The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-08-04

Nov, just before the eventual day, som
how OF other il 90, about Slocnm tha
Jenny bad been the afhanced wife OF Jacl
Meadows. and Jack Meadows became ID,
hero Of slocum conversation.
l, Vas a beautiful July day when th,
bells of the old church rang ont mcrr,
peal Of welcome TO the miller's daughie
sud Master Hodges All the village wa
there The lads and lasses wore wedding
faYors, and there we're 10 bo fine doings a
the mill Everybody was TO go back aftel
the ceremony. and the barn had beer
cleared for dancing in the afternoon, and
blind Dan, who played the fiddle, was tC
have whole halisovercign for being the
musician ON the occasion.
The mill was deserted when the cere
emony was proceeding by everybody but
Bill Green, one OF the boys. who was left
behind in charge.
Bill was enjoying himself in searching
in the cupboard for jam. when he heard
the door open.
Shutting the cupboard hastily. he turn.
ed round and found himself face to face
with bronze.faced. broad shouldered
sailor
Hullo. my hearty said the sailor, where
is the millerY
The miller, sir' said the boy. Why he's
been dead this two year.
Deadl exclaimed the sailor Poor fell
lowl / should have liked to have shaken
hands with him. You don't remember me,
eh? Let's seel Aren't you little Bill
Green?
Bill Green's eyes had been gradually
opening wider and wider, and his mouth
had been similarly employed. 1t was only
last night his granny had been talking
about JACK Meadows and Mistress Jenny,
and there was no doubt in the boys mind
as to who the stranger was.
Where's Jenny? asked the sailor pros
emily, after glancing round the familiar
place.
Mistress, stammered, the boy; oh, I'll
go an fetch her.
And before the sailor could say a word,
Billy Green was out OF the place and tear
ing towards the church as fast as his legs
could carry him.
The wedding party were just leaving
the church all smiles and merriment as
Bill came up to them.
Oh, Miss Jenny, he exclaimed his eyes
nearly ont of his head with terror Oh,
Miss Jenny He's come!
Hel Who? gasped the bride, her face
growing as white as the wedding favors.
Jack Meadows cried the boy.
Jenny tainted. The bridegroom knees
trembled under him. The villagers look
ed ut each other in dismay.
A council Of war was held at once.
What was to be done? The bridegroom
actually refused to return to the mill and
ID murdered.
Presently Jenny recovered asd offered
II Jack could only be kept in
ignorance of what had happened for the
day, she would devise some way OF getting
rid of him. Suddenly one Of the guests
was seized with an idea. Let them come
into her house close by, and Maggie could
put on the brides bonnet, and take the
bouquet and pretend to be the bride, and
Jenny could be bridesmaid.
Then they must devise some scheme to
get Jack out OF the house.
The bride and bridegroom consented at
once-anything to avoid scandal on the
wedding day, Jenny and Maggie went
into the neighbor's house, and changed
what WAS necessary Of their attire. The
company were pledged to secrecy, and the
wedding party proseeded to the mill, Mag
gle Smith taking the bridegroom's ARM
Jack WAS at the door waiting for them.
he uhu hthTu tuo pciib iiuB ou" A"S
chimes and the empty house suggested an
idea
Couldn't it be possible he had returned
to fined his Jenny welded to another?
The wedding party felt very uncomfort-
able when they saw this sun-burnt Jack
standing there and the bridegroom S teeth
chattered.
But Jack, directly, he saw his Jenny was
only the bridesmaid, shivered his timbers,
and gave her huge hug right before the
company.
All, Jenny, you didn't expect to see me
again. I'll be bound, did you'
And Jenny, very hot and red and con-
fused, stammered out that she didn't.
Everybody shook hands with Jack, and
he told them he had made plenty of mon
ey, and had come back to settle down. He
had been 10 see his old dad, and then
came straight to Slocum. He'd. had the
most wonderful adventures ship
wrecked on q desert island, taken captive
by the Moors OF BArbary, been fallen in
love with by the Queen Of the Cannibal
islands, and been prisoner Of war; but
he had finished by helping to capture a
rich prize, aud his share was enough to
enable him to leave the service and settle
down
Jack told his adventures during the
wedding feast, and he had joke for
everybody as well, and his biggest joke OF
all was about bond Of blood that he and
Jenny had signed. OF course everybody
laughed, but it was hollow sort OF q
langh, and the bridegroom turned very
pale. and drank something the wrong way,
and choked for q quarter Of an hour.
Presently someone said that it was only
g ioke--thst Jack didn't consider such 4