The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-12-12
CUPID,s MESSENGER
How . eessn Passnt Wa o.
witssd by Two Iovstn


~
OF Il" said . jolly old follow IN oaf q
the elevated railway the other day, o q
hU spread his newspaper On his kneeo
and leaned back 20 have : hearty laugh
at the story Of an elopement he he'd
just been reading 70 . New York Ttibs
une reporter. ''This story he contin.
ued, ''reminds me Of the courtship o
myself and my wife. years ego, wheat I
was s'prentice boy TO crusty old lsaths
or merchant in the swamp He used %
live over In. Reooklyn and part iel ny
meager wages were taken out In boatd
and lodging ct his house. OF course I
left my bed In the attic and WAS sweep
ing out the counting-room long before
his old nibs wAs up aud I returned 70
my supper long after he had left the of
nee for the day, yet found time 70 tall
In love with his pretty daughter 9cr'ail
that.
''she returned my -,iings Il may sAy
It without vanity, e. We hste been mar.
ried now these thirty years. and
stepped around in the seventh Heaven
for time, but the old man soon spotted
US and I narrowly escaped severe
thrashing at his hands for my presutnp.
ton. was banishcd from the house
and Jane was locked up in her room on
bread and water diet for week. OF
course, we found . way to meet once Ia
avery long time, but how to correspond
30 frequently ss our yearning young
hearts desired was . question that pus.
sled US for months. The post-ofloe was
no use for there was no house.to.house
delivery in those days. and all the letters
for the family came to the counting.
house and passed under the old mans
eye, and there was no one to act - 60
between to whom we dare condde the
secret. Can't you hit some plan, Jane,
dcar?' said in despair one day, on
which we had managed to arrange for .
clandestine meeting after q month spent
without . glimpse OF each other. sls
there no one in your family OF among
your friends OF servants whom you
could trust to carry our notes back and
forth?'
".No onc.' she replied, with sigh.
Have not thought and thought and
thought as much about 1t as you? But
oh, have 1t, I have ity she exclaimed,
suddenly ciapping her hands. 4 have
found somc one at last and she burst
into peal Of laughter 80 long that I
could hardly control my impatience to
hear her discovery.
"'Who is 1t? Tell mo quick I said.
Papa she gasped, and went on into
another At Of laughter.
"'Your fathcr?' said, astounded.
Jane you're making cruel fun Of me,'
and turned my back on her In . hun.
"'I am not, indeed, dear Billy she
replied. Tmean just what say. You
know papa's old overcoat that he
will insist ON wearing nine months In
the year In spite OF all that every body
can say. Well, Ill hide q little note to
you every Gay IN the lining OF the coat
tail. and when he hangs 1t up behind
the counting-room door It will be easy
for you to get it out and hide your an
swcr in tho same place. Oh! my, won't
1t be funny to think Of papa. who has
set his heart on keeping US apart, him.
self carrying our love lotters back and
forth from one to the other every day.
and she burst into another merry peal
Of laughter, in which I joined heartily
this timc.
"Well, We adopted the plan. and it
worked to charm. The old boy was
our faithful postman for years, and I
often used to trcmblc as thought Of
the possible consequences II he should
ever discover one of my burning love
missives in tho tails Of his rusty OLD
coat. But he never did, and in due
course Of time worked my way up to .
place in his business whcrc hc could NO
longer ignore mo OF my claims. Hc was
rather astonishcd ono day, though, when
formally asked for his daughters hand
and assured him that she was willing if
no was. He consented, but It was not
until was his junior partner and he
WAS dand:ing his first grandson ON his
knee that we dared 70 tell him how for
years no had played the part Of Cupid's
messenger whom he thought he was act
ing the stern and careful parent"