Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-12-24

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with her love. When he avowed. as b
soon did, that he would make her hi
own Gin spite of all the Greggs an
Hamiltons in existence" every precau
ton that prudence could suggest wa
adopted. This, be it remembered, wa
the era of abduction, and "Little Al
Ian was just the man to conduct a.
abduction with success. Here, pei
haps, it may be as well to explain tn
cognomen which, as in the case of mos
other Irish gentlemen of the day. at
tached to him. A man standing 5 fee
2, and weighing over Is stone, cal
hardly be termed "little." But Allal
Grant was so broad in the shoulder an,
so massive of limb that his height wa
quite out of proportion with his width
and made him look somewhat dwarfish
Little Allen was daring, full O
stratagem, and not to be moved from
purpose, even If Satan and all his hos
stood in the way. The Hamiltons
therefore, not considering their coun
try-residence safe from his practices
removed to house in the center of the
town. This they barricaded and gar
risoned, planting iron bars in all the
windows, strengthening the outer doors,
stationing sentinels behind the house,
and keeping watch and ward within; in
fact, taking all the measures of people
expecting siege and storm while the
beauty was confined to a chamber three
stories from the ground.
My grandfather made several at
tempts to enter, but always Intellectual
ly. His spies were discovered, his
tampering with the servants detected,
and one or two efforts at escalade re-.
PEELED by force. Eventually it was
whispered that the discounted sutton
was making preparations to quit the
country, if not forever, at least for many
years-that is, should the last desperate
effort which he was known to mediate
happen to fail. That it should fail, the
Hamiltons and Greggs were resolved.
To prevent any interference with the
marriage ceremony, it was arranged
that it should take place in the drawing
room-a common thing in those DAYS !:
and, to Illustrate any attack on the house
In force, or any attempt to carry off the
bride on her way home, the partisans
of the Greggs and Hsmiltons mustered
by hundreds the night before, keeping
a watch around from shutdown. There
was a good deal of hard drinkin g among
the band, and not little roaring. along
with quantity of friendly rioting and
head-breaing, "just to keep their hands
In" Contrary to ali expectation, how.
ever, the foe they expected did not put
In an appearance that night. But that
he would come some time or other. no.
body doubted and most of tie r,ck-
less spirits there looked forward the
encounter with high glee.
The morning, early in March, dawned
at length. Before it had fully expanded
into day, priest, bridegroom, witnesses.
etc., were gathered for the rite. and
waited only the bride. That last night.
the faithful servant who had shared her
was aided in her warden
ship by married sister of the beauty.
who, for reasons of her own, was known
to cherish the fercest hostility toward
&c Little Allan" and VINO, therefore. was
Just the dame to be intrusted with such
duty. A few minutes went by. bur
neither bride, or sister, nor servant.
A little further DELAY rem
Tered the company in the drawing
-oom impatient. But when a quarter
u an hour elapsed without bringing
my one from the prison chamber.
1reggs and Hamiltons alike began to |
eel alarmed. They looked at one an
other rather blankly, and then, seized
~ the same impulse and without ut
ering one word, they quilted the draw
ng. room in body and fastened up
tairs. They reached the threshold
md paused not sound came from
within. They knocked; no answer.
They called, shouted, kicked, clattered
till no reply. Then they dashed in the
lOOr.
And what think you they found
Well, they found the married sister
.ound and gagged in one corner, and
he servant bound and gagged in an
ther corner, but not a trace of the
'eauty.
A large hole in the wall dividing the
ouse from the next revealed the man.
er OF her escape. Some of the group
aused to finger the rubbish and peer
t the hole with all the solemnity of a
onkey poking his head through gate.
others dashed through said hole. and
licked up terrible row in the next
ouse ; but with no satisfactory result.
he news spread to the friends and re.
alners In the street. In an instant the
hole of them, and with them the ma
ority of tine townspeople, were busy
earching in all sorts of improbable
laces for the runaway and her pre-
1med companion. 1t is astonishing
hat queer things even the wisest peo.
lie perpetrate in such cases. The ,
utter actually climbed up and poked ,
trough the dovecote while troop of ,
lily farmers, tumbling about in the
,llars, knocked In the head of a cask. :
nd not finding the fugitives there, ]
,mforted themselves for the disap. I
ointment by imbiblng what they did /
nd-a quantity of choice wine. Then
le footman-a remarkably nice I
,ung man-conducted his scrutiny in |
way that reused the jealousy of the !
and won himself as neat a :
,ecimen of a broken head as ever was ,
flicted with the handle of stable !
rk. :
The search, however, was unavailing i
20 its main object. Toward evening
r. Gerald Gregg and his faction skunk ! 4
1t of town-most of the followers
ling tipsy, and all crestfallen and q
larrelsome. 7