Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-11-22

uliln1 room.
! sat % for upwards of an hour,
thinking Of my dear. dead father. Of
Terrence, and Of my unhappy life, until
tears rushed SO thicklv to my eyes that
could see nothing.
Presently ! heard carriage drive
up to the door. and directly afterwards
a man in the dark brown livery Of the
Asbourns entered:
II beg your pardon, Miss Ashley"
he said-and though the room was %
dark that could not see his features,
and though his voice was thick and
hoarse. something sent a thrill through
mc-"Mrs. Asbourn has sent the
carriage back. and, if you please. YOU
are to come to her at once
''At the ball , What does she want
with me-" And glanced at the Grape
trimmed dress | wore.
II don't know. miss. She said you
were not to wait to change your dress,
but were to come at once"
Not knowing what TO make Of 20
strange a message, and vet not seeing
how | could disobey it, ran up stairs,
and throwing on warm. fur-lined
cloak. came down into the hall. The
new tootman was standing beside the
carriage. In those days the vehicle was
considered a light, compact one. al
though | suppose that now il would be
thought very clumsy. Seeing the coach
man standing at the top Of the kitchen
stairs, | said:
Are you not coming, John?'
mo. miss" he replied Mrs.
Asbourn said that James, the footman,
was to drive you. just as if | couldn't
drive" added John under his breath.
Wondering more than ever now,
entered the carriage the footman
banged the door. and jumping to the box
started the horses at a furious gallop.
TO say that | was alarmed. will but
family express my feeling. | pulled the
checkstring, but It did not seem to act
shouted. but the clang Of the horses
feet drowned my voice put my head
on, Of the window, but the night was
wet and cold, and few people were about.
1t Was the days before policemen were
even thought Of, and if one Of the watch
men saw or heard me, he took no
notice
At last determined to remain quiet,
and became aware that we had left the
lights Of London far behind, and that the
horses were toiling up hill.
Suddenly the carriage stopped, and the
lights Of an inn flashed in al the windows.
was about TO call loudly for help, when
! the sound of a dear. familiar voice struck
my ear.
Take those horses back to Mr..
Asbourn's, said Terrence, with Captain
Magulre's compliments and say we are
sorry to dctain the carriage, but as it is
more comfortable and faster than any We
could hire, we viii avail ourselves Of it,
| and return il as soon as possible to
| him"
Then heard the sound Of horses be-
ing led away and others being harnessed
| TO the coach.
In less time than it takes me 70 tell YOU
lhis-betore l had recovered from my
| Surprise-the carriage once more start
! ed but as it left the inn-door, Terrence,
clad in a tootman's livery, sprang to my
side. In few hurried words he ex-
| planned all-how. finding | would not
consent to clope, and feeling sure that it
would be worse than useless 10 attempt
to persuade me. he had adopted this
summary method OF carrying me of to
Gretna Green, there to be married BY the
obliging blacksmith.
What could | say? What would any
girl in my place have said: had no
father. no mother ] was alone in this
cold, hard world, and this proof Of
Terrence's love was very grateful TO me.
laughed a good deal at his impudencc
in CARRYING off not only me, but Mr..
Asbourn's carriage also; protected just
| a little at the lynch-law he welded, and
vowed that when was his wife. would
be law maker, and finally ended BY EN-
ploring him to hasten to Gretna Green as
fast as possible.
Terrence had torseen everything, and
at the end Of every stage we found fresh
horses waiting for US, and by their efforts
we were rapidly borne TO our destina-
ton.
All that night we hurried on and all the
next day. too, barely stopping at inns by
the way for our meals but in spite Of our
haste (the roads were not as good then as
they are now, we did not reach the celc-
brated forge until the second day after
had left my guardian. was dawning. So
far. we had seen no sign Of pursuers, and,
indeed, there were none, Mr. Asbourn
not thinking anything else was required
Of him.
remember Terrence jumping out Of
the carriage. and assisting me to alight,