The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-08
HER ELOPEMENT.

.
room and turn up the carpet, with an ex-
clamation Of "TTcrc are two, one for you
and one for mo, holding up two letters.
Another girl, with little ecstatic shrek,
caught up her prize and tore it open.
Another young lady thus addressed Miss
| White:
"I}iddy, the chambermaid, is our post
man. She'll get all your love letters for
| you and bring them up on the sly"
81 haven't any love letters. have no
lover, snid Helen. blushing.
"Your ma Is strict, l suppose" said the
other. WELL you'll have plenty before
| you've been here six months"
! Helen listened TO the cpistles, which her
companions did not hesitate to read aloud.
She even helped one of the girls to an
swer hers and she retired by the light of
the long wax candle to read herself to sleep
over piece Of literature by some French
author.
So dawned new life upon Helen White
"A life her mother little dreamed of.
She also firted. She also received love
letters from strangers. She also sub
scribed to the library and read bad French
books by the score.
To one of her admirers, who signed
himself Carlos" she wrote as girl
ought scarcely write to a betrothed lover.
Mrs White was delighted with Helen's
progress.
Miss Minerva gave her a volume, "The
Guide to Young Ladies'" as prize for
fine department, and nobody had any sus-
picion that her head was full Of nonsense
and her pockets full of love letters from
an utter stranger, to whom she had told all
the particulars of her life and the full ex-
tent Of her fortune, and to whom she had
! given vows of eternal constancy, not ex-
actly ir black and white, for black ink
was voted vulgar at Miss Minerals, but
in purple.
At last the climax arrived.
Carlos offered his hand and heart, and
begged her to elopo with him.
She read the letter aloud to Emma Rose,
/ Grace and Maria, and all in flutter beg
ged their advice on the matter.
He says he's prince" said Helen,
with n glow on her cheeks land, you
know, of course I'll be princess If
marry him, and, of course, we shall invite
! you to our castle. Last night l met him
i coaxcd Biddy to watch and let me in
and he was all wrapped up in a cloak.
But he was splendid. He has a foreign
accent and black mustache."
"Oh," cried Maria, II love a foreign
accentr'
And I've promised to run away with
him tonight" said Helen. "He says ma
will he sure to forgive us, and he's awful
ly rich. And, oh, how 1 feel, girlsr'
And while Mrs. White, sitting with a
dear friend who also had grown daughters
but who kept them at home, congratulate
ed herself on dear Helen being safe at
school, this affectionate daughter was
packing up her small bundle in prepare d.
ton for flight, aided and abetted by the
four young ladies to whose example she
owed SO much.
Out into the moonlight hurried the
young girl.
The white beams showed her pretty,
foolish face pallid as that of ghost.
She had Fever SGT foot in the street alone
at such an hour before. A terror seized
her--a sense of her own wickedness
Perhaps she would have turned back
but that figure in cloak came at the
moment from the shadow of porch and
seized her by the arm.
"Ah, my own Helen!' said voice.
1t was Carlos-Prince Carlos-her own
prince.
Away they drove, how far Helen did not
know. Suddenly the arm that encircled
her was Withdrawn and voice said:
"Look here, young womanl No noisel
! I'll choke you If you try to scream. You
have your watch and jewelry with you.
hope, and the money you promised to coax
from your mother. Hand them over
"Oh, it is not my Carlos!" cried Helen.
"Oh, what shall dof''
"It IL Carlos-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 the jewelry and I'll not hurt
you. haven't much fancy for an idiot
who would run off with a man she didn t
know. Hurry I'm wsitingr'
She gave her purse, her watch and all
her small possessions to the robber, who
with q loud laugh, gathered them up and
jumped out of the carriage, calling to tho
driver:
"Take that girl back to the school,
John, will your"
Miss Helen White stood on the doorstep
Of Miss Minorva's seminary again, but
not alone With her stood the driver in a
furious rage. He swore he would be paid
| and rang the bell and battered the door
until not only the servants, but Miss Mi
nerva and four and twenty scholars ap-
peared in the hall and on the stairway in
all sorts Of impromptu drapery, and, hav-
Ing decided that 1t was neither fire nor
murder, opened the door to behold Miss
White and her angry companion.
Miss Minerva, recognizing her scholar,
darted forward, rescued her, slammed the
! door in the mans face, ordered the serv-
| ants to guard 1t, and asked for explana-
| tions.
The explanation ended In q Ewoon on
the part of Miss Minerva and Mysteries on
| that of Helen White.
The next morning Charles stood before
his sister with a peculiar expression on his
face. In her lap she held packet Of let
tiers which she had perused.
my dear sister," said Charles, "all Is
as have stated, and 1t is as we'll that on
the part of a gentleman, 1t was all piece
of acting, Helenwas in earnest, and has
no idea that her letters were from her I'M
ole. That he, in a mustache and cloak,
eloped with her, and wound up the affair
by robbing her, or that the driver was his
old friend Winter, who has daughters of
his and xuhn ca1 IN MI nd