Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-11-26
EXTRAORDINARY ELOPEMENT.
BY FRED MYRoN COLBY.

rich.
No one had such roguish brown eyes,
! With a sea of merriment In thel clear
I depths; such glossy, luxuriant hair,
! with a purple gloss in the shadOW,no
ripping like gold in the sunlight; such |
bright cherry lips, curying half sauci-
| ly as if daring you to kiss them. with
| the small, regular teeth that cleaned
white as a cloven coaconut whenever
she spoke; and. last of all, such chin, |
| daintily rounded and lOve-dlmpled,
lust as YOU might have imagined the
! Mother of Loves to have been.
Then, with all this accumulation of
feminine loveIiness, she united what
was considered by some far more ell
gible, fortune that was said to be al
most regal in its ma gnltude.
trace was spending the season at q
fashionable watering place. 1t was
| her first season, and she at once be-
came the centre of attraction. Fore
most among her many admirers were
| facnor Van Roseval and FlOrlan
Kingsley.
Raenor Van Eoseva1, by his own say
ing. was Of the purest blood of the
Kuickerbockers. It was like listening
to one of the Scriptural genealogies to
hear him trace back his lineage to the
old Rip Van Roseval, one of the verl-
| table old Rips who built the towns of
New Amsterdam of bricks brought
rom the Hague, before it was known
hat bricks could be made of American
..iay, or cheese from any but Dutch
milk.
Bangor was a regular coxcomb, wore
car load Of galyenized jewelry, part
90 his hair in the middle, and was
about as heavy swell "a could be
and, unless we except has friend,
E'ioriau Hugs eY.
The latter e, ntleman possessed great
0utatIye wealth and considerable more
han average pretention. He traced
his lineage back to the conquest; had
.ousin that posSca@ed a baronetc< -
! England, and a brother whose n"rte
vas on the pay roll of her malestf
He patrOuize,I tie largest hotels, made
mock OF ali American institutions
generally extoljed British patriotism to
the skies.
Between these two worthless the
greatest rivalry existed. Which could
wear the sleekest hat, display the most
costly neck lie, and dance in pumps Of
the highest kip, was the daily problem
If their lives, a. d they put their whole
mind to it till Grace Leighton appear
/ ed and had given them something else
=, to think of.
Into the first rivalry the two swel}s
entered with even more than their US
ual pertinacity, aid they might any
day have become personally embroiled
nad either known how great coward
the other was.
> The truth is, in this, both were in
deadly earnest. Mr.. Van Ronsevaps
fortunes were little short of desperate
and Mr. klngsley's, notwithstanding
~eports-chiehy Of his own circulation
were in a condition not much better
, Miss Leighton's cash Won d be a new
J ease of dissipated life to whichever o.
them could manage to get it.
y Both laid their trains skilfully
; knowing well that it was case to bt
J well engineered. Bouquets, books
1t iewelry wore first used as mediums o
- intercourse; then, as their coorag
:, waxed stronger, Invitations to operas
. balls and ridt $ commenced 10 be show
l, cred in profasion upon the unconsciou
- victim.
Miss Leighton received their advan
.. cfs cooly at first, but after time they
y seemed to amuse her what impression
j" thew finally made we must let our stor
Z tell itself.
u Neither sutton had room to boas
q over the other. If Geace had any choic
~ q between them she kept it to herself
IL There were times when each Othe
If would have counted the day his ow.
had he not felt that his rival had eQua
u ground for confidence.
~ II was impossible that things shoul
continue so.
81 Ragnor Van Ronseval determined t
D. know his fate at once. Accordingly, h
= seized the first opportunity of layin
u bare his heart to Grace, only suppress
- sing mention OF a lew private motive
. which lay at the botto of it.
7. His abrupt aud eager cogfessio
~ somewhat startled Grace; but when sh
u b1ushed and stammered something thu
3S didn't sound IKE NO." Bangor was i
;: the seventh heaven, and could hav
= stood on his head for Joy.
\" "But my auit,' said Grace. (Sh
u u was under the care of maiden aut;
a with very sharp eyas and a sharpe
:, tongue in her h@n1) My aunt, [ fear
r will never consent.
/; "Aunts have no authority to com
" mand the Affections, was the lover
C. reply.
True" she murmurod
II "Then fly with ule J. lie exclaimed
AZ earnestly. 81 love you We will ii Il
10 some congenial spot where We can liv
VI and be happy
- Grace 1used. as if irresolute.
~ AUNT Dorcas,' sine said, aireu,i
ie suspects. [ can trust the coachm-n
le however. D sguised il male attire, -
~ here she blu he'd q rosy red-''I cal
= leave the b ,tel unot served, and Jane
W will be in readiness to take me IN tn
carriage to rendezvous agreed upon
70 Meet me tn 9ro, ard in half an hou
70 We can reach the house Of ii ne1ghbor
le ing clergy nan, NJ. Leroy, an al,
::e friend of my fathers, whose hOapita
u a little plottcr ! ami
), you're al uugeI!' cried Ragnor
~ But you must promise me one
10 thing" I'D Grace, placing one hanC
., upon his shoulder, and looking hal
10 tenderly, half piqua0t!y into HI.
- face.
:, "Anything, darling" said the happy
IL Van Roseval.
:, "Not to speak word then we IN ct
u nor until We are well away. Every
Il thing hereabOnts has ears"
e 81 promise" he said, &olemnly.
- Time and place were fixed, aud Rag
g nor Roseval rose to take his leave. H.
. already heard Gracs's dollars j;ngllpe
- in his pockets. Visions Of fast horses
o elegant barouches, aud an aaIstocratit
> residence On Fif5h Avenue, swept be.
g fore his vision. He would live like 9
IL king. He already fel5 himself the en-.
y Wy and ad niration Of ali the men OF
{ the fashion tb!e world.
"One thing more" said Grace.
Ragnor bowed obsequiousiy.
: 7 ct will be the night of the fancy
Il ball. Let lis both wear maskS II
we're seen, 1t will excite remarks, and
we will thus escape recognition.
"Capital J. he exclaimed, pressing
: her hand al parting
Ragnor was waiting, closely masked,
and peering through the darkness with