Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-03

nave done harm to tell ANYBODY that thew
loved each other, and then they did not
want to make family disturbance until
| they were competent to assume all resnon.
| slblllties. That time came The bow was
| In good business, and the girl was
eighteen. He made the necessary arrauce.
| ments to marry somebody, on Saturday
asd she made elaborate preparations to 90
| TO church on the next Sunday He came.
| as usual, and she was ready, and the two
went out on the bright Sunday morning
10 church? NO, but to coy parsonage,
where minister of loves gosnel made II -
WAN one; ana then they went together
TO nice, retired boarding house where
suitable apartments had been nrenared for
the couple. There they STAYED in peace
that day and night
How was it with the old folks at homeq
Nellie did not return from church at the
usual hour. 1t was supposed she had
gone TO married sisters house TO sDend
the day, as she sometimes did. But she
did not return at night. That was indeed
strange-ln fact, alarming Thes father.
lull or mlSglvngs, went to the house
where James lived, late at night, but James
was not there, and had not been seen there
since morning. The old man passed a
| restless, wandering night. Morning came
| and the household were thoroughly alarm,
ed some one suggested that Nellie and
James might have run off and rot mar
| rled; such things had been The old man
SAID that could not be, and should not he.
and he stormed 1t was preposterous,
monstrous to think of; besides Nellie was
a dutl1ul child. Another limited that
Nellie was woman now, and women
have queer ways with them That Mon
day morning was particularly blue to the
father who had lost child, and unusually
bright to the young man who had found a
wife. She was tripping along with him
toward the store where he was employed,
when the old man, with gathering storm
on his brow, met the couple face to face.
Few words were spoken At the end of
the interview the father led his daughter
unwillingly away, and the young husband
went on alone, making up his mind. The
dlsconsolate wife was put in her room
second story, back-and the door was
locked from the outside, and the KEY lin
gled its complaint in the deep recesses of
the old mans pantaloons pocket
The young lady told her folks that
she was married, and her
folks told her that she was
as good as widow, and need never hone
to see her scamp of a husband again But
she did hope for all that At night all the
lady's garments, except her night clothes,
even to shoes and stockings were taken
away, to make sure of her staying in the
cage. Her jailers had etfectually pre-
cluded an escape by the window So
they thought at least but they had ceased
to remember how it was themselves They
were no match for young blood and true
hearts. About the witching hour of
twelve, when all was still, and ladders
CLEAN in the moonlight, pebble tinkled
against the young lady's window pane
She was lying awake listening for some
thing of that kind. On looking out of
the window she took in the whole situa-
alton. There was ladder, and strong
man ascending its rungs. He may have
been Il rObber, but she feared him not
Few preparations were necessary; in fact
none could be made in the way of dress
ing for flight. And thus in her bare feet
and flowing white wrapper, delicately
thin, and her hair streaming and her eyes
bcaming brighter than the stars, she de
sccnded that ladder, by the aid Of her
guide, and those two, arm and arm went
out into the night They had to explain,
themselves to several policemen, but
finally found safe shelter and were happy
The next morning the old people saw how
it was, and agreeing that opposition to
such proceedings would be of no use,
they invited James and Nellie to come
home and live with them Missouri Re
puJIicnn