Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-02-01
SIr>PENED ELOPEME>T,

L nau iONSu DCllu III llotO thNti q
year. When l say that was over
twenty-five, my readers of the sterner
sex Will, am sure, be impressed 10y
my coDstancy.
Bella had money. MOI that this had,
of course, anything to do with my extra
ordinary devotion, but 1t served Tor
time to be the barrier 10 our happiness.
l first met and fell victim to Bellas
charms when her mother was alive. Her
father had then bern dead several years.
The old lady took to me. have knack
of getting on with old ladies. Ihls Is
n very useful gift when they are well OIL,
and are the mothers of lovely daugh-
ters. l advise all young men TO Guilt
vate it. The nain point Is always 10
J be more attentive 10 the mother than
to the daughter. 1t is also well to throw
Ia tccaslonal remarks about the appar-
ent degeneIacy of the age, and alludet to
the superior constitutions and charac-
tiers of the preceding generation.
All was working smoothly for Bella
and me, when cruel fate, III the shape
of drunken car-dliver. crushed the
mother under its Jugger-nautlan wheels.
We prosecuted the driver, and an lntelll-
gent Jury, largely influenced 10y the
wealth of the car company, deolaed
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 a farmer III Vermont.
This same uncle was an admirable
specimen of the typical Vermonter. he
could freeze to a chance of making a
dollar harder than Holsters claw to a
small boys investigating finger. He
had two great hulklng SOILS, and deter
mined that Bella should marry one OF
the other. Indeed he believed lie was
acung most kindly in giving her a
choice instead of insisting ON her taking
the tiIst-born. When old Green found
out that L had come into the nelghbor-
hood and was hanging about the preml
ses, he sternlv warned me oil, and even
limited at the ferceness and number of
the dogs which populated his yard at
night. | took his word for the dogs
it Was about the only thing L would
have taken 1t tor.
Bella was virtually prisoner. The
old farm house was three stories high
q very unusual thing In that part OF the
country-and she WAS locked III at night
In her room on the top floor. Witt
great difficulty l managed to get one
or two letters to ner but SO closely
was she watched and guarded during
the Gay that speech with her was I'M
possible. l 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 pOndering over this
question in the little hotel where L had
now been staying Tor some weeks, L
heard strange voice addressed TO the
proprietor In loud tones, and distinctly
heard the words portable fire escape. -
Instantly an inspiration dashed through
my mind. joined the party, and III
doing SO. heard these WORDS:
"It's just the simplest thing In the
world. A two-year-old babe couldn't
hurt itself. mo, sir, ii 'ud ike to have
enc fora playthlng, and 'ud amuse itself
all day haullug itself to the top OF the
house and iettin' itself down again.
They're 80 hight and easy, that wien
folks don't want escapes / often sells
them as y-lumpers. Jest try one
it's only 81 81. Make it tor you as an
advertisement, seem you Keeps hotel
and you ought to have one for the pro
lection OF your guests.
Guess not. My place is only two
stories high and Ii we have frs, they
eau Jump out or burn, Just as they may
please" Aud the caIe1ui hoteI-keepel
srrolIed off.
"What nave you there, my friend p
l asked of the stranger,
"a portable tire-escape. Simplest
thing III the world. But L was fooled
to come to this section, anyhow. There
isn't d house high enough Tor man to
hurt himself much ii he rolled off the
roof, and Vermonter 'ud sooner take
chances on his life than spend a dime,
any day."
'Pu tell you how you can sell one
escape for $40 and no trouble either,
"You will I'm your oyster"
l unloIded my plot, and found sym
pathetic listener. He was to 60 up to
BelIa's uLcle's house and try to sell an
escape. OF course, we knew that would
be perfectly hopeless. So, alter being
rebutted, he was to insist On leaving one
on trial Tor week or two, till he came
around again. He was also to try to
smuggle letter to Bella. explaining
she was at night to get possession OF
the escape, attach it 10 her bedsteadl
and slide down INTO my waiting arms.
which would be waiting as near as the
dogs would let them. On the might
she was ready, sho was 10 signal III
CERTAIN way with candle at the window
The peddler started off and soon re
turned. having been successful III get
ting letter to Bella, ana having give1
an exhibition of how to use the escape
For several nights [ waited III vain tol
the signal, but at Iast 1t was shown.
did not hear the dogs about, and gent
ly crepj nearly under the window. l
+ was opened.
"AIe you there, Bella p Whispered
, Yes
"You re not afraid, dear r.
j. ''Not very. I've tisd the end arount
the bedstead, and don't think / cal