ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1211, 15 September 1874, Page 3

ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY.

The Duustar. Times of the 28th ult. says:—The good people of the Clyde were rather astonished and amused last Saturday evening by a swell Chinaman riding hpt haste into the town, apparently in pursuit of something or somebody, which appeared to be a matter of " life and death" that he should overtake, curiosity was further awaken when, pp alighting from his horse he enquired, •' have yon seen my wife." Such an interesting enquiry, from a disheartened looking Mongolian, naturally suggested an investigation into such an extraordinary circumstance as an elopement in " Chinese high life," when the following particulars were elicited i —The deeply injured husband is a Mr Ah Tong, residing in Queenstown, following the professor of a carver in wood. Jt. appears that this Chinese gentle, man had within the last month paid a visit to Dunedin, where he fell iu love with a young am! good looking European lady, "just sixteen years old." lie offered marriage, and was accepted, and returned to Queenstown with the " darling of his heart " Connubial bliss went on uninterruptedly for some three, weeks when the young lady of" blushing sixteen" got tired of the almond eyed partner of her heart, and essayed to run a\yay, which. jfpsplve she put' in execution on Saturday morning last, iu the shape of a clandestine departure by the Mail Coach, and duly arrived at Clyde. Rearing pursuit by her lord, and anxious to escape, she managed to be taken out some seven miles on the Dunedin road, there at a farm-house to await the passing by of the town coach on the following Monday. Mr Ah Tong made a strict search of the town all through Saturday night, ami during the greater part of Sunday, but nothing assuring could be learnt to h s oft repeated question, " hav'p you teen my'wife?": Surmising, or it being hinted to him that the flitting fair one had just gone a littlo way on the Dunedin road, he hired a buggy and drove out to the Chalto Creek Hotel, where he put up for the night.

Anxious as any Chinese husband, should be that had lost his wife. Mr Ah Tong was up betimes, and as tho early morning coach drove up, ho espied among tho inside passengers, stowed away in a corner, tho dear object of his search and troubles, and demanded of Mr Henry IXettlefold, the driver, tho restoration of the lady. There was no alternative but for Cobb and Co. to give her up, and she returned to Cljde in company with the almost disconsolate being whose peace of mind and mundane happiness she had thus basely sought to interrupt for ever. Mr and Mrs Ah Tong duly arrived in Clyde, but tho breach of affection could not be healed, the lady positively declined to " love, honor, and obey " any longer, and to all tho entreaties of her endearing and despairing husband, she persistently remained deaf, declining to have anything more to do with him. Both are once more living in single blessedness, but poor Mr Ah Tong still lingers about the town, and at tegular intervals of the day, knocks at the door of the dwelling which contains the dear creature he so deeply loves, but to his enquiries of" how his my wife," there is returned tho one answer, " she knows you no more."