Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-01-25
FLEEING FROM Il FORTUNE.

The sun rose propitiously bright on
Grace Sylvester's wedding morn the
air was balmy, the sky blue, and all
nature seemed in sympathy with the
happy day.
Presently . stir awoke in the house.
hold, that soon swelled into q murmr
OF CONSERVATION. The bride was miss.
ing. Some one had gone to her chem
Der to awaken her and found it empty.
Immediately search was instituted,
which proved fruitless. The BRIDE
groom was sent for, but he could otfsr
no explanation; like the parents, be was
distracted with anxiety.
Grace Sylvester was proud, impul-
sive girl, with warm heart and impet-
uous temper. She was an only child,
and somewhat spoiled, as was natural |;
bat nothing that could be imagined or
of freak she had not even fastened Q
note on the toilet-cushion, as key to
the mystery, after the custom Of hero
ines.
For week previous to this now un-
lucky day, the Sylvester mansion had
continuously opened its hospitable por-
tails to arriving guests. Friends and
relations of Mr.. Frank Howard, the eI-
pectant bridegroom, crowded to do
honor to the occasion, which the Syl-
vester connection were not less eager to
embellish with their presence.
This singular occurrence. therefore,
could not possibly be preserved secret,
and the chagrined and distracted host
and hostess had all the added misery Of
knowing that their daughters inexpli.
cable fight was the subject of all sorts
of surmises and discussions by those
who in set phrase endeavored to condole
with them, and at the same time hint at
insanity as the only solution of such an
unprecedented freak. .....
But special CLEAN was soon destined
10 illume the darkness. Grace had not
been unmindful of her dear parents, nor
her devoted lover. A letter addressed
to the former had been dropped by her
in the postoffice. 1t was brief, and evil
IDENTIFY written under the pressure of
excitement; but, even in its fragmentary
haste, Mr.. and Mrs. Sylvester could
trace their daughters tenderness /; and
her lover, despite the undisputed mys-
terry of its tone, took consolation from it.
Its contents may be rendered thus:
She had left of her own free will and
unaccompanied, though she admitted
that she would be met at her journeys
end by worthy guardian, in whose care
abe would remain, and who, at the ex-
piration of q week, would bring her
home again; until then, she begged
they would wait for her explanation,
and above all forgive any pain or annoy.
ance her hasty disappearance had
caused.
This epistle, though gratefully re-
ceiyed, since it assured them OF her
safety, was not, of course, entirely salts
factory to her parents and lover.
Despite her promise to return, they
could not remain quiet till the expira.
tion of the time named, but sought her
in every conceivable place; but, as was
evident from the security of her retreat,
Grace did not mean to be found till af-
ter the interval she had named.
One by one, or in small parties, as
they had come, the wedding guests de-
parted. They carried to their own
houses charmingly inexhaustible theme
for gossip and wonderment. Every one
held separate solution and theory, and
the subject promised to he one OF unu-
sual variety and entertainment.
But only one Of them possessed any
clew TO the truth-and she, shy, insidi-
ousplottei that she was, had laid train
whose success promised even beyond
her hopes. She watched its develop
ment in silence. II was not her cue to
ppeak but TO await the fulfllment Of her
iesign, and SO she fingered, protesting
ne intensest sympathy for all, and at
no same time GoaHiying y hw0w the