The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-12-03
they hastily arose and joined them.
Having heard the little there was to be
related, Miss Zenith said:

ToldIGu, MISS LGulIu Sdlu.
"She has eloped with the adjutant!"
Nonsense" the Captain exclaimed.
"Now, Mollie!" M IS Carrie said,
Don't talk like that about the darling
child She may be dead; and then you
would regret that slander while you
live"
Il believe it! She is in love with
| him, and, in her own wilfull manner
she is determined to marry him. She
told him so in Mas presence and de-
clared that she did not care what Ma
and the rest of us had to say against it.
When he left here it was with prom
| ise to meet her at Morton's yesterday
afternoon. He went there and waited
for her till he could wait no longer;
| then he came here and l told him that
| she had gone out of town. We now
know for certain that she got more
than half way home before
dark. You will find that she
has either gone to him or sent for
him as soon as she reached town, TAX
ing care to not let any of her friends
know anything about it, unless it was
Bell Morton and she wouldn't tell if
you would ask her with the lips of
| hot pin hers. You will find that while
you were hunting her on the hills she
was with the adjutant!"
1T certainly is possible" Mrs. Ze-
NTH assented.
Il do not think it even remotely
probable" the Captain commented.
"Of course it is not the case! 1t is
wicked of you to suggest it! 1t is wrong
| and shameful and God will punish
/ al 10
You may cling to your own opinion;
l will adhere to mine; 1 am quite sat
isfed that it will prove to be correct
1 shall have the pleasure of reminding
you that l told you So"
| The discussion was continued until
| Miss Zenith so far impressed Captain
! Zenith of the possibility of her theory
| being sound that he proceeded to in
vestigate.
The cavalry was encamped at Camp
| Cook, about two miles from Scranton
Captain Zenith ent to Scranton by
| the first available train ard went to
| Camp Cook in a hack directly from
| the station.
| At the camp he met Lieutenant
Doyle whom he personally knew and
of him inquired:
"Is Lieutenant ] quese in camp"
He is in New York"
when did he go?'
yesterday"
"Alone or accompanied"
"He was unaccompanied, so far as
| know. He was called away suddenly
| by some private affair and left us at
| Minersvale; l did not see him before
| he set out. Our marching orders were
unexpected and l was not in camp. So
far as my information goes he is not
aware of our departure"
Then you do net know where he is
to be found? Where his headquarters
will be in New York;"
| No"
81 must find him!"
| SIS it important. Is the matter one
of haste?"
"He has carried off my daughter"
"He has carried off your daughter
l do not understand"
| my daughter Stella, to whom he
| has been attentive, went to the coun-
| try to visit friends; prior to her depart
ure she made an appointment to meet
| him at mutual friends; the appoint
ment was made in the presence and in
defiance of her mother; the hour was
yesterday afternoon. He went to the
| rendezvous; she had not returned; he
called at my house and saw her eldest
sister who informed him that she was
| out of town. He went away and that
was the last We heard of him until you
| now inform me that he went hurried
ly to New York. OF course he went by
Ia ~ ,{ohfss trofD1 Che avnacfad n or
rive home at noon but missed the train
and started to walk home. At least
she told her friends that she uas going
to walk home. Just before dark she
was seen on the road, at a point less
than four miles from a station which
she could easily have reached in am
pie time to join him on the train by
which he must have gone. She was
not seen by anyone, so far discovered,
after the occasion l mention. Now, 1t
Is evident that she has notified him OF
her failure to catch that noon train;
the information reached him after he
called at my house and the details of
their plans were arranged after that.
Or, as she could have reached Miners
vale before the train left, she may have
come on to town and the elopement
may then have been decided upon"
II fear, Mr.. Zenith, that it is worse
than that. He is not the man to elope
in that way. He might marry clandes-
timely but he would avow the act as
soon as it was irrevocably accom-
plished. 1 am afraid that you are
mistaken and losing valuable time; l
fear that some accident of which he IS
as ignorant as we are has befallen
your daughter. He would not have gone
away when he knew that she was in
distress. We can inquire of Captain
Welter who commanded the detach-
ment and learn if he possesses any in
formation in the case"
/ They proceeded to Captain Welter's
quarters and found that officer, Cap
tain Won Smith and Chaplain Kephart
mounted and just leaving camp for a
visit to Scranton. Captain Welter
said:
"All that I know is that the lieuten-
ant wanted quick leave on account of
some love affair in which Miss Ze-
NTH was concerned; in what manner
do not know"
When Captain Welter said this he
rode away and rejoined his compan-
ions on their way to town. Captain
Zenith said to Lieutenant Doyle:
! was confident of it! His sudden de-
parture and her simultaneous disap-
pearance convince me that they have
gone to New York to get married and
10 keep out of my way until the family
becomes reconciled. OF course, the ev-
.dence, after all, is only circumstantial;
but it is nevertheless convincing. l