The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-02
CUPID WON THE DAY
IN SPITE OF SOME VERY eMBARAss,
ING CIRCUMSTANCES.
Love Laughs at LocksmIths and Atsa
Those Who Hide tho Fair Ones Raj
ment- Desperate Cases Need
Desperate Measures.

LURAY, Va, July 2-About twenty miles
from this town, in Page county, lives far
mer named Charles Adams whose daueb
ter, Miss BERTHE Adams. aged II years
has for the past year been quite a belle in
the neighborhood. Miss BERTHE was eradu.
ate OF Catholic college in MARYLAND
AMI notably fine musician. Besides
these accomplishments she was pretty
intelligent, and rich. Her mother
recognized the girls Importance
in the matrimonial market and made no
secret OF her determination that BERTHE
should only marry rich man. Alexander
Watson, young man living in the same
vicinity, was only poor farmer with about
100 acres of ground, but this did not pre-
vent his falling desperately in love with
BERTHE. Watson is q handsome young fel-
low OF %, industrious and intelligent,
and very popular among his acquaint.
ances. Miss BERTHE gave him all proper
encouragement, AMI about two weeks
ago caused scene by hiding her head on
her fathers shoulder and confessing that she
loved the young man and wanted to marry
him Mr.. Adams seems to have relentei,
and gave conditional promise to consider
the question Mrs Adams however, proved
hard-hearted. When young Watson next
called to take BERTHE out driving Mrs.
Adams incontinently turned him out of
doors. She supposed that she had effect
nally parted them, but on Wednesday dis
covered that her daughter and her lover in
clandestine conversation about 200 yards
from the Adams mansion.
Mrs. Adams thereupon locked Miss BERTHE
in second story bedroom, and announced
that the girl should stay there until she had
promised solemnly never to speak to Wat
son again. Late in the evening Mrs Adams
discovered Watson assisting Miss BERTHE out
Of the window by means of a ladder. The
elopement was interrupted and Miss
BERTHE recaptured Watson was threat
ened with arrest, and his sweetheart
was put to bed. Mrs Adams eagerly
removed all her child's clothing ex-
cept the night-dresS, and locked her III
the bedroom, after mailing down the win.
dow sash. On Thursday evening young
Watson visited the house while the family
slept, and interviewed his sweetheart
through the closed window The girl was
compelled to rise from the bed wrapped in
all the bed d-clothing and place her ear to a
crack in the window in order to listen to
tho loving words of her adventurous
admirer She explained to him her pre-
dicament in the matter of clothing, and
then they arranged for an elopement
Friday night Watsons brother-in-
law is an engineer on the Shenandoah Val
ley railroad, and runs an engiue north from
little water station near the Adams man
sion to Luray every morning about 4. He
had an engine in waiting at the water sta
ton at o'clock sharp Sunday morning,
with fires burning brightly and full head
of steam on.
About l o'clock in the morning young
Watson drove from his house to the Adams
mansion, carrying in his light wagon full
suit Of ladies' underclothing, with black silk
dress hat, veil, gloves, etc, which his sister
had prepared for him. The programme
was for him to pass the clothing to his sweet
heart through the window, and after she had
dressed she was to fly with him to the wait
ing engine by which they were to reach
Luray.. When Watson arrived at the Adams
residence, about 3 a. m, he found
to his horror that during the long drive over
the rough country road the bundle of cloth
| ing had bounced out and been loft. In
| despair he seized an enormous carriage-roba
which he had brought along and mounted
| the ladder to Miss Adams window The
| girl was waiting in fear and trembling,
| sitting on chair near the window with
tine bed-clothes wrapped around heI
| slight form. Watson explained the mshap
and desperately proposed that thC
| girl should come with him anyhow. Il
took half an hour of pleading t.
induce her to accede to the proposal Tho
lover finally gained his point, and, forcing
| the window, entered the room. Under Mis-
| Bertie's direction, he assisted in sewing hel
| auaking form up in a blanket Then hC
enveloped her in the carriage-robe and car
ried her down the ladder When near tn,
ground the ladder snapped in two, and Mis-
BERTHE screamed as they fell about four feet
They were uninjurei, but as they re
| gained their feet Mr.. Adams head shot on
of the window, and he cried to them Il
| stop Watson sprang at the girl, wht
seemed half inclined to obey, and throwin.
her across his shoulder, ran to the waiting
wagon Ten minutes drive brought them
to the railroad. 1t was now broad day
| light and as the lovers climbed into th
cab they caught sight of Mr.. Adam
riding madly toward them, shotgun il
hand, and roaring at them to halt Th
engine was at once started, and was sool
flying toward Luray at the rate of thirty
miles an hour. They stopped just OUTSIDE
the village and the two men took turns il
carrying the half unconscious. girl to tn
bouSe of friend. Here she was supplied
with proper clothing, and about O'clock a
m. went into Luray with her lover, wher
they were married by ministerial friend
Mr. and Mrs. Walton then drove leisurel.
| homeward.
Ohio Prohibitionists.