The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-09-11
A RURAL ROMANCE.

Coalton, Pa, and vicinity by the mar
riage of Anna Colbert, daughter of the
well to do village tailor. Benjamin Co
bert, to Anthony Fraley, prosperous
young builder. The bride is twenty
years old, pretty and vivacious The
bridegroom is twenty-three. They were
married by Dominic Blackjack on Fri
day morning. At first people refused to
believe it, but when it became known
that the event was an assured fact bust
ness was almost entirely suspended in
the village for half a day, so pleased was
everybody that at last he didn't have to
lie awake nights wondering what pretty
Miss Colbert and her lover would do next
to furnish unusual subjects for gossip.
1t was more than two years ago that
Miss Colbert and Anthony Fraley be-
came acquainted at picnic. 1t was q
case of reciprocal love at first sight, and
the young man began making frequent
calls on Miss Anna at her fathers house.
Papa Colbert had different ideas about
who his daughters lover should be,
however, Fraley then being only just
out of his time as II carpenter, with no
visible future and he soon notified An
thony that he must cease calling on
Anna, and ordered Anna to receive no
further attention from Anthony. Find
ing that nothing could change the old
gentleman's determination, his daughter
apparently obeyed his will and her
lover called no more
But that they managed to see or COM
municate with each other was made
manifest few weeks later, when Miss
Colbert was found missing from her
room one day, and in her place was
q note stating that the dictates of her
heart were SO much stronger than her
desire to obey the commands of her par
ent that she had eloped with Anthony
Fraley and that they had gone away to
get married
Now, it had so happened that week
or so before the elopement Papa Colbert
had heard that Anthony Fraley had
rich uncle in Pittsburg from whom the
young man had great expectations, and
upon investigating the rumor he had
found it to be based on very solid foun-
dation. This caused a great change to
come over the scheming tailor's views on
the subject of his daughters marital
prospects, and he was on the eve of an
nouncing to her that he had repented of
separating her and her lover, and that
they might resume their tender rela-
tions, when the elopement was an
nonnced to him in his daughters note.
The tailor was at first very wroth over
the news, and was about to start in pur-
suit of the flying lovers when it sudden
ly occurred to him that, while it pre-
cipitated matters somewhat, it was a
good thing all round, for it would en-
abls him to save his dignity in the mat
ter of the commands he had laid upon
his daughter, and at the same time fas-
ten the young man and his prospects in
the family at once and save all fear of
future uncertainty. So he gave up the
idea of pursuit, and went to his work
with complacency and quiet uncon-
cern that surprised his neighbors, who
had quickly heard the news and were
making the most of it.
Fryburg is eight miles from Coalton,
and thither the eloping couple drove as
fast as the horse Fraley had hired would
carry them, for they expected that An
mas father would be after them in hot
pursuit as soon as he received his daugh-
ter's note. AS they peared the place for
which they had set out to be married
the girl grew extremely uneasy, but they
reached the village, stopped at q hotel,
where Miss Colbert remained while her
lover went out to hunt up some one who
could marry them. leaving the horse
tied at the post in front of the hotel
Fraley was a long time in finding any
one who could perform the anxiously
desired ceremony, for ona of the two
ministers of the place was officiating at
a funeral, and the other had gone fish
ing. The young man finally found a
justice of the peace, who accompanied
him to the hotel to marry him and the
girl.
When Fraley and the justice arrived
at the hotel, the former noticed that the
horse and. carriage were gone. The
young man hurried into the house and
asked what had become of the rig The
landlord told him that tho girl he had
left there had taken the horse and car
riage and driven away, leaving word to
say to the young man when he came
back that she ''guessed that she must
have been only In fun, and had gone back
home"
Fraley did not waste any time in fool
ishness. but hired horse and carriage
of the landlord, and with the hostler to
drive him started in pursuit of the girl.
The fresh horse overlook the other four
miles out Of Fryburg and Miss Colbert
was compelled to stop.
"What in the world does this mean,
Apna?" exclaimed Fraley.
"Oh, Tony" replied Miss Colbert, 81
only meant it in fun; let's wait"
But Tony soon persuaded the tickle
minded girl to turn about and go back.
When they got back to Fryburg the
Young man did not take the chances of
leaving Miss Colbert at the hotel again,
but drove direct to the Justices office.
He helped her out of the carriage, and
telling her to go in and wait for him, he
got into the carriage and drove away to-
ward the hotel. He remained away SO
long that the girl started out to see what