The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-10
IN A MANAGES CLUTCHES.
A LOUISIANA ROMANCE WITH A
TERRIBLE ENDING.


Adopted by Lad of Ten-They
Grow Up Together and When the
Maiden Buds Into WOmanhoOd Her
Protector Pleads For Her to BE-
come His Wlfe-She Refuses and
the sad DenOuement of the Ro-
nance Follows.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Rush Valley. LATHE piercing screams
for help from a woman held in the clutch
es of maniac rudely awakened this place
on Thursday night from it's quiet slum-
bers and threw the inhabitants into
state of the widest excitement. The whole
affair, the beginning of which dates back
many years, is the most disastrous and
pathetic ever known in this part of the
state. In the fall of 1875 among the many
victims Of the yellow fever which ragged
here for several weeks, were John and
Mary Hoover, two young married people,
much thought of by everyone. After their
death, and. in fact, the day of the fun
eTal their many friends formed a group
and held a consultation as to who should
adopt their child, Mary Hoover, the little
5-year-old maid who stood before them
orphaned, and not only that but, so far
as known then, having no relatives; no
claim. in fact, upon any one or anything.
The people of this section were then init
mate with poverty and, like all poor folks
the world over, were well supplied with
children. There was not a parent heart
there but went out to the sobbing child.
and one and all were willing to give her
home temporarily but for all time, with
so many little ones of their own to care
for, it seemed then impossible to promise.
And while they discussed the matter, each
mother wiping a tear away and wanting
the child for a time at least, a little lad of
not more than 10 years, who had watched
and listened attentively, walked up to the
wee maiden, kissed her tear-Stained cheeks
took her by the hand and led her away TO
where an old couple stood, just ready to
turn the fork of the path homeward. Much
to their surprise, he announced his inten-
ton of taking the child home to his pa
rents, who. he thought, in the kindness
of his tender heart, could easily feed an
other mouth And in this he was quite
right. His family welcomed heartily the
little stranger and took her unto them
selves as their own.
This boy, Robert Moore, being the only
ship with which most children are bless
ed so that the coming of the girl was the
brightest thing that could have been ush-
cred into his life. Naturally, these two
little people grew into each others hearts
as they grew in years. Mary Hoover
from then until she was just merging into
womanhood, loved the boy as a brother,
but as time went by it was plain to be
seen that he loved her as something more.
But of this little was said until Mary was
16 and Robert 81 About this time, after
many weeks of earnest pleading, the girl
allowed herself to be persuaded into prom
ising, when all things suited, to marry
the young man. This, however, was
against her DESIRE and she had promised
because she did not know what else to
do She well knew that she was In
debted more to Robert than to any one
else, that she owed all to him and his
parents, and the only way in which TO
| show her full appreciation to them. to
! half pay the great debt, all of which she
| could never pay, would be by giving her
self to their boy, thereby making him
haopy. and in so doing crea ting happiness
also within the hearts of his parents. But
that was duty to them and in thinking
of that, for the time being, she forgot the
duty to herself. She looked upon the boy
as her brother, his father and mother as
hers also She loved them ali as such, so
how could she even think of wedding him?
She turned this over in her mind every
minute in the day and spent sleepless
nights battling with duty. She felt that'
feeling as she did about the matter, she
would be committing a sin TO marry her
foster brother and she determined then
and there that at any cost 1t must not
he But of this she had not at first cour-
age to tell Robert, but as time passed on
a sad occurrence in the family smoothed
the way Her foster father died
and less than week AFTER
wards his brother followed him, leaving
five children without kth or kin save Rod
ert and his mother So, as 1t may be I'M
sgined the sole support of them all, from
then until they were grown, devolved upon
their cousin Robert. One day, not many
weeks after this, Mary expressed herse1
fully and clearly to Mrs. Moore ana her
son. and when the three said good nlght'
they each carried to their own room hearts
that were scarcely oppressed. The two
Young people avoided each other ana the
nainful subject was not again touched up
On This however, did not In the least
conceal the young mans great unnappl-
ness the sight of which so grieVed mary
that she concluded to go away and hnd
home elsewhere, hoping thereby that Rod
ert would forget her. Both the mother
and son protested against such step,
but the girl deemed it best and left them.
She was young and pretty, strong ana IN
dustrious and known all over that part OF
the state, so she had no trouble In again
being domiciled among good people. IL
was a long while before she visited her
benefactors, and when she did she was
surprised and deeply panied to see the
great change which had come over Rob
ert. After this she concluded 1t would be
better for him at least If she stayed away
from them altogether so IL was only on
rare occasions that they met. And so
time passed sadly for them both.
About six months ago one more cottage
was added to the group of new buildings
which dotted Rush Valley and 1t soon be-
came we'll known that II belonged to one
OF the most enterprising rice farmers in.
the state, who was at an early date to
bring home as his bride Mary Hoover.
This report was not a surprise, and was.
in reality, glad news. for both these
young people had many friends, one and
all of whom thought these two could not
have anything better than each other
Three weeks ago the marriage Of Frank
Caylor and Mary Hoover was celebrated
and the happy pair came to dwell in their
new home among the honest hard toiling
Rush Valley rice farmers.
Efforts were made to prevent the an