Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1913-04-29
The next day Mr.. washburn received

the invitation to eat Thanksgiving
dinner with the widow and her daugh-
| ter. The friendly act smote his con-
science that he had even thought of
robbing the widow of her daughter,
and he went at once TO Mrs. Hurlbut
20 say to her that she need form no
such plan as she had proposed on his
behalf, for he would have nothing to
do with so nefarious a matter.
But Mrs. Hurlbut soothed him and
reminded him that lovers had from
time immemorial eloped and had al
ways held the sympathy of mankind.
| Washburn said that his own case was
different from those. for he was not a
young lover and had never spoken a
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
persuasive talker, finally won him
over, then said that she had formed
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.
Huribut and Walter would follow them,
and when out of sight and hearing
Of others Mrs. Hurlbut would throw
q bed quilt over the mother and
a 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 relf-
| 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 alb
| Quoted girl would not marry him even
| If 1t otherwise succeeded, and IL she
| did that her mother would never for
| give him. Moreover, there was law
in the colony that any man counting a
young girl without her parents con
sent could be sued before magistrate
for damages.
| But when a persuasive woman is de-
termined to have her way with man
| especially one so easily led as waiter
| 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 and toward their home
| Mrs. Hurlbut and Walter followed
them, the former carrying the quill
and the sheet, and when they came te
| a dark part of the road she stole III
behind them and proceeded to covel
| them.
The sheet, being white, was easil!
distinguished, and Walter took thu
woman 1t contained in his strong arms
and carried her off, Beyond a Sigh
scream she made no cutlery, and he
resistance soon ceased Walter as h,
strobe along told her who he was
what was intended and asked her con
sent to a marriage forthwith. Afte1
| e. ha niyn a 70
but before entering the minister
house said that she would rather no
be known and preferred to keep OF
her covering.
But even this was unnecessary, fol
the minister, who had gone to bed
came down in the dark, and when h'
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 thu
ceremony In the dark. So he did, ant
the two were made man and wife.
After the ceremony Walter supposed
that his wife would go to his hom'
with him. But she declined, sayin,
that at the Thanksgiving dinner tn
next day she would confess all to he
mother, since that would be a tim
when she was most likely to be for
given. Walter could not but see tn
wisdom of such a course and parte'
not unwillingly with his newly mad
wife.
The next day all met at the serv
ice In the meeting house Mrs. Stan
ford gave Walter friendly greeting
and her daughter looked upon him a
unconcernedly as If she had not s
recently become his bride. He wakes
home with them. and soon after thei
arrival the dining table was loade
with q haunch of venison at one END
a wild turkey at the other, the interva
being filed with other delectabl
yiands. Walter was placed at tn
head, while Mrs. Stanford sat at tn
other end facing him. When tn
meats had been eaten she said to he
vis-a-vis:
Friend Washburn, when next 70
propose an abduction be more sure o
the friend who leads you into /
, Mrs Hurlbut informed me of the pic
, to carry of my daughter, and, feelin
, that il she or l must be your wife,
as first asked, should be the bride,
asked that and not Faithful be COY
cred by the sheet. 1t was l who wen
, with you to the minister"
Then. raising glass of wine ths
, stood before her, she added:
my husband, greet your
Walter sat gazing at the speaker fc
, some time, while the truth was SLOW
, " permeating his dull brain Thel
! arising from his chair, he went
where she sat and, enfolding her
his arms, imprinted kiss upon he
! lips From his wife he passed
! Faithful and. also giving her a kis
, said:
aAfv dau0htor forgive Won