The Secret Elopement of Olympia

Olympia, April 5.—The one topic of conversation on the streets of the capital city today is the elopement of young Mr. Whitney with the 16-year-old and only daughter of ex-Chief of Police H. A. McNair. The young people have been quite intimate for the past two years, but the parents thought it was only a childish friendship. Recently, however, the parents of the girl became aware that the friendship might become too strong, and accordingly ordered young Whitney to cease his attentions and to forever quit their daughter’s presence. This step on the part of the parents, it seems, was taken too late, for the young people had already passed the bounds of mere friendship and had become thoroughly imbued with love for each other. Consequently, when the old folks thought to put an interdiction on the matter, the young girl resolved that her love affair should not be interfered with, and continued secretly to accept the attentions of young Whitney, to the great chagrin of her parents, who refused to allow young Whitney to come inside their home. It is not surprising that yesterday afternoon the girl's parents became aware that she had suddenly left town, and that a further inquiry revealed the fact that Whitney was also absent. Mr. McNair, thinking that the young couple had left for Portland on the afternoon train, at once left post-haste for Tenino, and is probably now in Portland. He was wrong, however, for it now transpires that a heavily-waited 'bus carried the lovers overland to Tacoma yesterday afternoon. The 'bus returned to this city this morning, but the driver was perfectly mum, only remarking that his patrons were where they could not be found. Whitney has been in the grocery business in this city and is a steady, straightforward young lad of about 20 summers. He is well liked here, and many people wonder why the girl's parents should be so bitterly opposed to her union with him.