, 1874-12-27

.VL5.
ter is more important than my wedding" And
| With this 1fr- Bogglcbe1T7 trotted OF to main
tain the integrity and defend the hoEor OF st,
Patrick the Verdant.
from his umbrella on to his shoulders, aud. the
wind being In his face, seueation OF dampness
soon became pcrceptibio shout his knees. willis.
tho hansoms urged on their wild career through
to d degree fearful to behold. Surely il
eEe- man was martyr to duty Bog.le-
berry was that man After his great
oratorical effort OF the previous day, it
WAS certainly both annoying aud disappointing
to hear that Jones was not yet inclined to throw
up the sponge.
Bogglebet1y would not have been surprised to
lind his opponent bcfore him, but upon entering
the vcatry-hau he found lie was the only MEM
Der present. quarter Of m hour passed. aud
then two or threo OF Eosslcber1y's colleagues
struggled in; another quarter Of an hour sped,
| but still no Jones; With the arrival Of the next
quarter, the formal business bad been gone
through and tho meeting stood adjourned.
"Confound the fel1ow!" thought Bogsleborry.
| as he again emerged into the rain aud slush !;
"after my putting myself 80 much out Of the
way, ho might just IA wen have conc" He
stood within the porch OF tho yestry-bail in tho
hope Of obtaining vehicle, and tha curiosity Of
tho messenger speedily became aroused By
Bogglouerrys anxious glauccs At his WATCH
Cab after cab dashed By, but all were
occupied: Thon suddenly the noighborins
| church-clock boone forth the hour OF II.
''What nuisaacc!" exclaimed our Aero
"i.s tuonty minutes walk to the church, and
| da1o saw thoy have started by this time. No
help for it, I suppose, but to plod through tho
| rain.''
And plod Along ho did az fast Is his spinaly
legs would carry him. Again dld his shoulders
| grow vet NTH the polling rain his clothes
received fresh deposits from the road and tho
e1estion Of walking at brisk rate speedily
produced exudation from his forehead bo:h
embarrassing and uncomfortable.
| '+Well, II This is Whst people cail the pleasure
Of getting married." muttored Boggleberry,
wroth with tho rain, with Jones, with himself,
and with everybody and everything, II ail can
| say IT, You won't catch mo at it again"
! But tho longest lane has q turning and tho
! most tedious walk end; At last Nicholas
| came within sight OF the church whera the mar
| riaso had been arranged to take place. aud
| tendant horses deep in the peaceful enjoyment
of the nosebag.
"Three cabs!:' he g1umblcd. now almost
drenched to the skin; "we1l, as there's only i've
in in the party 1 think t"o vehicles would have
| Pushing his way through the thin line Of chill
! dron and experienced matrons, who, With arms
aximbo, and utterly regardless Of the dr1zzl1ng
rain, Wero .prophcsying the greatest earthly
felicity, and 0 moment after tho profoundest
depth Of human misery, for .tbo poor young
thing" who had just gone inside, and VARYING
the theme with suudry details Of their
own welded existence, Bosgeberry at
last contriVed to enter the eacrcd editice- He
eaw, to his surprise, that there was no one at
the altar then suddenly remembering that he
had told Ferrars to take Miss Bond to tho vestry
be digested himself OF his grcatcoat, and con-
Gdcd it. with bis dripping umbrella, to the caro-
of the fuBsy old pow-opencr.
''W Where are theJ-in the rcstry inquired
Bogglebe1ry.
The pew-opener emirked and refoined. "Yes,
tho;,re in J, the Vestfy nov, Oh it's lovely
Dosgebezry was so pleased With this remark,
that ho felt half inclined to bestow guerdon
upon the venerable lady but tho thought Of
how beautiful Miss Bond appeared was i1nmedi-
atelv checked By the consciousness that With his
mud-coyered boots ami despatched trousers he
certa,L1y did not look 4 very inviting BRIDE
groom.
However. there was no tins for
regrets, and Boggleberry at once made for the
yestry. The first object that met his gaza as he
entered Was Annie. attired in costume which
we'll became her fair complexion and 1.-the figure
and simultaneously it flashed across the little
mans mind that he had nererseen her looking
80 charming.
"a thousand pardons, my dear Annie! Iknow
il you forgive me the rest Of the company will.
Detained on par1Ah business; then couldn't get
cab; tell you al about it, by and by. NON, I'm
ready"
SO are We" said Ferrars. who stood BY the
ride Ct tho smiling BRIDE. "Are ~he cabs watt
"of course they are. Now, Annie, come and
be Mrs. Bogglebefry," replied Nicholas.
The minister, who had hitherto
been se.ted at the table, rose, aud gain. Gu
1susly at Bogslebetry, whose face shone With
mony Is at an end?"
"Ceremony! what ceremony?" gasped Bog
gleborry.
"TEe marriage ceremony, Of course, Here
are the signatures in the registry"
Dropping the hand OF Aunie, which ho had |
taken within his own, poor mud-etasned Nicholas |
darted to the register the table, and Witnessed
unmstakable proof that Annie Bond had ten I
minutes previously become the bride Of Thomas |
Ferrara.
Il look could have withered tho oilman'a
blthe assistant and ioye-mcssenger, Mr.. Ferrars
would have expired whero he stood. Tho duped !
BoggIcbe1ry. despite his corpulence, attempted |
to spring upon the bridegroom but his weight
was against him, and lie could only vent his
passion in shrek that the marriage was not \
legal ore.
:'Patdon me-" replied the minis
ter; the marriage is perfectly good
It svas by license, aud all the formaiities have
been complied WITH
land the anonymous letter this morning?"
exclaimed BoggleberrJ, turning to the perdd,ous
Ferrars.
"was contrived il order to get you ont
of tho way"
Bosgleberry sank speech1ess into . chair, while
the wedding-party quilted the vessry aud return
ed to Mr.. Bonds house.
And did no ono stay to sEmpathize with the
perp!c1ed old man? Ycs, Aunle's father and tho
minister. Boggleberry roundy accused hs
brother veatrrman Of trcacbeyy, and stout1y pro-
claimed that had be knoEn the underhand work
going on, he would have seen nr. Bond at Jericho
ere be would have got him the order from the
work-house for flannel and towel!ing.
md hv hia al arta |
M1. Bond explained that Ferrars at first had
been earnest in hi. masters cause, but that the
result of tho frequent meetings of the young
people was, that attachment sprang up
between them. Ho {sfr. Boad) would not think
If his daughter wedding man for whom she
entertained no love; aud thus it came to pass
hat he had ninkcd at the conspiracr to forcstall
3oor Nicholas. Besides, it married, BoSglebcrTy
you'd 10 unable to devote SO much ti!no to the
restry, of which he Was such al active, zealous,