The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-25
PAPA ILLUSTRATES
CUPID'S PLAN TO
JOIN YOUNG HEARTS
Juvenile Iowa Pair Elope to St.
Paul, but Fail in Second At
tempt to Demonstrate That
They Are Not Too Young to
Marry.

CupidS attempt to bring ABOUT the
union of two youthful Iowa hearts in
! st. Paul yesterday was defeated by
| a narrow margin.
Just as James Hoffman, aged IS,
and Annie Beardsley, aged 16. a youth
| full pair of clippers from near Oelwein,
| Iowa, were entering the court house
shortly after noon yesterday to procure
a marriage license, William Beardsley,
! father of the maid, walked in, and
| there was nothing doing in the license
| line.
! When the youthful lovers encounter
! ed the girls father there was a look
of surprise and embarrassment upon
both of their faces, but Papa Boards
| ley is an amiable parent and there
was no scene, and after some persua-
| sive argument on his part the girl
! agreed to accompany him home with
out becoming the wife of her romantic
| young lover.
| There being nothing else left for
| young Hoffman to do, he went along
with his sweetheart and her father,
who carefully chaperoned the clippers
during the afternoon and took them
home with him on the Great Western
at $40 last evening.
This Was the Second Attempt.
'1t is the second time within the
past six weeks that they have made
| the attempt said the girls father
| laughingly, but we decided they were
too young and ought to wait awhile.
| They came near getting ahead Of us
this time, and had I not arrived here
when I did they might have been mar
ried, although I don't believe they
Ecould have secured license on &C
count of their age. Annie is but Is.
and Jimmie is barely two years older
The young lovers are the children of
neighboring farmers, living near DEL
vein, Iowa, and have, according to the
story told by Mr.. Beardsley, kept
company for some time.
| Sunday the boy came over to our
place to take Annie for a buggy ride,
and upon their promise to return home
early, we consented" said Mr.. Boards
ley. Towards evening, however,
when Mr.. Hoffman came over to our
place and told us that Jimmie had sent
| his horse and buggy back home by a
man from Oelwein, we became suSpi-
| cious, and I went to town to see what
had become of them. 1 finally found
some of their friends, who told me
| that the last seen of them was at the
| Great Western depot, and there l
learned that they had purchased tick
cts for Minneapolis. 1 wired the clerk
of courts at Minneapolis not to issue
them a marriage license and took the
next train myself. Upon my arrival
here thought they might possibly come
over to ST. Paul for license, so I got
! off the train here and was. on my way
| to the court house whensI met them in
front of the building. They have both
| promised to return home and I will
| take them back with me tonight"
| 1t was learned from young Hoff
man that he and his sweetheart ar
rived in Minneapolis yesterday fore
noon, and when refused a license
| there came over to St. Paul with the
! intention of getting one here. They
| had waited too long, however, for the
girls father reached the city shortly
before 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
| just in time to spoil their plans. All
| of the parties appeared to treat the
matter as a lark. and talked goodna-
| turedly regarding it.
! About six weeks ago the lovers
/ made their first unsuccessful attempt
at an elopement. At that time they
went to Des Moines, but an aunt Of
young Hoffman's interfered and the
clippers were returned to their home,
disappointed but not discouraged.
May Wed When Old Enough.
Both the Beardsleys and the Hoff-
mans are well-to-do farmers and the
| families are on the best of terms. The
only objection to the marriage from
either of the families is on account Of
the age of the Children" as Mr..
Beardsley persisted in calling them,
and since their trip to Des Moines
| they have been watched pretty closely.
| 1t was not thought that they would
attempt to elope on Sunday and no
suspicion attached to their buggy ride
until the horse and buggy was return
ed to the Hoffman home by man who
| said Jimmie was going to stay in
| town with a friend that night
+ Mr.. Beardsley improved his after
noon in the city by making a number
of purchases, young Hoffman pur-
chased suit of clothing with the
money he had brought along for we'd
ding expenses, and no one seeing the
party on their way to the depot with
their many bundles last night would
have suspected that it was the retreat