National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-12-26
An Exciting Chase.


An Oregon Romance.
Although the rain descends and sea-
sons come and. go, Cupid never ceases
his arrow practice upon the susceptible
hearts of rich or poor OF all nations.
Chanpoeg- willamette, Oregon, is
classed in the above, as a romance has
Just been enacted worthy of much
larger county and much more notorieiy.
II is repetition of "the old, old
story" wherein the beating of two
hearts as one is interrupted by the
interference Of pater and materiamilias,
who place heir foot down upon further
proceedings, and say that such things
shall not be. In I. 8 instance love
laughed at injunctions and decrees,
and despite opposition, clung around
the hearts of the two yOung folks. In
the vicinity of Champoeg there dwells
a wellto-do farmer named James Riley,
who possesses, besides his better half
and several boys, young and beautiful
daughter, who is the pride of the house
hold and the pet of the young men. BY
her fresh beauty and brown golden
hair she has justly won the title of the
belle of Marion. As report says, there
came n young man wooing named
Clarence Hunt, whose aflable manners
and prepossessing appearance gained
the bellies favor for him almost on
sight. AS days and weeks rolled on,
the high regard developed into the
most devout love. The situation was
comprehended by the parents, alas too
late. The Rubicon was passed and the
die was cast. The sacred VOWS We're
made and carried by angels and written
in Heaven.
No power could separate or cause
them to cease to love. Repeatedly their
meetings were strictly forbidden, under
penalty of eternal banishment from
home. Things became turbulent for
the young couple, and they decided to
elope. Everything necessary was got
in readiness and in secret way and I'M
der the cover of darkness. At last the
appointed hour came, and the loving
maiden was stolen from her little bed
and wrapped in robes beside her in
tended, seated behind two fast steeds.
Everything fixed, they bid farewell to
fettered freedom, and sped rapidly
away toward the land of the rising sun.
They had scarcely placed mile be-
tween the exacting parents and them
selves before they were discovered
The young lover had taken time by
the forelock, and turned the horses into
the pasture. Some time was consumed
before they could be caught, and then
two of the boys started in pursuit,
thereby giving the elopers an oppor-
tunity to widen the breach between
them. 1t was truly love fleeing
by starlight, pursued by Indignation in
the shape of two angry brothers. On,
on they flew before the wind, urging
the poor horses on at their utmost
speed. They felt that pursuers were
on their trail, and they, of course, were
nervous, and did not halt to
plan for the future or build air-castles.
At Gervais the pursuers lost the trail,
nd hurried on to the capital, where
hey arrived just as the morning light
began to weave a network through the
misty clouds in the east. Meeting
they wanted to know if he |
lad seen their sister, and said that she
lad run away with a fellow, and they
wanted to find them. In company, they
searched the hotel registers in vain.
The truth of the situation flashed across
heir minds as they retraced their steps
oward Gervais, laboring under the con-
'iction that they had been given the
lip, and, ere that time the romantic
couple had stood at Hymens altar and
made the vow to Glove, honor and re-
pect." The chase was fruitless, so
hey slowly wended their way to their
lome, from out of which the fairest
ose had just been plucked. Truly,
he course, though turbulent at first,
low lies Is calm as sleeping innocence.