted spouse.
 At last accounts, Mrs. Riddle, Lam- bert, Harris, and the ''young lady," had embarked for Cairo, en route, as is SUD- posed, for Missouri, where brother oi Mrs. R. resides.
 Lambert is between sixty and sixty five years of age, and formerly lived near Elizabethtown, Ky, but for the last three or four years has been in the employ of Mir. Kramer, in Edgefield
 He left behind him a wife, who is ole , and afflicted, besides several children and, we are informed, grand children
 That husbands are false and that women ar'
 frail,
 Or that men with each othe CTS wives meddle Is truth we'll admit-though the wife il
 this tale
 Is an incomprehensible Riddle.
 Coop CHARACTER.-A young mal , who is entering upon life with fai , reputation, feels that he possesses a trea Ik Iksure above all price; and he will b likely to guard it from the contamina