The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1916-06-08
AnEscape
By F. A. Mitchell

beginning to bud. The time of day is
soon after dawn. Nothing could be
more quiet than this scene just emery.
ing from darkness, the old Queen Anne
mansion and its surroundings. A door
opens slowly, and Il woman slips out,
closing 1t cautiously behind her. She
fits down the walk to the gate, opens
1t, passes through, closes 1t behind her
with the same care as she had closed
the door, takes one glance at the som
Der mansion and walks away with a
quick step. which soon increases to a
rum
The morning light broadens. a red
spark appears on the eastern sky line,
the spark developing into disk. Smoke
begins to curl lazily from a chimney
here and there. A man energies from
a rear door of a house and goes back
toward barn. The escaped woman
calls to him. He stops. turns and goes
back to the fence on the other side of
which she is standing.
Are you marriedY' she asks.
Married? Why, no." Naturally the
question surprises him.
IF you will marry me III give you
any price you ask"
"PriceT Why lady-a girl-come-
ly, should pay common farmer to
marry her was unintelligible.
Eyes. But | wouldn't want you to
live with me. I'd want to leave you as
soon as the ceremony was performed
Will you?"
The matter having become com.
mercial transaction, the mans mind
fell upon the possible gain to him. He
asked how he would be benefited. She
asked him to name price. He named
f100, She doubled it.
where can we find a Clergyman"
she asked.
He pointed to spire standing above
the tree tops.
Come" she said, make haste'
Climbing the fence. he walked be-
side her toward the spire till they
came to a little church nesting under
the trees and knocked at the door of
the rectory beside 1t. A man, twenty
eight or thirty years old, In canonicals,
came to the door
MARRY us. quick" said the girl
"Come in" said the clergyman, as
tonished to see lady and farmland
asking to be welded They were
shown into living room. and the
clergyman said:
II cannot marry you without some
concerning such singu.
lar case"
The girl gave 1t hurriedly. She was
an orphan and an heiress. Her guard
ian, o man Of fifty and Il rascal, was
trying to force her to marry him be-
fore she came Of age. which would be
in a few months. He had represented
that she was not of sound mind, and
he was keeping her under guard. She
had escaped despite his watching, but
would doubtless be Overtaken and car
ried back, the law being on her guard
ian's side. AS n married woman,
through her husband. she could claim
her freedom. The rector listened to
her explanation. pondered a few min
ates. then said:
IL fancy | can get you out of your
trouble without this marriage, which
will bring complications difficult to I'M
rdvel Suppose hide your
"Can you? VIII your
II can"
The girl told the man she had come
with that If he would stand by her
and not reveal her whereabouts she
would give him the money she had
promised him to marry her. He was
IN honest chap and said that he would
stand by her without being paid to
do so.
AS soon as he had gone the clergy
man took the girl into the church and
placed her behind curtain in the
chancel. Then he went back to the rec
tory. where he found breakfast wait
ing for him. 1t was not long before
tory and, throwing himself from his
horse. knocked at the door. The rector
the summons and questions
is to whether he had seen the escaped
girl. Lying not being In keeping with
his sacred office. he excited suspicion.
The groom rode away leaving the rec
tor convinced that he would report his
and the church and rectory
would be searched. Going into the
he informed the girl of her
danger. She was beside herself with
terror.
II will take the place." he said, "of
the man who agreed to marry you, but
price. and will consent to an
lnnulment at such time as you may
desire"
The girl was only too glad to avail
herself of his offer. A servant was
sent post haste for Methodist minis
ter who lived short distance from
them. He came, the servants were
called as witnesses. and the two were
legally married.
The ceremony had scarcely been fin
shed when a gentleman was driven up
to the rectory and demanded in the
name of the law to search the prem
ses for his ward. The rector led her
forth and presented her as his wife.
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