Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1878-04-27 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

TIIE BELLE OF VALLEJO.  • Vallejo possesses a young lady of extreordinary beauty. She le, moreover, as intelligent and bold as the in' beautiful, and in grappling with a midden emergency she ill probable um quailed by eny one of her sex. Nato. rally, she is the admiration o every young man in the town. In fact, she in beyoed the reach of rivalry. The other young ladies of Vallejo are perfectly well aware that it is hopeless for them to enter the lists I with her. They never expect to receive calls from • marriageable young inen except on the off nights ot • the Vallejo belle, and, though they doubtlese murmur , secretly °Rama this dispensation, they apparently accept it is a law of nature. That so brilliant a girl should have selected a meek young minister on whom to lavish her affections was certainly a surprise to all who knew her, and when it was first rumoured thit she had made such a selection, Vallejo refused to believe it. The minister mule his regular nightly cells upon I the objects of his affections, but an average quantity ot eleven other young men never failed to be present. , In these circumstances he begin to grow thin with ; • euppreesed affection, and the young lady, alarmed at his condition, made up her mind that something must be done without delay. About three weeks ego the • young minister presented himself in his beloved's front parlour at 650 r it., and in the ten minutes that elapsed before the firet of his rivals rang the bell, he painted the misery of courting by battalions in the most harrowing terms. Miss Ecks listened to him with deep sympathy, and promised him that if he would stay until nine o'clock, the lest of the objectionable young men woeld be se thoroughly disposed of that for the rest of the evening be would have the field to himself. Full of confidence in the determination and reseureeso, his betrothed, his spirits returned, and he was about to ewes@ his gratitude with hie as well as his hi art. woes the first young man was ushered into the room. Miss Ecks received her unwelcome guest with greet coecliulity and invited him to sit on &shale, the beck of which W. placed claw ton door. The door in question opened outward and upon the top of a flight ot stairn lending to the cellar. The latch was old and out of order, and the least pressure would cause it to fly open. In persuance of a deep. laid plan Miss Belts no moulded her conversation no to place her visitor at his ease. In a very few moments he ceased to twist his fingers and writhe his legs, and presently tilted haek his chair aft r the manner of a contented and lmppy men. No sooner did the bock of the chair touch the door than the latter flew open, and the unhappy guest disappeared into the cellar with a treinenrioue crush. Uhecking the cry that arose from the astonished clergyman, Miss Ecks quietly reclosed the fatal door, placed a fresh chair n its vicinity, and calmly remarked "That's one of them." In fire minutes more the second young man entered. Like his predecessor, he seated hitueelf. on the appointed chair, tipped back upon its hind legs and instantly v nisherl. "That', two of them," remarked the importurbeble beauty, as she closed the door and once more reset the trap. From the, time until nine o'clock a constant succeseion of young men went down those cellar stairs. Some of them groaned slightly after reach ing the bottom, but not one returned. It was an unusually good night for young men, and Miss leeks caught no lees than 14 between seven and nine o'clock As the last One diseppeared the turned to her horrified clereymen and said, "That', the last of them! Now for bueinees ;" hut that mild young man had fainted. His nerve. were unable to bear the strain, and when the moment of his wish for monopoly or his betrothed had arrived he was unable to enjoy it. Lster in the evening he 'revived sufficiently to seek a railway station and fly for ever from his remorseless chime r. The inquest that wee subsequently held upon the fourteen young mn sill long be remembered is a mos, premive scene. Miss Ecks was preeent with her back hair loose, and the tears stood in her magnificent eyes as she testified tnat she coeld not imagine what induced the young men to go dawn the cellar. The jury, without the slightvet hesitation, found that they had one and all committed suicide, and the coroner personally thanked the young lady for her rind testimony. She is now more popular than ever, mind, well the toes of her own accepted lover, has eenewend her former fondness fcr society, and nightly • entertains eel the surviving young men of Vellejo. I 'Phis shows what the magnificent climate can accomplish . in tbe proeuction of girls when it really tries.—New York Tinos&