Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-02

young lover and had never spoken
word of love TO Faithful Stanford. He
had followed the custom Of the times
by asking her hand from her parent
However, Mrs. Hurlbut. who was
a persuasive talker. finally won him
over. then said that she had formed
a plan as follows:
On the evening before Thanksgiving
day would take place the usual We'd
nesday evening prayer meeting. at
which all the cOlonists would be pres
ent. including the Stanfords, mother
and daughter. Mrs. HurlbUt would
go to the meeting and Walter Wash
burn would do the same The road
over which the Stanfords must go to
their home was lonely one. Mrs
Hurlbut and Walter would follow them,
and when out of sight and hearing
of others Mrs. Hurlbut would throw
a bed quilt over the mother and
n sheet over the daughter, using diff
ferent coverings that the two might
be known apart. Walter was to seize
the figure under the sheet and carry
her away to the minister to be mar
ried. Mrs. Hurlbut would hold the
mother under the quilt till there should
be no time for her to interfere. 1t was
TO be hoped that the next day being
Thanksgiving. day devoted to relt-
gious exercises and thankfulness, the
mother would forgive Walter for the
KIDNAPPING Of her daughter.
Mr.. Washburn had misgivings as to
this scheme. both fearing that the an
Quoted girl would not marry him even
If 1t otherwise succeeded, and II she
did that her mother would never for
give him. Moreover, there was law
in the colony that any man counting
young girl without her parents con-
sent could be sued before a magistrate
for damages.
But when persuasive woman is de-
termined to have her way with a man,
especially one so easily led as Walter
Washburn, there Is no standing
against her. Mrs. Hurlbut carried
her point and on the evening of the
prayer meeting took her friend Walter
to the meeting house with her. When
the meeting was over and the STAN
fords went out ard toward their home
Mrs. Hurlbut and Walter followed
them, the former carrying the quilt
and the sheet, and when they came to
dark part Of the road she stole up
behind them and proceeded to cover
them.
The sheet being white. was easily
distinguished and Walter took the
woman it contained In his strong arms
and carried her off Beyond a slight
scream she made no outcry, and her
resistance soon ceased. Walter as he
strobe along told her who he was,
! what was intended and asked her con-
sent to n marriage forthwith. After
a few minutes she spoke faint Yes"
but before entering the minister's
house said that she would rather not
be known and preferred TO keep on
her covering.
But even this was unnecessary, for
! the minister, who had gone to bed,
came down in the dark, and when he
strove to strike light the punk, which
| was damp. would not ignite. and Wal
ter, who was fast losing his equanimi-
! ty, begged him TO proceed with the
ceremony in the dark. So he did, and
the two were made man and wife.
After the ceremony Walter supposed
| that his wife would go to his home
with him. But she declined. saying
| that at the Thanksgiving dinner the
! next day she would confess all to her
mother, since that would be a time
when she was most likely to be for
given. Walter could not but see the
| wisdom Of SUCH a course and parted
/ J.; Il.
| wife.
The next day all met at the serv-
| ice In the meeting house. Mrs. Stan
ford gave Walter a friendly greeting,
and her daughter looked upon him al
unconcernedlv as If she had not so
recently become his bride He walked
home with them, and soon after their
arrival the dining table was loaded
with haunch Of venison at one end,
a wild turkey at the other, the interval
being filled with other delectable
vIands. Walter was placed at the
head, while Mrs. Stanford sat at the
other end facing him. When the
meats had been eaten she said to her
vis-a-vis:
Friend Washburn. when next you
propose an abduction be more sure OF
the friend who leads you into It.
Mrs. Hurlbut informed me of the plot
to carry of my daughter. and, feeling
that If she or I must be your wife, /,
as first asked. should be the bride, 1
asked that | and not Faithful be COW
cred by the sheet. 1t was I who went
with you to the minister"
Then. raising a glass Of wine that
stood before her, she added:
"My husband, / greet your
Walter sat gazing at the speaker for
some time, while the truth was slow
ly perneating his dull brain Then,
arising from his chair. he went to
where she sat and. enfolding her In
his arms. imprinted a kiss upon her
lips. From his wife he passed to
Faithful and. also giving her a kiss,
said:
MY daughter, forgive you"
Then returning to his seat he bowed
his head and reverently gave thanks
for the happy outcome Of plan that
had never met with his approval. but
which had turned out as he wished.