The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-10-24

II nelpeQ 70 SWel Ln0 k5l OF my pres
ents. and they certainly made . goodly
estate from my father and Stephen Bar
ker, and the settled bills for $1,000
worth of new furniture, which Stephen
had sent to make the old rooms pretty
and comfortable. Uncle gave me a set
of silver and aunt some fine china, both
of which gifts took care to send to
Stamford before my wedding day. My
cousins and aunts and friends gave me
all sorts of jewelry and pretty personal
knickknacks, and these / carefully
packed in the half-dozen trunks which
were already corded and directed two
days before the marriage day.
For Stephen had proposed to send of
my trunks to our New York hotel two
days before we left. in order that we
might have no concern about them, and
that might be sure to have aHI want
ed on my arrival. j opposed this plan
at first, but aunt said sit was eminently
proper and thoughtful. So all my
wardrobe except my wedding dress and
travelling suit arrived at the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel, New York, on the last day
of my maiden life.
Norman Strong called that night and
was in remarkably high spirits. He
wished me every happiness and was
very attentive to Malvina. Aunt thought
his behavior charming-so unselfish-
and i was also very satisfied with
it.
81 shall call you about eight o'clock,
Frances" said my aunt, as bade her
goodnight. The hair-dresser comes
at S:S0.n ~,
said, sVery well, aunt" and went
to my room The first thing / did was
to pack my wedding dress in as small
a compass as possible, and then put on
my travelling costume This done, sat
down in the dark. About one O'Clock
/ heard the signal watched for.
back door and went out Norman was
there. We did not speak until we were
outside the grounds. There buggy
waited, and we drove rapidly to the
main line about three miles off. Here
we caught the two-o' clock express, and
were safe in New York, and very re-
specially married at ten o'clock. My
trunks, which had arrived the day be-
fore, were then redirected TO Washing
ton, and after delicious little wedding
breakfast-all by ourselves-we left for
that city.
: In the meantime there was trouble
in Milford. Our flight was not discov-
cred until nearly eight o. clock. and then
Uncle Miles sent word at once to Ste
phen Barker. My aunt and cousins
chagrin and disappointment were very
great; in fact, when / considered the
amount of confidence and gossip they
would have to endure. felt that for
all the Sights and scorns of my unloved
girihood could cry quits. And had
got my fortune also, and Norman and L.
were so completely happyi We had
not q care, for Stephen had given him
q $500 bill and q months holiday, and
told us to get all the pleasure we could
out of it. We obeyed him implicitly.
During that month things settled
down a little. / did not expect to be
forgiven all at once, and was not; but
then 1 was in q position not to worry
particularly about it. We returned
very quietly after dark one night, very
much like children who have played
truant all day and creep home at
nightfall with as little ostentation as
possible.
But at Stamford Hall everything
had been prepared for my comfort-the
fires blazing, the gas lighted, and an
excellent supper waiting. The next
morning Norman went back to his
desk, and Stephen took no more notice
of his return than If he had never left
it. People who had been specializing
about his losing that position knew in
five minutes that there would be no
change. And everyone took his tone
from Stephen We were treated very
much Ike two children who had been
forgiven, and whose fault was not TO
be thrown up to them.
That was the way the men took it,
and Norman pretended to be satisfied.
The women acted with a great deal
more intelligence. They all came to
see me, and though / did not give
them all credit for the very kindest of
motives, / made them all welcome. j
told them about my wedding trip, and
showed them my new things, and i
dare say the men talked over everything
with them afterward.
But what most puzzled everybody
was that Stephen Barker came so often
to see us, and was so friendly with Nor
man. Some thought it very mean
spirited in him, and others remembered
that when he was very young he had
loved NV mother dearly. Even those
who spoke kindly of him did not give
him credit for half the noble unselfish-
NESS ut uaQ SuOhh uC HOulu nOl
let me tell any one that it was he him.
self who had planned everything about
my property and my wedding.
"Just let them say Sou fitted me.
Frances, if they please to do so. We
know better, and we will keep our
secret until Uncle Miles comes around"
Aunt and uncle both came around
sooner than was expected. When it
was known that Stephen spent so much
of his time with us, Aunt Miles consid-
cred the advantages of having her
daughters brought familiarly in contact
with him, and for their sakes she came
10 see me and give me the kiss of recon-
ciliaticn.
But as far as catching Stephens heart
ssn the rebound was concerned, she
was Just q little too late. Norman s
sister, who was teacher in one of the
public schools of New York, came to
spend her vacation with us, and Stephen
fell in love with her in way which
convinced me that his love for Frances
Halliday had only been the shadow Of
the love he had for the mother. Why,
Norman himself never behaved more
/ foolishly about me than Stephen about
this little, plain Ruth, for she is plain
everyone must allow that.
And the preparations that are going
on for the marriage quite amuse me,
who might have been the bankers wife
myself: Dear me think love must
often laugh at the kind of people he
comes in contact with. But 1 hope
Stephen will be happy; do, indeed.
That is all I have to say about my
marriage. think it was rather pecul-
lar. Some women will doubtless say
they don't believe such men as Stephen
exist. But let girl, when she discov-
ers she does not like man, tell him
so, and ask his advice and help, and
ten to one she will find another