The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-14
Our Daily Short Stories
KITTY GREEN'S ELOPEMENT
BY WILLIAM ]. HAMPTON.
Copyright. 1901, by Authors syndicate1

-, SSSA pAVPSIly armed Tor the con-
met, only he did not know how to use
his weapons. John Meldon was not a
woman hghter; he was a woman lover;
and that kind of a man is always
awkward in the face of the foe.
Kitty was impulsive and impetuous,
and what she said to the major or
what he said to her no one knows. but
py that fate which is always putting
boy In the right place John Meldon's
once boy was up a June apple tree in
the Green orchard on the night, two
weeks after his employers dismissal,
ana he overheard Kitty and the major,
on rustic bench below, making their
f1nal arrangements for an elopement.
What the boy was doing up the apple
Tree is not a matter of chronicle; boys
nave been known to go up apple trees
with ripe apples on them for various
reasons, and perhaps this boy was not
unlike other boys. In any event, he
was up the tree, and he heard what
was said underneath his perch, and
though frightened almost out of his
wits, he did not forget any part of it,
and, what was better still, being
faithful boy, he told no one except Mr..
Meldon. John Mellon had been good
to the boy, and he was old enough to
know that Mr.. Meldons course of true
love was not running smoothly.
An, Mr.. Meldon,' said the boy, in
concluding his marvellous tale, Miss
hltty didn't want to run away an git
married, but that major man said as
how it was the best way, and she'd
nave to. She cried a bit, but she said
she'd do 1t and show some people they
couldn't lead her round by the nose,
or somethin' like that"
Mr. Meldon WINGED at this, but smiled
family, and gave the boy a five-dollar
Dill, with the admonition to say moth
ing to anyone about what he had heard.
The S. was not needed to fix the boys
loyalty, but he put the money in his
pocket because he had other uses for it.
On the appointed night, with every
detail of the proposed elopement clear
before him as reported by the boy Mr..
Meldon and two friends lay hidden in
the border of raspberry bushes not
far from Kitty's window. The sky was
overcast and the night very dark, but a
faint light shone from the window.
An hour after midnight a figure APP
preached under the window, low
whistle went upward and presently
Kftty's eyes peered down into the
darkness. The Major was there alone
with ladder, which he placed in posi-
ton for her to step out upon.
Throw down the money and the
jewelry," whispered the Major, land
while I'take them around to the car
riage you get ready and I'll come back
for you"
Kitty dropped a couple of packages
out into the darkness, which the ma
jor found with a dark lantern, and
started off with toward the lane be-
yond the garden. AS he passed the
raspberry bushes two men suddenly
seized him, and before he could make
any cutlery he was gagged and his
hands were tied. The third man went
to the foot of the ladder and a low
whistle, as before, called Kitty to the
window. Bonneted and wrapped, she
came down the frail ladder and
dropped into the arms waiting for her,
was kissed encouragingly and hurried
away to the carriage.
"Our driver is gone" whispered her
companion-the two men who had
looked out for the Major had not neg
lected the driver-but that doesn't
matter. Hurry into the carriage and
I'll drive you around to the church,
where your own pastor is waiting to
marry us, darling" and out of the
darkness came another kiss for Kitty
who was so dazed by the excitement Of
it all that ahe scarcely knew what was
happening But as the carriage
whirled away noiselessly down the
soft road of the lane, she realized
vaguely that 1t was very thoughtful of
the Major to have her own pastor take
part in this romantic marriage of hers.
On the drivers box sat three men and
two of them chuckled as if in triumph.
The man with the lines tight in his
hands over the horses was silent as
the grave.
At the church the carriage stopped.
Two of the men went in by side door,
and shortly after them came the third
with Kitty. There was scarcely light
enough to see ones hand before ones
face, but the CHEEKY voice of Kitty's
beloved pastor seemed almost like a
ray of sunshine to her, and she heard
only that during the chief ceremony
which followed. Even that was faint
and indistinct in words, but the sound
of 1t soothed her and seemed to fall as
blessing upon this wild act of hers
which without it she did not believe
she could have carried to the final ac-
complishment. Regret was coming to
Kitty, but willful people do not wait
upon regrets. She knew at last that
she was Mrs. Hunter; she heard the
minister's words which pronounced the
twain one flesh, and then came lit
tie prayer, and after it a hearty voice
out of the dimness of the chapel.
my very best wishes, Mrs. Meldon,
it said, and Kitty, as some one turned
the lights on full, saw John Meldon at
her side and near him her pastor and
her only brother. She could do moth
ing at all, nothing except to faint
away, which she did promptly.
When she regained consciousness
she was at her own home again with
John Meldon and her mother smiling
down. upon her. What had happened
she could not tell. but something that
made her cry and put out her hands'
not 10 her mother, but to John Meldon.
And the Major? Well after the cere-
nony. when they went to find him in
the grass where they had left him,
they found only the handkerchiets
with which he had been so hastily
gagged and tied. The money and the
559e,.,, 49, oona with the Major.