Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-15
A STRANGE ELOPEMKNT.

N - y NaN"h GAAWk AS00N
Aboutsix years ago, says the st. Louis
Chronicle, there removed to this city
wealthy New Orleans gentleman ofvery
aristocratic antecedents. He brought
with him his wife, lady Of great
refinement and of rare social qualities,
and lis only daughter, a very beautiful
girl of fifteen years, Clara by name. The
gentleman purchased handsome prop.
erty on Grand avenue, and erected fine
house thereon. Inthis house the gentle
man made his home, surrounding his wife
and daughter with every luxury, and liv-
ing in the best style the city afforded.
1t was just one year after the arrival
of the family in this city, when Clara,
on bright Sunday morning in Septem-
Der, determined to walk to Christ church.
It was little late when she arrived.
She found the family pew occupied by o
strange gentleman, tall, finely formed,
and remarkably handsome, but some
years past middle life, his hair and
mani6cent beard worn English, fashion,
being streaked with abundant gray. He
wassuperbly dressed, and carried himself
as thorough gentleman. He appeared
to be unacquainted with the Episcopal
service, and Clara noticing this,
naturally enough assisted him in turning
the leaves of the prayerbook. At the
close Of the service the gentleman follow
ed Clara out, and on tho sidewalk turned
and thanked her in kindly and father
ly way, and accompanied her to her
fathers door.
Shortly after this Clara met the gen
tleman several times on the street, and
finally ono day he overlook her on the
street, and walking by her side, talked
with her. What was said on this occa-
sion and at subsequent meetings, Clara
never told her friends. For only few
weeks these clandestine meetings were
kept up, when suddenly one morning
the family in the Grand Avenue man
sion awakened and found an untouched
bed and little pink enveloped note,
containing only tho words:
"DEAR FArHER AND MorHRR-Good-
bye for the present. I am married, and
80 happy. l Am 80 sorry for Clarence,
but really, really, I could not have
made him true wife. will write soon
from my new homo and tell you all
about it. Affectionately your daugh-
ter, CLARA"
The father for tho first time learned
of his daughters strange acquaintance
ship. Among others, he called at tho
house of a young lady friend of Clara's,
and there learned the alleged address of
tile man, the number and the street
showing it to be a very fashionable
quarter in Brooklyn, N. Y. A telegram
to a New York friend soon convinced
the father that his daughters husband
had at least lied about his residence, for
it was found that no such person lived
at the address given. Further investi-
CATION among down town business men
brought about the notifying revelation
that the man was travelling agent for
| New York house that made business
of supplying Western dollar stores
with cheap goods. The shock to the
mother was so great that having retired
to her bed on the morning Of the dis
covery of her daughters e!opement, she
never arose, but within week died.
The day after the funeral the stricken
/ 1NtHeT lCiU lOI tuC SdSl' AuOlCy iioH Sho
house for whom Clara's husband travel
cd, he learned that his daughters de-
ceiver was m Englishman, formerly an
officer in the British army, who had been
cashiered for misconduct, and fed to this
country to escape the penalty of some
one of his numerous crimes. He had
been soue time in this country, add had
been literally taken from the gutter by
the junior member of the firm and put
on the road. Glover, the name he was
known by in the firm, had suddenly re
turned home about week before, after
a long, and to them unexpected, delay
in st. Louis, leaving large portion of
bis route uncovered, and appeared at