Smyrna times., 1895-07-17
Lizzie's Elopement.
BY SUSAN ARCHER WEISS.

NOSA AoOiAS IL dDONCs
But there was no answer to her cal
nor did the door open.
Lizzie ! Elizabeth !" she called agail
more sharply this time.
But still there was no reply. and sh
went back into the kitchen with
vexed look, and began to beat an ONE
let for breakfast.
The outer door opened, and Deacon
Blake came briskly in from the garden
Fine morning !" he remarked, as b,
looked cheerfully around. "If thi
kind O. weather continues there'll be
plenty of strawberries in day or two
Some of 'em are beginning to turn al
ready. Breakfast ready, Cassie?
No answered his wife, somewhat
petulantly; "aud not likely to be thi
fifteen minutes. I've had all the worl
on my own hands this morning.
where's Lizzie? ?"
Not come down yet, and it's nearly
Z O'Clock. She's getting lazier every
day, and we allow her to have her owI
way too much"
II s'pose she's tired out with The
frolic at Cynthy's last night. Let hel
htAFN " itht iNTt EliC HNtuS.
she's had as much as is good fol
her by this time. Here, Patty, turning
to small help, who was bustling about
the kitchen, very much in every ybody'c
way. Run up stairs and wake her
She can be ready in time for breakfast
as it's so late to-day Where's Tom ?'
Not back from the mill yet. Time
he should be- said the deacon. LOOKING
from the window.
Patty, in her zeal, dashed upstairs
like tornado.
They could hear her rattling the door
knob and calling:
Miss Lizzie! Miss Liz'beth -! YeI
aunt says to git mp It's most seven
O'Clock, and hreakfus' mos ready"
No answer came
Then followed an irregular drumming
on the door, and Mrs. Blake, with an
anxious face, turned to her husband.
Joseph, hope there's nothing the
matter with Liz Why don't she an
swer?'
Patty came running down with big
eyes.
"Please, IN, l can't wake her, and
the doors bolted !"
Before Patty had concluded Mrs.
Blake was half way up stairs, followed
by her husband
'Lizzie!" he called, in stentorian
tones, which would have awakened the
soundest sleeper.
Then, after pausiug for an answer,
he said, hurriedly:
"Casie, have you a key that will un-
lock this door? No? Then run down
quick and bring up my basket OF
tools ="
His hands trembled a little, as with
the assistance of the tools he pried
open the dOor-nO difficult task, as the
lock was slight.
His wife stepped hastily within the
room, and uttered an exclamation at
once of relief and alarm.
"She isn't here. The bed hasn't been
slept in. Why, Joseph, she hasn't been
home all nightw
Mr. Blake stared round blanklv as
he took of his hat and wiped the drops
from his brow
"Mebbe," he said-"mebbe she's
stayed all night over to Cynthy's."
"Why should she? 1t isn't far, and
there was nothing to keep her."
Unless she was sick" he suggested.
anxiously.
In that case they'd have let us
known last night"
Mrs. Blake suddenly paused, and as
suddenly sank into chair.
Joseph, l hope-I hope it isn't that
young man from the city-that Orville
Parker, you know"
"Why, Cassandry, she'd never think
of such thing"
''She might. There's no knowing
what Liz would do when she's in one
of her freakish moods. Parker was
attentive to her when he
first came here, but she didn't care to
have anything to do with him, so he
went over to Elvira Jane. But lately
she seems to have been encouraging
him, and she and Tom bad a pretty
sharp talk about it Sunday night. when
Parker walked home with her from
church. l took Toms side-I never
could abide that stuck up city clerk
and Liz got vexed, and said she'd marry
whom she pleased, and that if we didn't
want her here she could support her.
self in the city--for that Parker had
told her there were elegant young
ladies' of good families and education
employed in the stores there?"
And what did you say?"
. was vexed, and said she could 90
when she'd a mind TOT but of course
she knew | didn't mean it,"
How could she know that9 Cassie
Cassie, I've warned you more than
1nce or twice that your inpatient tenn
per would bring trouble at last. Eliza
beth is like what her poor mother was
proud and easy hurt. And she'd not
been long enough with us since her
mother died to get familiar with your
little irritable ways, and to know at
he bottom there's a good and true wo.
mans heart. Cassie, l doubt but you've
iriven the poor child off,"
Mrs. Blake burst into tears.
Whats to be done, Joseph ? God
Knows, Lizgie is as dear to me as if she
vas my own. And ! did hope" she
'dded, in a lower tOne-'I did hope to
De able to call her mine some time.
rom-"
And here she choked and burst into
resh sobs.
"Yea. yea. Tom will be dreadfullv
'ut up by this" said the old man.
lowly shaking his head as the two
proceeded down stairs. "But / wish
led hurry home now, for until he
..omes | hardly know what's to be
lone"
Hadn't we better send over to
Jynthia's? Maybe they'd know some
hing that would serve for a clew since
lizzie was there last night. No doubt
he took the IL O'Clock train for the
ity. Stay, I'll write a line to Joe. and
SIX him to step to the hotel, and find
'nt whether Parker had left there"
The hasty line was written and dis
,atched by Patty, who bad all this
ime looked on with wide open ewes
nd mouth.
Now, Patty, run for your life.n said
Ter mistress, as she gave her the bit of |
'aper.
Patty ran-Only stopping once to tell |
omeocdy whom she met that Miss |
lizzie had run away to get married.
In ten minutes she returned, accom-.
anied by Mrs, Blake's sister, Mrs.
lynthia Harden. and her daughter |
ilvira Jane.
Mrs. Harden, a portly lady, was all
ut of breath, and Elvira Jane. slender
nd willowy, was pale and agitated.
"Cassandra," gasped Mrs, Harden. as
he dropped heavily into a chair Wwhat
all TINS | hearP Patty says Lizzie's