The Coconino sun., 1915-01-08
LOVES MESSENGER
BY GEORGE N. COUGH.

1here were TWO lonely, longing
! hearts In Reedvilie and both beat es
pecially in unison. The possessors OF
the hearts were practically prisoners,
beating desperately but in vain at the
cruel bars of fate put up by relentless
! parents.
Earle Rodney loved Marah Ellis and
she fairly idolized him. He was TWEEN.
ty and she seventeen. Their families
were wealthy, but the heads of the
families were at enmity in both bust.
ness and social relations. Mr.. Ellis
had nipped budding affections in their
incipiency when he discovered that
Marah had engaged herself to Earle.
The father OF the latter sat down
upon the glowing hopes of his impres.
sible son ponderous'y.
Marah was kept practically prison
er in charge of a vigilant duenna. pend
ing shipment TO some isolated relative
at distance.
Meantime poor Earle wandered
about the extensive home grounds,
read, smoked and grieved. He ex-
pected every hour to hear that his lady
love had been sent away, or to receive
a mandate to begin his own irksome
exile. Lolling in hammock one at
ternoon his interest was awakened as
kite came whirling down with a dive,
landing in thorn bush, and lay there
pierced and tangled.
"Hey, mister" hailed an anxious.
faced lad few moments later mount
ing the garden wall that's my kite"
We'll, come and get it," directed
Earle, and then. interested in any cir.
cumstances that alleviated the tedium
of the hours, he assisted the boy in
getting the kite extricated from the
greenery. He was tying up two
pieces of broken tail when a sudden
idea shot through his mind in vivid
glow of brilliancy.
See here" he said abruptly, do
you want to make dollar?"
me? Oh, my" calculated his juve-
nile visitor in a sort of ecstasy.
You know where the Ellis people
live?"
"Oh. sure do
Gould you break your kite loose or
arrange it any way so you could get
an excuse to 90 into their garden, just
as you have here?"
Sure could" asserted the lad con-
fidently.
Then, see here" and Earle whis-
pered in the boys ear the substance
OF deep, dark plot. Then he wrote a
note and handed it with a dollar bill
20 the boy.
Now. remember" he warned, give
the note 10 nobody but Miss Ellis You
land the kite while she's about the
garden"
"Oh, | understand grinned the in.
telligent lad.
Now the plot was carried out The
expert kite flyer manipulated his air
sailer just as he deftly calculated. The
kite fell within the walled-in garden of
the Ellis grounds.
That note told Marah to steal from
the house at dusk, to reach a certain
remote corner of the garden. A light
rope ladder would be thrown over tho
wall She would fall into her lovers
arms on the other side.
There would be hurried scurry to
a sheltering grove of trees a bit far.
ther on, where a closed carriage
would be waiting.
Then the nearest Gretna Green. Oh,
how easy! Oh, how delightful!
To dot the plot went through.
Flutteringly Marah reached the wall,
scaled the ladder dropped into fond
waiting clasp.
my darling" thrilled Earle.
"Oh, dear! What will become of all
this?" breathed the guivering girl.
Love, happiness, forgiveness" de.
clared Earle buoyantly. Thunder"
They had reached the carriage. He
helped Marah in. She screamed. He
got in himself and-collapsed.
There, upon the rear seat, blandly
smiling, were Dukes and Mrs. Faire.
Observation-Disclosures" cried Earle.
"Mistake!" chuckled Dukes, benev.
olently.
You heartless meddler!" flared out
Marah to her duenna.
Dear child!' smiled Mrs. Faire,
blandly.
so near happiness!" murmured
Earle.
Nearer than ever, my boy!"
chuckled Dukes.
Il won't go back to that-that pris.
on" sobbed Marah.
"Never!" assured her duenna. "Mr.
Dukes, tell them"
why, yes" said Dukes, we're not
going to take you back. We're going
with you"
Going"
with you"
"Where?"
ITO the elopement. Double affair
see?"
NO, don't" said Earle.
We'll, our hearts have bled for you,"
explained Mrs. Faire. We've been |
your friends all along. Only, you see,
we would lose our situations n Wa |