The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-02-04
LOVES MESSENGER
BY GEORGE N. COUGH.

hearts In Reedville 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 busi-
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 impress.
sible son ponderously.
Marah was kept practically a prison
or in charge of vigilant duenna, pend
ing shipment to some isolated relative
at q 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 a hammock one at.
ternoon his interest was awakened as
q kite came whirling down with dive,
landing in thorn bush, and lay there
pierced and tangled.
Hey, mister" hailed an anxious.
faced lad few moments later, mount.
ing tho garden wall, that's my kite"
Well 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 a vivid
glow Of brilliancy.
See here" he said abruptly, do
you want to make a dollar?"
me? Oh, my!" calculated his juve-
nile visitor in sort Of ecstasy.
you know where the Ellis people
liver"
oh, sure do"
Gould you break your kite loose, or
arrange 1t any way so you could get
an excuse to go 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 .
note and handed It with a dollar bill
to the boy.
Now. remember" he warned, give
the note to 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
sheltering grove Of trees q bit far.
Their on, where q closed carriage
would be waiting.
Then the nearest Gretna Green. Oh.
how easy! Oh. how delightful!
To a dot the plot went through.
Flutteringly Marah reached the wall,
scaled the ladder, dropped into a fond
waiting clasp.
my darling!" thrilled Earle.
"Oh, dear! What will become of all
this?" breathed the quivering 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, we're Dukes and Mrs. Faire.
"Discovered-baffled!" cried Earle.
"Mistake!" chuckled Dukes, benev.
olently.
You heartless meddler!" hared out
Marah to her duenna.
Dear child" smiled Mrs. Faire,
blandly.
$50 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
seer
mo, don't" said Earle.
well, our hearts have bled for you,"
explained Mrs. Faire. We've been !
your friends all along. Only, you see,
we would lose our situations II we |
helped you"
$50, meeting Mrs. Faire, the finest |
woman in the world" added Dukes, |
we decided to resign and get married. |