The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-08-30
MAGNOLIA. MISSISSIPPI,

Tom up and carried him into q drug
store few doors off. They told as 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
week yet, nobody in the crowd knew
who he was, and so the burden of car
rying the dreadful knews to the wedding
party fell upon Claude and me.
Its five minutes to eight now," an
nounced my brother, nervously, as hav-
ing left word with the druggist that we
would soon be back with friends and a
carriage. we hurried off to the Episcopal
Church. "Cousin Tom was to be in
the vestry by this time, and, oh myl
won't it be awful to have Miss Lord
walk up the aisle on her fathers arm,
and then find nobody to marry herP''
'sBut, Claude | proposed, bright
idea suddenly striking me, 'if we can
only get to the church soon enough to
see her drive up, we can tell her then,
and have the coachman keep right on
to the drug store
''The very thing!" cried Claude.
''Let's run for it. y
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 process
sion would soon begin to move toward
the altar.
"Oh, why don't they make sure Cous-
in Toms here first?n exclaimed, in
a whisper
perhaps they will, returned Claude.
Sat any rate they ought to wait for us
to lead off; but, stop, I've got a plan,
and though it's a kind of desperate
one, it IL save Miss Lord having q
scene before everybody. I'll" and
he spoke the rest very softly in my ear.
''Why, Claude, dare youP" l cried,
under my breath. ''And do you know
how to do itP''
Eyes, | 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?n
nodded and hurried into the church,
leav 'ng Claude to take up his station in
a dark corner of the vestibule The
procession was evidently waiting for
us, and as fast as could | squeezed a
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 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" I
whispered, still keeping hold of her
hand, ''but come out with me 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 car
riage open; and ordering the coachman
(who looked as if he thought we were
eloping with the bride) to drive to the
drug store. We all three got in, and
We're off before the people in the church
had chance to think of anything else
but the darkness into which they had
so suddenly been plunged.
sBut-but did the electric fluid put
out the lights in churchpn asked Miss
Lord, after we had explained to her
about Cousin Toms shock.
..Oh no; / turned off the gas, said
Claude, promptly. "Donit you think
it was good way to Keep people from
staring at you and gossiping when they
found the groom didn't come?n
Eyes, see now, and l am sure am
very much obliged for your thoughtful-
ness; but what will papa and mamma
think has become of mep''
"That's so!'' exclaimed "We for.
got all about that part of it. Stop the
carriage, and I'll run back" which
did, and found the church lighted up
again. a bigger crowd than ever inside,
and Mr.. and Mrs. Lord rushing about
in every direction in search of their
daughter.
l was little frightened at first, but
remembering how much the bride had
been spared by our plan, walked bold
ly up 10 the. ssdistracted parents and
began. to. explain the whole thing. This
took some time, but / told the story as
quick as / could, and had scarcely
finished when back came the carriage
with Cousin Tom and Miss Lord both
in it.
II jumped as if / had seen a ghost and
indeed Tom looked like one, but de-
clared that he was every bit strong
enough to 60 through with the cere-
mony. Miss Lord was already in her
mothers arms, and was awfully
afraid we'd have scene, after all, but
luckily everybody thought it was be-
cause the gas had gone out, and in ten
minutes they were safely married, and
nobody out of the family the wiser
Harper's Young People.