The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-08-03
Her ElOpement.
HELEN WHITE had just come to
Miss Minerva S~anderson's Semi

turn up the carpet, with an exclama
ton Of Here aretwo. one for you and
one for me" holding up two letters.
Another girl, with a little ecstatic
shrek, caught up her prize and tore it
open.
Another young lady tbs addressed
Miss White:
"Biddy, the chambermaid, is our
postman. She'll get all your love let
ters for you and bring them up on the
sly"
81 haven't any love letters; I have
nc lover" said Helen, blushing.
Your ma is strict. I suppose" said
the other. "Well, you'll have plenty
before you've been here six months"
Helen listened to the epistles, which
her companions did not hesitate to read
aloud.
She even helped one of the girls to
answer hers, anc she retired by the
light of the long wax candle to read
herself to sleep over a piece Of lltera.
ture by some French author.
So daWned a new life upon Helen
White-a life her mother little dreamed
of.
She also f,rted. She also subscribed
to the library and read bad French
books by the score.
To one of her admirers, who signed
himself Carlos" she wrote as a girl
ought scarcely write to q betrothed
lover.
Mrs. White was delighted with Hell,
ems progress.
Miss Minerva gave her a volume,
''The Guide to Y)ung Ladies'" as a
prize for fine department., and nobody
had any suspicion that her head was
full of nonsense and her pockets full of
love letters from an utter stranger, to
whom she had given VOWS Of eternal
constancy, not exactly in black and
white, for black ink was voted vulgar
at Minerva's, but in purple.
At last the climax arrived.
Carlos offered his hand and heart,
and begged her to elope with him.
She read the letter aloud to Emma,
Rose, Grace and Maria, and all in a
futter begged their advice on the sub.
ject.
He says he's a prince" said Helen,
with a glow on her her cheeks, land, |
you know, of course, I'll be a princess
if I marry him, and, of course, we
shall invite you to our castle. Last
night I met him-I coaxed Biddly to
watch and let him in-and he was all
wrapped up in q cloak. But he was
splendid. He has a foreign accent and
a black m~ustache."
"On," cried Maria, 81 love aforeign
a~ccentI'
And I've promised to run away
with him to night" said Helen. "H9
says ma will be sure to forgive us, and
he's awfully rich. And, oh, how Ifeel, |
girls"
And while Mrs. White, sitting with
a dear friend who also had grown
daughters, but who kept them at home, !
congratulated herself on dear Helen
being safe at school, this ef~fectionate
daughter was packing up her small
bundle in preparation for fight, aided
and Allotted by the four young ladies
to whose example she owed 80 much.
Out into the moonlight hurried the
young girl.
The white beams showed her pretty,
foolish face palIid as that of q ghost.
She had never set foot in the street
alone at such an hour before. A ter
ror seiz4d her-a sense Of her own
wickedness.
Perhaps she would have turned back
but that a figure in a cloak came at
the moment from a shadow of a porch
and seized her about the arm.
"Ah, my own Helen!' said a voice.
IL was Carlos-Princa Carlos-her
own prince.
Away they drove, how far Helen
did not know. Suddenly the arm that
~encircled her was withdrawn and g
voice eaid:
IL )ok here, young woman! No noisel
I'll choke you if you try to scream.
You have your watch and j8welry
with you, I hope, and the money you
promised to coax from your mother.
Hand them over"
oh, it is not my CGrlosl" cried
Helen. "Oh, what shall 1 dol"
1T is CarIos-at least it is the man
you've been corresponding with" said
the voice under the hat. But I'm no
Prince, and no husband for you. Hand
over the money and jewelry and I'll