Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-04-19
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An Assisted Elopement
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(cOpyrisht. 1914. by Associated Literary Press.)
By DONALD ALLEN

sociated Literary PressD
| lent. He hadn't pulled gun on young
Bennett, and he hadn't stood up and
declared that he would rather see his
daughter in her grave first, but hadn't
he said that he had already selected
a husband for her? He hadn't said
! Just who, but of course it was a man
of sixty with money. He would be
| jealous, and he would be fiinicky and
pour his coffee into the saucer before
| slipping it with long-drawn s-o-u-p-p!
No: an elopement was the only
thing. Mr.. Bennett would take his
| true love in a horse and buggy by
the light of the moon and drive away
to the house of a Baptist preacher and
have the ceremony performed He
selected a Baptist preacher, because
| he had always heard that in case of
a hot pursuit Baptist could rattle off
the ceremony in thirty-one seconds by
the watch. Miss Ruth was sure there
would be no pursuit; but the wise
young man was taking no chances.
The night arrived. The horse and
buoy arrived. The lovers arrived, and
away they went. They saw the fences
go past them, but what they did not
see were two men starting out in a
carriage only moment behind them
The two men were shaking hands ev.
cry now and then and talking like
long-lost brothers reunited.
The lovers had seven miles to go
At the end of the first mile wheel
came loose and was noticed just In
time to prevent an accident. While
it was being set right the two men
drove up and offered their assistance
Father" exclaimed Miss Ruth as
she recognized her parent.
Father" exclaimed young Ben
nett as he recognized his.
Was the game up? Were they to
be taken back in chains?
No. Neither parent paid the slight.
est attention to his offspring. That
buggy had been fixed for a wheel to
come off 1t was now fixed for all
four wheels to remain on, and the low.
ers went ahead
my father and yours together!'
gasped Bennett
81 can't make it out!" whispered
the girl,
Gould they have known us"
Surely"
81 will drive faster and try and
shake them off"
The horse was put on the gallop
but ten rods behind came the other
At the end Of the second mile an axle
tree gave way with a crash. and II
was realized that this was the end oil
the elopement
bad smash. Tom" said the pro
lessor to the judge, as the pursuers
drove up and halted.
Eyes; pretty bad, JIM" was the re
ply.
Miss Ruth was hauled out of the
wreck, to stand shiverng and weep
ing, and to- young man stood will
open mouth, as he saw the two faith
ers together and heard them call each
other by their first names. To his
certain knowledge, they had been enc
mics less than week before
These people cannot go on, Tom"
Not with that wreck Jim"
"But they can take seats with us.
only too happy. I'm sure Let's
see, young man-where were 20,
bound for"
about five miles along this road,
sheepishly answered Mr.. Bennett.
"Ahuml I think we are bound TO-
the same place Get right in"
Sitting together On the front seat
the fathers conversed like old chums
Sitting together on the back seat tn,
lovers clasped hands and wondered
what prison they were being driven tc
When the parsonage of the Rev
Moses Hurley was reached the cal
riage was halted and the four peopl
entered the house.
"a little marriage ceremony" sal,
the professor.
Between these two young people,
added the Judge
= In daze and tremble the lover
> We're made one, and then Miss Rut
braced up to ask
u Father, what does it all mean"
:, why, daughter, in the first place
| have acknowledged to Tom that
. was an ass, and he TO me that he wa
= bigot, and in the next I told yo
that | had selected husband for yo,
and we came along to see that 20
got the right one!"
Cleansing With Care.