Some Frustrated Elopements.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5115, 24 November 1894, Page 7

Some Frustrated Elopements.

The "best laid schemes 0! mice and men" sometimes fall wide of the mark, even where elaborate precautions have been taken to insure their buccobs. TWb is often exemplified in the matter of elopements, which one would naturally expect to be planned with a nicety proof against all disturbance. Yet some very trifling occurrences have frustrated the progress of amorous pairs, anxious to be mated despite the displeasure of stern papas.

A dog on one occasion betrayed a lover and his laea in a quite cruel fashion, considering they had resorted to so much trouble as to convey the yard dog to a safe distance to prevent an uproar in that quarter. It was a neighbour's canine which made sight hideous by Mb incessant howling; and an excellent dog he must havo been, for he succeeded in rousing all the members of the house, while several adjacent windows were opened, and anxiouß heads were thrust out to discover the reason of the midnight alarm. The disobedient daughter was borne back to her room, and the love-lorn suitor made good his escape through the darkness.

A yenture9ome girl who arranged to Bcramble from her apartments by means of the ivy and climbers which grew up the house-side, and thus join her lover, met with a troublesome accident, which waa sot without its humorous side. Her descent was watched with bated breath by her fiand, but just when success seemed about to crown her efforts, she stack fast, her foot becoming hopelessly entangled amongst tho twining stems, and no effort of hers could effect its release. Her lover was obliged to climb up to her assistance, for the girl was just beyond his reach. The night bad not favoured them with the customary moonlight, so the greater part of a box of vestas was spilled over the task of extricating the foot.

During this little scene the master of the house was aroused, and donning his clotties hastily, met them as they hurried down the garden walk, and with extended bands gave the daughter his bleseing— which, needless to add, was not couched in words of approbation. Result— the maiden was escorted back to her chamber, and the would-be partner of her joy a and Borrows was bidden a very good morning. Apparently, others were witnesses of thiß little escapade, for a paragraph appeared in the local paper, dealing humorously with the event.

Another couple who fain would fly in the darkling hours had a most unique experience, but one which, like the tales in story books, ended happily for all. The devoted pair succeeded in their attempts to a certain degree, for the maid appeared at the appointed time at the back door, where young Romeo was waiting to carry her off. But when about to depart, they found their refcreat cut off— a doorway in the yard wall, which afforded entrance to the kitchen garden (their only mode of escape) having been draped with a net while the lover waited his lass. Some scheming burglars had taken this precaution to obstruct the entrance while they explored the front part of the house; not with the intention of trapping the runaways, but to prevent the appearance of an. intruder,' or to entangle him in the folds ot the net while they beat a retreat. Other similar outlets had been likewise netted, thereby rendering their capture almost an impossibility. The hurrying lovers were wrapped in the folds of the Beourely draped H9t before they were aware of what had happened, and the maiden's cries, which her lover tried in vain to stifle, aroused the Bleeping inmates.

The burglars were Beared from the place; the girl released from the toils of the net— for she. had become very much entangled — and when it dawned upon the stupified householders that both a burglary and an elopement had been frustrated, the engagement of the young people was consented to; while the properties which had been left in the hurtled flight of the depredator b led to their arrest and imprisonment. Besides taking the precaution to block up outlets by the fixing of nets tfrer them, they had also stretched strands of rope across the lawn, and. similar likely places, to trip up pursuers— these elaborate plans being entirely upaet, and their originators severely sentenced, by the attempted flight of two thwarted lovers.

Another case in which an elopement prevented a burglary has been reported. The marauder was a slightly-built man, who executed his shady business in the garb of a woman. In the present case he was descending by meanß of the ivied strands against the wall, when the waiting lover embraced him as he reached the ground, believing him to be his fiancee, who had taken this as the only means of escape from the parental roof. When, however, a man's voice returned his addresses, the lover aware of something amies. seized the curious figure firmly and belaboured himsoliberally that he cried out aloud; while the girl, who had put in an appearance during the struggle, shrieked for help, thus bringing out the inmates to the rescue. Whether this lion-hearted hero was 'rewarded in the manner we should like best was never chronicled — anyway, he deserved the girl. An elopement, on ono occasion, was frustrated by the timidity of a servant girl. The heroine was not so quiet about her departure as is generally the case with runaway maidens, her movements disturbing tho maid-of-all-work, whose window overlooked the back yard, where the faithful beau was awaiting his bird of flight. Throwing open her window, she, evidently mistaking the figure of the waiting swain for that of a burglar, used as a missile a china ornament, and directed it so surely, that she felled her victim, and wounded him to suoh a degree as to render him incapable of movement. The young man was removed to a room within the House, and medical attendance was necessary to bring him to a state of conscious* ness; while, .during his convalescence, the lady of his heart was allowed to minister to his wants; and as a sequel to this series of mishaps, it was recorded they were afterwards married in grand state— a satisfactory termination to a love-story fraught with trouble and disappointment.

Aa elopement which very nearly reached a successful goal was stopped at the railway station, where the pair had hurried to catch the night express to London. But the girl's father confronted her on the platform, and requested an explanation. He had come three days before the home folka had expected him, and was just in time to prevent his daughter being linked to the biggest scoundrel in the neighbourhood, who had courted her secretly for some months. Evidently this youth was fond of elopements and secrecy, for a little while afterwards he effected a successf ul flight with a butcher's daughter; and the two were married in town, quite unknown to the girl's parents.