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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2046, 26 July 1875, Page 3

ELOPEMENT OF A FATHEB AND CHIS SQN'S SWEETHEART.

A romantic elopement has just occurred in iWietonshire. In" a snug; little " cottage " in the country lived the widow ot an Indian merchant and two daughters— the widow 42, and the daughters respectively 18 and 20. The whole three. being pretty and well-to-do, they had.numerous

admirers: and more than once rumour that first tKe widow and then each of the daughters were on the point of marriage.; Amongst the more intimate friends of the family were Mr B— -r-, a wealthy, neighboring farmer, and his wife, who, with their eldest son, were frequent visitors : and it was agreed on all hands that the son was to wed Miss L- , the widow's daughter and ," set up for himself" on a near holding. But the other morning it became'known that the father was missing—had been gone a week; so was Miss L , she had been gone fora week .too. WhenMrs/L and Mrs B went mutually to unfold their griefs and surmises to each other, the horrible truth flashed upon them that husband and daughter had gone off together—the father-in-law that was to be with his son's intended bride. Subsequent inquiries however showed this surmise to be only too true, and the whole story of deception became apparent. It was found that preparations for the flight had been going on for at least a month. Mr B. had during that time realised as much money as he could —reducing his stock and stackyard to the lowest possible j limits; and it is surmised by the family , that on the day of his departurelie must have had in his possession from £1500 to £2000. The partner of his flight had not been idle either. Under the plea of being bridesmaid to a friend in Glasgow, she persuaded her mother and sister to asist her in getting up a number of new dresses; and as she secrptly appropriated all the family jewellery and spare cash on the day of her departure— some long outstanding accounts had just recently come in—she thereby inflicted a double wrong by her sudden disappearance. It has been ascertained since that the young lady was met at Dumfries Station'by Mr B. —r ; and their joint luggage having been there re-ticketed and re-labelled' Liverpool' they went straight to that port. Berths having been previously taken in one of the Cunard steamers, the pair were steaming towards New York before their friends in Wigton were aware of their flight.