The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-02-24
A LOVER IN'LUCK.
Bride Declares Her Affection for the
GrO0m's Best Man.

!, st. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 81
y AT Clement, ILL.,, there lived for man
/ years, as neighbors, the households of th
! Lindleys and the Grahams, both earnes
I honest and eminently respectable familie:
: They possessed the broadcast meadows an
the finest farms in that portion of the Stat
and are comparatively wealthy. Lero
Lindley is tall, handsome blonde, who ha
! the reputation of being sober, upright an
; conscientious in every department of life
, Ernest Graham is also blonde, with fin
figure and splendid reputation. Singular
ly enough, the two young gentlemen fel
passionately in love with the same youns
lady, handsome brunette, with large haze
eyes and raven hair. Her name is Mis-;
Ella Roper, and she has relatives resdin,
in st. Louis and other portions of thi
State.
The young lady received both very kindly
and divided her attentions equally between
them, while no thought of rivalry or jeal
ousy ever seemed to ruffie the bosom Of
either. After several wears of the mos
ardent courtship, during which Mr.. Lind
ley "never told his love, but let conceal
ment, like worm i the bud, feed on his
damask cheek" until at last the engage
ment of Miss Ella Roper to Mr.. Ernest Ora
ham was whispered about among the wills
ayers.
Leroy Lindley listened to the rumors,
but kept his secret well, going in and out
among them with happy face and kindly
word for all, congratulating Graham upon
the happiness in store for him. Finally, to
the establishment of Mr.. Lindley, he was
called upon to participate in the wedding
ceremonies as first groomsman. With an
aching heart he consented, hoping and fear
| ing he knew not what.
! The preparations for the happy occasion
were soon completed, and then it was de-
| cided that the entire bridal party should
| visit ST. Louis, and have the ceremony
| performed in this city, at the residence of
Mr.. Graham's cousin, on Locust street, be-
tween Ninth and Tenth. So, on Tuesday
| last gay crowd of friends assembled at the
| depot in Clement to wish the happy ones
| God speed. The party was composed of
Mr. Ernest Graham, Mr.. Leroy Lindley,
Mr. William T. Mcclellan, a brother-in-law
of the prospective bride, Miss Ella Roper,
| and Mrs. John L. Nichols. The husband
| of the latter lady is now a member of the
House of Representatives of Illinois, and
| was for many years an Indian Agent.
The train on which the party travelled
should have arrived at this city at 6:15
o'clock Tuesday evening, and the arrange
ment was that the marriage should take
place at 9 o'clock the same evening. A
slight accident, however, delayed the west
ward bound trains, and this particular train
did not arrive until 10 o'clock Tuesday
night This, of course disarranged the
entire programme, and the ceremony was
postponed until yesterday noon. What
wonderful parts are played in the history of
human lives by the most trihing events.
For when the morning. dawned change
had come over the spirit and dreams Of Miss
Roper.
She and Mrs Nichols had passed the
ioh% bo fohl 81
Graham's cousin on Locust street, and now
the inevitable hour was drawing uear. The
agony of mind endured by Miss Roper can
only be imagined when it is known that her
heart had changed its beating, and now
pulsated in favor of Graham's friend, Mr..
LindIey. But what was to be done? Mrs.
Grundy would raise a storm of scandal, of
course, and it seemed thoughtless in her
never to have discovered ere this the true
state of her feeling. That, however, could
only be regretted it must certainly be
remedied, for nobody but truly good and
pure woman can have the slightest idea of
what misery is in store for her who marries
where she does not love.
So it came about that Miss Roper with
true sense and true womanhood, told Mr..
Graham that every passing hour was MAX
ing a chasm between them; that never till
that moment had she realized her intense
love for his friend, Mr.. Lindley. All this
she confessed, with humiliation and in tears,
but with great precision of character. He
begged and implored-said and did all that
an honorable man could do to induce her to
change her mind; but no, it was irrevoc-
ably made up, and Mr.. Graham was omitted
from the new programme of Miss Ropers
heart. Then he went to his groomsman and
laid the case before him in all its sad de-
tails. With mingled hope and fear Leroy
listened as only a drowning man can listen
who hears the shouts of approaching assist |
ance.
The better nature of Leroy Lindley was
ever uppermost, and he consoled Graham by |
calling it only lovers quarrel, and coun- |
seled them to kiss and make up.
But Graham knew too we'll the dispas-
sionate and decided tones with which he |
had been dismissed, and Lindley failed to |
arouse the slightest hope. As last resort |
it was agreed that both Mr.. Graham and |
Mr.. Lindley should go in person to Miss |
Roper, and that she should then decide |
between them. Thus the two men and low |
ers with no thought of jealousy or unfriend- |
" feeling toward each other, went before |
the lady, trusting and hopeful. She with |
a true woman's instinct, had at last meas
ured the depth of her affection and found |
all for Leroy Lindley, and $50 deepi it could |
not be sounded, but, like the Bay of Portu> |
gal, with an unknown bottom"
Truly and frankly she faced the two men |
told Graham of her respect for him and |
her sincere friendship towards him, but |
plainly avowed her undYing love for Leroy |
Lindley, and that she never loved anybody |
else, though sometimes she had misunder- |
stood her own heart. Then Mr.. Lindley |
begged, for the sake of his friend, to con-
slider whether she did not love Ernest Graz
ham sufficiently to marry him, but she only |
shook her head and reavowed her love for |
t. 1a&A
triumph-the sweetest, happiest moment he |
had ever experienced in the course of entire /
thirty-two years of life, for he gathered the |
angel of his heart to himself, and told with /
all the fervor and earnestness of which he /
was capable the story of his love for the |
dear little woman be could now call his /
own; how he had watched her day by day,
growing gradually out of life and into the |
existence of another; how his heartstrings |
had nearly burst asunder when the villagers /
rumored the engagement of this lady with |
his own intimate friend. All this he told,
in voice choking with happy tears, and at /
its conclusion Graham threw his arms |
around the neck of Lindley, and exclaimed: |
TAKE her. Lindley! She is yours by /
divine aight. IF she cannot be my wife,
would rather see her yours than be king /
myself"
And Lindley did take her over to the
Iaclede Hotel, where Justice Young was /
sent for to say the ceremony and bind the /
loving couple in the light yoke of matri>
mony. Mr.. Graham babe the party fare
well and returned to his home at Clement |
on yesterday evenings train.
Owing to some misunderstanding as to /
the hour appointed for the ceremony, JUS /
tice Young failed 70 put in an appearance, /
and the little woman sat patiently in the I
parlor of the Laclede until Il o'clock last /
nj ght, when reporter of the Globe-Demo-
crat happened along.