Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-07-17
THE DOUBLE KNOT.

kind of a-person"
Pretty Camilla Caramel shut her red
lips together with an air of determina-
tion very becoming to her blonde style
of prettiness, as she whisked the dish
water out of the back-door, and hung
mp the dish-pan with the air of trag-
edy queen.
"Oh, why do people have grudges
against anyone, would like to know?"
she demanded, seizing the broom and
Vigorously applying it to the rag
carpet, as if that innocent article were
in some way responsible for the long
cherished grudge. 81 wouldn't con-
slider myself Christian if l had held
grudge for the last twenty years." con-
tinued Miss Camilla, who was just
turned nineteen. ''And i don't care a
cider what Aunt Jacintha says. / will
marry Ariel! Pllrun away with him to-
morrow afternoon. as promised him.
Then maybe she'll be sorry for trying
to browbeat me into refusing him."
And, having finished her sweeping,
Camilla hurried upstairs to- make
preparations for the morrow's fitting.
But alas for the meditsted elope-
ment! "a still tongue makes q wise
head" they say. and, perchance,
wise head makes still tongue.
AT all events, Camilla's pretty head
was not wise, and her tongue was not
still.
'.Oho! you will. will you?" muttered
Aunt Jacintha herself, as she stepped
briskly from the half-open pantry,
where she had been skimming the
cream from last nights milk, unknown
to her rebellious niece. You'll elope.
hey-with that ijot of Theobaldi
But we'n see, miss-we'll see." And
Aunt Jacinths shut her not very red
lips with an air of determination that
boded no good to Camilia's anticipat-
ed elopement We'll see whether
you'll run away with Mr.. Ariel Theo-
bald, tomorrow afternoon" she con-
tinued, IF 1 have to shut you up on
bread and water for week. l would
shut her up, too" muttered Miss Ja-
cintha threateningly, ''if there was any
place to shut her up in. But the locks
off the spare-room door-and anyhow
she could jump out of the window on
to the grass underneath, and not break
u DOuC Dub l. IL VI oO1AOtAlDS
before tomorrow afternoon-see if
don'ti''
And putting on her studying-cap,
Miss Jacintha did think of some pur-
pose.
She thought of the new church, out
on Locust Hill, that was recently fin
ished, and had been awaiting the ar
rival of the new minister, the Rev.
Samuel Summerset to perform the
dedication services.
1T won't be any sin to shut her up
in that fur few hours, seein' it amt
never been dedicated yet" thought
Miss Jacintha, as salve to her slight
" reproachful conscience. "And 1 kin
tell Dick Pettigrew 1 want the KEY, so
as to take friend to see the church.
That'll be true, too; fur of course me
an Camilla are friends, though she
does get little fractions sometimes"
Dick Pettigrew, the sexton. lived a
short distance from the church, and
being the victim of chronic laziness,
there was no probability of his iutrud-
ing on the scene of the proposed i'm
prisonment.
The key was procured.
Prancer, the yellow horse-whose
name was about as much of a mis-
nomer as could well be imagined-was
htched to the pony-carriage, and Miss
Jscintha and her niece set off to s'see
how the new church looked, now twas
DONE" IS Aunt Jacintha remarked hy-
pocritically.
Well have to hurry, there's SO
much to do to-dayT' suggested Ca
milla, thinking uneasily of her un-
packed satchel, and her meditated tryst
at the end of the lane.
Time enoughr cheerfully observed
the aunt as they drew rein in front of
the pretty Gothic-roofed church.
After entering and admiring the
gloomy interior of the building for
time, Miss Jacintha took advantage of
a moments abstraction on the part of
her niece, whipped out of the door,
locked it, and after returning the key
to the sexton, was soon jogging Sc
renely on her homeward way, leaving
poor Camilla bewildered, frightened,
and indignant at finding herself SO un-
expectedly prisoner.
But
The best-laid schemes OF mice and men gang
And leave US naueht but care and pain for
promised joyi
as Miss Jacintha found before night
''Pll go back before dark, and let
her out" she thought, feeling a little
compunctious, but not enough so to al
ter her determination.
'T'I never consent to it-never!'
thundered Mr.. Geoffry Theobald, q
pOmpous old gentleman, with bald
spot on his head-not so very old,
either. being yet on the sunny side of
forty-fve; but, in the opinion of his
nephew. who was just twenty-three,
Uncle Geoffry seemed "aged and grey"
indeed. '.Fll never consent to iTr'
thundered Mr.. Theobald again. MAR
~ one of that breed of vipers, sir, and
Pl-rn-"
''But, uncle"
Leave the room!" commanded his
uncle imperiously.
Whereupon, MIR. Ariel Theobald left
the room, drawing long breath of re-
lief, as he felt that the dreaded inter-
view was over at last.
He'll forgive me when once the
knot is tied" he thought complacently.
as he packed a clean shirt, with few
other necessaries, in a small handbag,
to be carried with him to the trysting-
place in the lane.
''Ahem! Would you b'lieve, Mr..
Theobald, that that there nephew Of
yourn is fixin' TO 'lope with Camilly
Caramel at four o'clock this evenin'P"
The Widow Hocken, who ''did' for
Uncle Geefry, and laid palpable siege
to his bachelor affections, had brought
bit of startling news this time.
''Whatl'' vociferated Mr.. Theobald,
astounded and indignant ''Ariel-
elopeP"
Hes a packin' up his duds now,"
asserted Mrs. Hocken. quailing before
her employers angry eye. "You kin
peak through the key-hole in the
chamber-door an see fur yourself, if
you don't b'lieve me-" she added in
injured tones.
Surprised as he was, Uncle Geoffry
was scarcely the one to ''peak through
the key-hole" on whatever provoca-
ton.