Arizona republican., 1891-11-28
A RURAL ROMANCE.

A great burden of suspense has been lifted from the minds of the people of 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, a prosperous young builder. The bride is twenty years old, pretty and vivacious. The bridegroom is twenty-three. They were married by Dominic Blacklock on Fri day morning, At first people refused to believe it, but when it became known that the event was an assured fact busi- ness was almost entirely suspended in the village for half 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.
 It was more than two years ago that Miss Colbert and Anthony Fraley- be- came acquainted at picnic. It was 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 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 hn. 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 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 a 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 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- nounced 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- able 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 neared the place for which they had set out to be married the girl grew extremely uneasy, but they reached tho village, stopped at 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 tho hotel Fraley was long time in finding any one who could perform the anxiously desired ceremony, for one 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 the 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 a 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, AnnaY" exclaimed Fraley.
 "Oh, Tony" replied Miss Colbert, "I only meant it in fun; let's wait"
 But Tony soon persuaded the fckle- 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 nau become of him. At the hotel she learned that he had driven past in the direction from which they had come. Miss Colbert, at loss to account for this, A.. .,,... h;.ol tha botal ,ie, and at arta1 in