The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-15
#isfellauy.
MASTER sEELEY,s ELOPEMENr.

u y
Annie, I am at my wits endi Ishall
60 raving distractedv cried Helen
Chapman with serio-comic expression
of despair. The way those two 60 on
is perfectly ridiculous. What will be
the end of it all? / don't know
We'll, Pll inform you. then an
elopement one of these fine days. .
'Oh, Annie, you are not in earnest?'
exclaimed Helen, suddenly becoming
preternaturally grave. How could
they! They wouldn't dare. Why
Minnie is only child e..t.
VERY true, the best reason in the
world, for expecting her to elope.-
People don't do that, you know,
when they are old enough to know
better. Fifteen is just the age for such
nonsense
You don't know how you frighten
me. If she should marry him she'd
never be happy as long as she lived.
But what can I do? He's been here
almost every day during your visit,
hasn't he? And Minnie, romantic LIT
tie goose, evidently fancies she's despe-
rateiy irflove with him-that little
tow-headed, weak-eyed specimen Of
humanity
But it is not SO very strange, Helen,
| after all. You must confess that be
has a pretty face, and recites poetry
beautifully, said Annie, with sly twin
kle of the eye.
Yes, he has the face of baby, and
/ am SO sick of his eternal dropping in
to poetry that | fairly gnash my teeth
every time he does it,
'rhen they must be almost worn out
| by this time laughed Annie.
But you don't know how anxious
YOUR words have made me. This is no
laughing matter. The two goslings
Such children. They are just romantic
enough to elope. Oh what trust it is
the sole care of q young sister! ] re-
| member how, o few days before dear
mothers death she laid her thin white
hand on Minnie's curly head (the little
thing was six years old then, and said,
Take care of her, dear Helen-watch
over her as l should l was only
twelve-a mere child myself; but &C
cepted the trust and have never forgot
| ten it,
| Don't look so distressed, DEAR said
| Annie, or shall be almost sorry that
Pve said what / have
NO, you needn't be sorry; but l shall
keep my eyes open now-that is all
| can do
why don't you have a serious talk
with Minnie?
Have a serious talk! Why, I've
had dozen already, but they do more
harm than good. The more l say, the
more defiantly she stands up for him,
| and the more tender she is toward him
the next time they meet. That's hui
man nature you know. She says l
don't understand his high poetic ma
ture? And Helen looked as If she
scarcely knew whether to laugh or cry.
you might forbid him the house,
suggested Annie, after q pause.
No, indeed; l couldn't do worse.
Don't you see that it would only hasten
this catastrophe? No, discretion is the
better part of valor, assure you.
well, what do you intend to do
then?'
sNothing-but watch and wait, as ]
have been doing. Will you not help
me?'
Help you what? Wait or watch p
sNow don't laugh. Twas never more
serious in my life. We must hear every
word-watch every look that passes
between these two. Poor foolish sis
terp Then suddenly relapsing from
the plying into the indignant, 4 could
shake hern
A few days after this conversation,
Helen mysteriously beckoned her
friend into the garden,
'Well,' said Annie, as the door closed
behind them, what is on the tapis now?
What has put you into such q state OF
excitement? Your eyes are like stars,
and your cheeks as red as roses @
No! do look as if / had anything
on my mind 1? inquired Helen anxious
| ly. irve been trying to look as uncon-
cerned as possible. But after all, she
added musingly, it dosen't matter
much. She would hardly notice 1t in
her present state of mind
Who? what? Come, out with 1t I!
Don't you see that l am dying of inn
patience
Lend me your earv cried Helen with
a tragic air. 'pve something of the
gravest importance to communicate.
Then, after solemn pause, she said
in a stade whisper, opening her eyes
very wide, Il am going to elopev
Annie's expression of open-mouthed
| astonishment was so ludicrous that
Helen involuntarily burst into merry
laugh.
| what do you mean by saying such
an absurd thing? cried Annie, look.
| lug little relieved. -.
Exactly what / say,' returned hel
friend, assuming her former expression
of mysterious gravity. i elope this
night at half-past nine, precisely. Pvt
arranged all. Didn't you see?
See what? Why 1 verify believe
/ you'redem ented.'
Not more than the majority of wo'
mankind, / assure you. Then you
didn't notice that Herbert Seeley hand
ed o note to Minnie yesterday even
ing? -
ed them all the evening! You have thu
eyes of q lynx, Helen
II owe this discovery quite as much
to my ears as to my eyes. When little
Seeley took my sisters hand at parting
I noticed that he gave her a very sig
nificant look, and as her hand fel
among the folds of her dress heart
something rustic family like paper. s.
| after we liza, d been in bed some time,
arose softly and after having listened
at the door, to make sure she was sleep
ing soundly, stole In and looked abou
for the note. which, by piece of goot
luck / hardly expected, found on he
bureau, and read without any trouble
the gas not being out, but only turnet
+ down. IL seemed q dishonorable thing
to do: but better than lose my Minnie
Dear little thing-sleeping SO soundly
her ROSY lips parted, and her long, gol
den ringlets falling about her whit
shoulder
But the note; the noteo
1T contained only these words, a
near as | can remember: Meet me
nv beauteous one, tomorrow night, q
half.pas 8, in the little summer house
A carriage will be in waiting at shor
distance. Fail not, thou precious an
, gel, nor fear to trust thyself to one VIII
!, would die for thee. Forever thine
| Herbert
'Oh, the little imbecile! SO it is as
; predicted: and now what are you goin
to do"
Exactly what told you-elopeW VIII
the youth myself
How can you jest so? A few day
, ago you told me ii was no laughin
matter. Is il any less now? Yet ther
! you sit looking as if it were Il capt.;
) joke
Il ann not jesting, Annie, and yo
|, needn't proceed to turn up the white
of your eyes, and look sanctimoniou
r for the cause of my high spirit is sin
a ply the thought that Tve found wa
: out of this difficulty-at least for til