Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-05-18
FRANCES HALLIDAY,s WEDDING.

Barker after me | never could find out:
but that is between themselves. and is
none of my business. A man good
enough for Elizabeth and Janet. and all
such ornaments to their sex. TO Law his
honest heart mt my foolish little feet,
own that for day or two the honor al
most turned my head
Then | began TO consider. | had
loved Norman Strong ever since could
remember. and Norman had been my
friend when no one else said kind
word TO me. The case stood thus:
was an orphan, left to the care of an
uncle and aunt remarkable for that kind
of propriety that wins our admiration,
and awakens our hearty desire to get
away from it. had small fortune of
twenty-five thousand dollars; that is.
was to have it. if | remained unmarried
until was thirty-live, or if | married
previously with my uncle's approval.
Now uncle did not approve of Nor
man. In fact. uncle never approved of
any one that liked. But with Stephen
Barker disapproval was out of the ques-
ton. Stephen was the great man and
the good man of our small town. To
have insinuated that Stephen was not
worthy of 4 saint. beauty. and an
heiress united, would have been here
sy seriously affecting my uncle's social
and commercial standing. Stephen
Barker's offer was therefore accepted,
and the next Sunday we walked to
church together.
After this public avowal of our inten-
tons. the marriage was considered in
evitable by every person but me.
must do myself the justice to state that
/ never regarded my engagement to
Stephen seriously; it was part of plan
to secure my happiness and rights. And
as Stephen fully conceded in it, do not
expect censure from any one else.
think If was no later than the third
night after Stephen had spoken to my
uncle that frankly told him thought
ought not to marry him. He asked
me why; and said: :" All my life long,
Stephen, have been such crushed,
unhappy girl. l have been afraid to
speak, or laugh. or sing, and no one but
Norman Strong ever said a kind word
to me until you came"
..And you love Norman?" he asked.
So answered: =. Yes, love him, and
he loves me, and when he got the
position of Cashier in your bank. he
wanted to marry me; but uncle said we
were neither of us to be trusted with
my $4,000"
$50 You have S25,000."
Papa left me that much; but Uncle
Miles can keepit until | am thirty-five.
unless marry to please him, or unless
he is so satisfied of my good sense that
he voluntarily gives it to me. He will
never do that
Stephen was silent a long time, and
then he said, a little sadly: 'You are
a good girl TO be SO honest with me. If
your uncle could be made to give up
your little fortune. DO you think you
could use it wisely"
81 could-with Norman to help me-"
Then we had n long conversation,
which it is not necessary for me to re-
peat; it will be understood by what fol-
lows. There was no change apparent
between Stephen and /. He behaved
exactly as a lover of his age and char
acter would be likely to behave. He
sent aunt presents from his lighthouses,
and he sent me presents of pretty
jewelry. He spent the evenings at
Uncle Miles house. and sometimes we
were left alone together, and sometimes
we went out for walk. Norman came
to see us occasionally on a Sunday night,
and my aunt said he really behaved
with more good sense than she eX-
pected. think she thought that if l
married the banker, it might not be a
bad thing for my cousin Malvina, who
was very plain, to marry the bankers
Cashier
Everything went on with the greatest
propriety. had announced my inten-