Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-11-14

The white beams showed her pretty
foolish face pallid as that Of a ghost.
She had never set foot in the street alone
at such an hour before.
A terror seized her-a sense of her own
wickedness.
Perhaps she would have turned back,
but that figure in cloak came at that
moment from the shadow of porch and
seized her by the arm.
"Ah, my own Helen!" said voice.
It was Carlos-Prince Carlos-her own
prince.
Romance came to her aid.
She forgot her fears. and entered the
carriage waiting round the corner with
him.
Away they drove, how far Helen did
not know.
Suddenly the arm that encircled her
was withdrawn, and voice said:
.''Look here. young woman. No noise.
Ell choke you If you try to scream. You
have your watch and jewelry with you, I
hope, and the money you promised to coax
from your mother. Hand them over"
"Oh, it is not my Carlos!" cried Helen.
"Oh, what shallI do!''
sit is Carlos-at least it is the man you
have been corresponding WITH" said the
voice under the hat. "But I'm no prince
and no husband for you. Hand over the
money and the jewelry and I'll not hurt
you. I haven't much fancy for bread
and butter miss. and an idiot who would
run off with man she didn't know, to
boot. Hurry; I'm waitingl''
Poor Helen! She felt as though the sud-
den end of the world would be comfort.
She was ready to die of shame and
modification.
But she gave her purse, her watch, and
all her small possessions to the robber,
who with loud laugh jumped out of the
carriage, calling to the driver:
"Take that girl back to the school. John,
will you?''
The driver did as he was told.
Miss Helen White stood on the door
step of Miss Minerals seminary again,
but not alone; with her stood the driver,
in furious rage.
He demanded pay. She had no money.
He swore he would be paid, and rung
the bell and battered the door until not
only the servants, but Miss Minerva and
four and twenty scholars appeared in all
sorts of impromptu drapery, and having
decided that it was neither fire nor MUIR
der, opened the door to behold Miss White
and her angry companion.
"Pay me-" cried this worthy. s'You.
missus, that drives the machine, pay me.
Here's gent hires me to carry off his gal,
and when they fall out and parts, I loses
my fare. Pay mel"
But Miss Minerva, recognizing her
scholar, darted forward, rescued her,
slammed the door in the mans face, Or
dered the servants to guard it, and asked
for explanations.
The explanation ended in swoon on
the part of Miss Minerva, and Mysteries on
that of Helen White.
The next morning Charles stood before
LILO o16UOl WILL q POOul16A OAR4Co01OA VII LILO
face.
In her lap she held packet of letters
which she had perused.
''Can it be that my daughter would
write and receive such things as these2''
she said.
my dear sister," said Charles, ''all is
as have stated, and it was all piece of
acting. Helen was in earnest, and has no
idea that her letters were from her uncle.
''That he, in moustache and cloak,
eloped with her, and wound up the affair
by robbing her; or that the driver was his
old friend Wenter, who has daughters of
his own and who promised to wind up the
affair in the most dreadful manner pos
sible.
"You must, however, promise to send
for Helen tomorrow, and to keep the
truth of this affair secret. SO that it may
be lifelong lesson to her.
Mrs. White listened. ~
She was angry, but she had sense enough
to do as her brother desired.
And it was not until Helen was married
that she learned that her love affair, elope-
ment and desertion were all carried out by
her Uncle Charles. who knew what the re-
suit of boarding school Irritation might be,
and cured his niece, by giving her bitter
lesson, of all disposition to imprudent con-
duct in foolish sentimentality.