The National tribune., 1883-08-09
TOMS WEDDING DAY,
And the Curious Circumstances Which
Attended 1t.
by Matthew White, T.J

1t was to be IN the churCA, Win music anu
flowers, and my brother Claude and | were to
walk up the middle aisle aud lead the process
| sion.
Now you must both put on your best be-
| havior," said mother, after we had worried
| ourselves into our new clothes on the all-n-
portant night; then she kissed us just as If
| we'd been going to bed, and sent us OFT to the
| church an hour before the time.
| We found the sexton just opening the doors,
and he let us go round with him while he
| lighted up and then proposed that we should
| stand outside and watch the people come.
Il wonder if Cousin Tom feels nervous"
| said Claude, as we walked down the steps UNI
der the awning. :" shouldn't think he would,
! though, for you know doctors But l say
| Bert, what's the matter down the street there
| See all that crowd? Let's run and find out"
Come on" l cried; ." I'll beat you there"
and forgetting all about our good clothes and
best behavior" we both started down the
block.
"Oh, somebody's been run over, or some
thingw / exclaimed, as | won the race and
found a lot of people bending over the form of
| a man lying on the grass in front of the Bap-
| tist church.
We both sood still for a minute, and was
| trying TO listen TO what a gentleman next to
me was telling policeman, when Claude pull
| ed me by the sleeve and whispered that 1t
| might be the very case Cousin Tom, who had
ing for.
Let's tell him about it p cried "Quick,
before they get somebody else;" and then we
both tore of 10 his lodgings, around the corner,
and pulled the bell as ii the house was afire.
| tell you, the girl came to the door in a
hurry, and without waiting for her to announce
| US We boted upsta rs to Cousin Toms room,
and rushed in to find him just putting on his
| white satin neck-tie.
"Oh, do come quick !" we both fairly shout
ed. Such "a"
"Why, boys what's the matter2" he ex-
claimed, making middle of his cravat. Has
Alice tainted, or the dressmaker forgotten to
! send her dress home, or WHAT"
! No, no." cried Claude. There's man
| hurt and an awful crowd, and"
Quick, how far from here?" interrupted
| Cousin Tom. leaving the two ends of his tie
hanging, and snatching his pea7jacket. can
| spare just twenty minutes"
why, it's only around the corner, in front
Of the Baptist church." I replied dancing
around the room in great excitement; and then
we all three raced OF.
| Where is he boys ~ cried Cousin Tom and
Claude pointed inside the railing that ran in
| front of the church, and against which, strange
to say, nobody was leaning.
Then, not waiting to hunt up the gate, our
! cousin, who was great strapping fellow, shout
! dered his way through the crowd, and without
| paying any attention TO the efforts some OF the
people made to hold him back, he placed his
hands on the top rail of the fence to vault over.
| The next instant he gave spring backward
instead Of forward and fell against Claude,
who, of course, fell against me, and we all three
| went down one after another like row of
bricks, while the people set up such yell that
yeu might have thought that they had all
| turned into wild Indians on the warpath.
Being boys and quite used to hard knocks,
neither Claude nor | was hurt, and we sprang
up as lively as ever when Cousin Tom was
lifted off of US. But there was not much spring
| about him, and we were awfully frightened
when we found that he couldn't even speak.
Then they explained the whole thing to us,
| which was something like this: there was an
| electric light in front of the store next the
church. and in some way the stufi-the electric
| fluid or whatever it is-had got off the track
or the wires, and run into the fence, and so who
ever touched it got a most tremendous shock.
That was what was the matter with the man
| inside, and the crowd had tried 10 warn
Cousin Tom, but he was too excited about get
| ting an interesting case to listen.
"Oh, if he's killed, it's all our fault for tell
| ing him about it !" moaned Claude
And he was going TO be married in half an
| hour" | added, desparingly. And Miss Lord
III be in the church waiting for him, and when
| he don't come she may have fit or something,
and oh, Claude, how can we tell hers? T"
BY this time they had picked Cousin Tom up
| and carried him into a drug store a few doors
of. They told us he was only stunned, and
would probably be able to sit up in the course
of half an hour. As he hadn't lived in town
a week yet, nobody in the crowd knew who he
was, and SO the burden of CARRYING the dread
full news to the wedding party fell upon Claude
and me.
It's five minutes TO eight now" announced
| my brother, nerveusly, as having left word with
the druggist that we would soon be back with
| friends and carriage, we hurried off to the
| Episcopal church. cousin Tom was to be in
the vestry by this time, and oh my! won't it
be awful to have Miss Lord walk up the aisle
on her fathers arm, and then find nobody to
| marry herr"
But, Claude" proposed, bright idea sud
| denly striking me, 81 if we can only get to the
church soon enough to see her drive up, we can
tell her then, and the coachman keep right on
to the drug store"
"The very thingl" cried Claude. "Let's
run for it,"
And run We did, but, alas! arrived at the
church just in time to see the brides carriage
drive away from the awning-empty.
We could hear the organ playing and the
people whispering that the procession would
soon begin TO move toward the altar.
"Oh why don't they make sure Cousin
Toms here frst?" l exclaimed, in a whisper.
Perhaps they will, returned Claude. "At
any rate they ought to wait for us to lead off;
but, stop, I've got plan, and though it's q
kind of desperate one. it'll save Miss Lord
having scene before everybody. I'll" and
he spoke the rest very softly in my ear.
"Why, Claude, dare your" ] cried, under
my breath. And do you know how TO do it?"
" Yes, I noticed the place when we were in
here with the sexton. Now do you think you
can get up close to Miss Lord before count
twenty slowly?"
] nodded and hurried into the church, leav-
ing Claude to take up his station in dark
corner of the vestibule. The procession was
evidently waiting for us, and as fast as I could
l squeezed way through the crowd to take
my place in front of the bride. She smiled
when she caught sight of me, and put out her
hand. Then just as l took it every light in
the church went out, and | knew Claude had
succeeded in his plan of turning off the gas.
" Don't be frightened, Miss Lord whis-
pered, still keeping hold of her hand; but
come out with to the carriage, because
Cousin Toms hurt, but not very bad, only he
can't stand up long enough to be married yet
and. But I'll take you TO him right away
Well she didn't scream nor say she was
going to faint but just held on to my hand
tight, and let me lead her out in the dark. We
found Claude on the sidewalk, holding the
door of the carriage open and ordering the
coachman (who looked as if he thought we
were clipping with the bridel to drive to the
drug store we all three got in, and were OH
before the people in the church had chance ia