An Elopement.

Evening Star, Issue 6842, 4 March 1886, Page 4

An Elopement.

The * Taranaki Herald’ gives an account of an elopement, attended with more than the usual degree of the romantic, reported to have occurred in Taranaki a day or two ago. It seems that a settler in one of the out settlements became enamored with a young lady whoso daily avocations were performed in some humble sphere in the village inn. His affection was reciprocated, and the parental consent and blessing solicited ; but family pride was up in arms at the bare thought of such a union, and Betsy Jane’s young man went dejected away. However, the pair put their heads together to contrive a plan to overcome obstacles, and the result was that an elopement was arranged. Suspecting something of the sort, the mother and one of her sons took horse one day and hastened to prevent the consummation of the design, and they arrived on the scene just in time to catch the pair leaving in the trap An altercation at once ensued between the brother and lover, and it ended in a pitched battle between them. The lover got the worst of this engagement, and unhcroically offered L 5 to be allowed to carry out his intention unopposed. This was refused, and the bid was raised LlO, and then LIS. The mother, desiring to get her daughter once more beneath her own roof, craftily suggested that they should all journey back to her house and talk the matter over. The mother's horse was placed at the disposal of the lover, while she took a seat behind her daughter in the trap, and in this way, the mother and daughter driving in front and the would-be bridegroom bringing up the rear, they journeyed to the parental mansion. Arriving opposite the gate the two men dismounted and the mother alighted from the vehicle. “ Arc you clear of the steps, mother dear?” asked the daughter, and on being assured that she was, the young lady struck the trap-horse, while at the same time the swain jumped in, and they drove with all haste through New Plymouth and on to Waitara, where they caught a steamer on the point of leaving. The saddle-horses, being too much jaded by their double journey, were useless in the pursuit. The address of the pair is somewhere in the Auckland district.