The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-10-20
A SUSPENDED ELOPEMENT.

A SUSPENDED ELOPEMENT.
had loved Bella for more than
year. When I say that 1 was over
twenty-five, my readers of the sterner
sex will, am sure, be impressed by my
constancy.
Bella had money. Not that this had,
of course, anything to do with my ex-
traordinary devotion, but it served for a
time to be the barrier in our happiness.
first met and fell victim to Bella's
charms when her mother was alive.
Her father had then been dead several
years. The old lady took to me. l
have knack of getting on with old
ladies. This is very useful gift when
they are well off, and are the mothers
of lovely daughters. l advise all young
men to cultivate it. The main point is
always to be more attentive to the
mother than the daughter. 1t is well to
throw in occasional remarks about the
apparent degeneracy of the age, and al
lude to the superior constitutions and
characters of the preceding generation.
All was working smoothly for Bella
and me, when cruel fate, in the shape
of drunken car-driver, crushed the
mother under its Jugger-nautian wheels.
We prosecuted the driver, and an in
telligent jury, largely influenced by the
wealth of the car company, decided
that pedestrians have no rights which
car-drivers are bound to respect.
1t turned out, by her fathers will,
Bella, in the event of her mothers
death, was, until her twenty-first year,
to be placed under the guardianship of
an uncle, who was farmer in Vermont.
This same uncle was an admirable spec
linen of the typical Vermonter. He
could freeze to the chance of making a
dollar harder than Holsters claw to
small boys investigating finger. He
had two great hulking sons, and deter
mined that Bella should marry one or
the other Indeed he believed he was
acting most kindly in giving her a
choice instead of insisting on her taking
the first-born. When old Green found
out that l had come into the neighbor-
hood and was hanging about the prem
Uses he sternly warned me of, and even
limited at the fierceness and number of
the dogs which populated his yard at
night took his word for the dogs
it was about the only thing would
have taken it for.
Bella was virtually prisoner. The
old farm house was three stories high
very unusual thing in that part Of the
country-and she was locked in at
night in her room on the top floor.
With great difficulty managed to get
one or two letters to her; but so closely
was she watched and guarded during
the day that speech with her was inn
possible. was in despair. There was
yet year to run before she could claim
release from this guardianship. Was
there no means of escape possible?
While l was bordering over this ques-
ton in the little hotel where had now
been staying for some weeks, heard
strange voice addressed to the proprie-
tor in loud tones, and distinctly heard
the words portable fire-escape." In
stantly an inspiration flashed through
my mind. joined the party, and in
doing so heard these words:
SITS just the simplest thing in the
world. A two-year-Old babe couldn't
hurt itself. No sir, it 'ud like to have
one for plaything, and 'ud amuse it
self all day hauling itself to the top o.
the house and lettin' itself down again.
They're SO light and easy, that when
folks don't want escapes 1 often sells
them as baby-jumpers. Jest try one;
it's only $3.50. Make it for you, as an
advertisement, SEM you keeps a hotel,
and you'd ought to have one for the
protection of your guests"
"Guess not. My place is only two
stories high; and if we have fire, they
can jump out or burn, just as they durn
please" And the careful hotel-keeper
strolled off.
what have you there, my friendp" l
asked OF the stranger.
"a portable fire-escape. Simplest
thing in the world. But was fooled
to come to this section, anyhow. There
isn't house high enough for man to
hurt himself much If he rolled off the
roof, and Vermonter 'ud sooner take
chances on his life than spend dime,
any day."
I'm tell you how you can sell one
escape for 800 and no trouble either"
"You will! I'm your oyster"
/ unfolded my plot, and found SYM
pathetic listener. He was to 90 up to
Bella's uncle's house and try to self an
escape. OF course, we knew that would
be perfectly hopeless. So, after being
rebuffed, he was to insist on leaving
one on trial for week or two, till he
came around again. He was also to