Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-02-12

4tHA AAtif HNuifN IA Aut otkNtAu NIt
entine. ! was offered my new position
the LIST Of January. and In six week
st. Valentines day came round.
sent Ellie. who was now twenty-five
years old. valentine ! was aware
that the custom had even nc that day
fallen largely into the hands Of chill.
dlen, didn't intend 10 declare my
love In verses that had now come TO
seem cheap To me. used the valen-
tine MS a starter for a clandestlne cor
respondencc. wrote message on II
In lemon juice. then lndited In dis.
guised hand this couplet:
II to know me you aspire
Read my name before the fire.
You see letters written In lemon
juice. though Invisible before. when
heated come out brown color Ef.
fie would apply the necessary heat.
| only feared that she would throw
the valentine In the wastcbasket with
out reading the couplet.
That NIL turned out right was ap.
parent in a letter | received from my
ANA W II EAAtn utl III
address. Ellie was delighted at my
success and said that she was verv
proud OF me. She added. however.
that. so far as obtaining her MOTHER
consent to cur marriage or even an en-
gagement was concerned, 1t would be
more difficult than ever. Her mothers
figures for the fortune Eflie's husband
should possess were rising every day.
Ellie and after this continued to
correspond clandestinely. she not
knowing exactly what TO do. She
loved her mother. and she loved me-
She had yielded to her mothers wish
es SO long as was unable to support
her and. now that was In position
to do so. she felt that something was
due both 60 me and to herself. Mat
tiers We're brought to a crisis By Mrs
Winston discovering our correspond
ence. A letter Ellie had written me
fell into her mothers hands.
II seems that Mrs. Winston had been
on the watch for such procedure and
could not imagine how my first letter
could have got into the house without
her knowing II. Ellie declined to en-
tighten her. That made the old lady
very angry. aud there was great COM
motion IN the Winston family. OF
course our correspondence was stop
ped Ellie was forbidden TO write TO
or receive letters from me under pain
OF being run on TO Europe In add
ffas. 20. ~. at
spies upon Ellie. and she dared not
post me single note.
Matters went on In this way for
nearly year. One day n letter came
TO the Winston house that excited FL
iie's spicions. II was now her turn
to pry. Tho letter bore the business
stamp Of an agent of n steamship com.
pany Efie steamed the envelope.
opened 1t and read that her mother
had engaged passage for two for &c.
noa. the vessel 10 sail on the 18th OF
February, or In about week.
Here was revelation Something
must be done. Something was done
And this Is the way II was done
Ellie a week before 81 Valentines
day went out ana bought a supply O.
valentines for the children. The same
evening she addressed number Of
them. her mother asking why she was
sending them so early. and she reply
ing that they were going Ia distant
places Sh" addressed and stamped
them. managing Ia retain one. which
she addressed 10 Inc. This she gave,
with the others. to maid TO post,
who mailed them without looking at
the addresses.
This was the third and last valen.
tine. | received II and read that Ellie
was ready To walk away with me 10
church before the sailing of the vessel
that was 10 take her 10 foreign parts.
She appointed place Of meeting and
an hour Indeed. she arranged every
thing 10 my satisfaction
But there was very little time The
steamer was 10 leave at p. m. on
Feb. H. and the appointment made
by Ellie 10 meet me was az dawn the
same morning. Before any one In the
house was awake she was up and
dressed and stealing downstairs. Then
she went out 10y rear door. ! was
mt the corner with carriage, and
when | saw her seudding toward me
| opened the carriage door. we got in
and were driven away
had arranged my part Of the elope-
ment and engaged a clergyman TO be
up and ready 10 perform wedding
ceremony when the cocks We're crow
ing. We found him ready. and IN
few minutes knot had been tied that
Mrs. Winston could not unloose From
the parsons we drove back TO the
house. Ellie let us In with night
key. and we waited TIL her mother
came downstairs TO breakfast. Since
she was TO sail that day she was up
early. and when she entered the room
where we were and saw us sitting to-
gether her establishment was unbound.
ed. Efiie said to her:
Mother. ! am OF an age to think
and act for myself We are married
| have acted without your knowledge
10 save trouble. for knew sou would
oppose me. and | had made up my