The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-04-07

purple.
At last the climax arrived.
Something befell her that had not be-
fallen her room-mates a vet.
Carlos offered his hand and heart. and
begged her To elope with him
She read the letter aloud 10 Emma,
Rose, Grace and Maria. and. all in a
futter, begged their advice on the mat
ter.
He says he's q Prince, said Helen
with glow Oh her checks. land, you
know, Of course, I'll be Princess if |
marry him and Of course, he shall in
wife you to our castle Last night | met
him-I coaxed Biddy to watch aud let
me in-and he was all wrapped up in a
cloak; but he was splendid He has Il
foreign accent and q black mustache.'
"Oh, cried Maria, i love foreign
accent"
And I've promised to run away with
him tonight" said Helen He SAYS
ma will be sure to forgive US; and hes
awtully rich. And, oh, how | feel
girls y
'Of course you do But it will be so
nice, said Maria
They never have bridesmaids on an
eloPement,' said Rose-"oh, how I'd
like 10 90"
And while Mrs White. sitting with
a dear friend, who also had grown daugh-
tiers, but who kept them at home, con
graduated herself on dear Helen being
at school, this affectionate daughter,
from whom she had just received a
charming epistle, corrected by Miss Min
erva and touched up by the writing
master, was packing her small bundle
i'll preparation for flight, aided and abet-
ted by the four young ladies to whose
example she owed 50 much.
AT II Of the night she slipped down
stairs with her little parcel in her hand
All in the house were asleep save the
four friends ia the first-class dormitory.
Bridget had left the key in the lock. 1t
was dangerous.
If she were not the first one up in the
morning il might lose her her place
Out into the moonlight hurried the
young girl.
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.
y terror seized her-a sense of her
own wickedness.
Perhaps she would have turned back,
but that Il figure in Il cloak came at that
moment from the shadow of aporch and
seized her by the arm.
''Ah, my own Helen" said,a voice.
1t 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was withdrawn, and voice said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. I'll choke you if you try to
scream You have your watch and
iewelry with you, | hope, and the mon
ev YOU promised to coax from your
mother. Hand them over"
ooh, it is not my Carlos :" cried Helen.
ooh, what shall | do?'
Otis Carlo.-at least it's the man
you've been corresponding with" said
the voice under the hat. ''But Pm no
Prince and no husband for you. Hand
over the money and the jewelry and I'll
not hurt YOU. | haven't much fancy for
a bread and butter miss, and an idiot
who would run off with a man she didn't
know, to boot Hurry; I'm waiting
Poor Helen She felt as though the
sudden end of the world would be a com
fort.
She was ready to die of shame and
But she gave her purse, her watch
and her small possessions to the robber, |
who with a loud laugh gathered them
NY and jumped out OF the carriage, call
ing to the driver:
Take that girl back to the school,
John, will your
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 q torious rage.
He demaded pay. She had no money. |
He swore he would be paid, and rang |
the bell and battered the door until not |
only the servants, but Miss Minerva and |
four and twenty scholars appeared In |
the hall and on the stairway IN all sorts |
Of impromptu dtapery, and, having /
decided that it was neither fire nor |
murder, opened the door to behold Miss |
White and her angry companion.
"Pay me" cried this worthy. "4ou,
missus, that drives the machine, pay |
me. Here's a gent hires me to carry
off his gal, and when they falls out and
parts, loses my fare. Fay he
But Miss Minerva, recognizing her
scholar, darted forward, rescued her.
slammed the door in the mans ordered |
the servants to guard it, and asked for
The explanation ended IN q swoon on
the part of Miss Minerva, and Mysteries |
ON that of Helen White.
The next morning Charles stood |
before his sister with a peculiar ex-
preston on his face.
In her lap she held a packet Of letters
which she had perused.
Can it be that my dughter would !
write and receive such things as these?
she said.
"My dear sister" said Charles, "all
s as | have stated, and it is well that,
on the part of the gentleman, that 1t
all piece of acting. Helen was In |
earnest, and has no idea that her letters
were from her uncle.
That he, in a moustache and cloak,
eloped with her, and wound up the af
fair 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 dread
full manner possible.
you must, however, promise to
send for Helen tomorrow, and TO keep /
he truth of this affair secret, 50 that
t 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 mar
led that she learned that her love af-
air, elopement and desertion were all