Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-10-30


In the late afternoon her friends
came to dress her for the wedding.
They draped her in some fluffy, white
dress, which filed out the girlish form
to the best, cooled the luxuriant brown
hair around her head, and placed a
bunch of simple mountain flowers at
her belt. Never before had she look
ed so beautiful nor so defiant. A com
motion outside the tent announced
Carlson's return, and Miss Thurston,
surrounded by laughing friends, went
out to meet them.
"Margie," said her cousin John,
stridiag up to her angrily, this farce
las gone far enough. Carlson is GER
tainly demented. He has brought a
! full hedged parson with him without
even mentioning that this is all Jest.
You must put stop TO it at once, for
it is downright shame 10 trifle with
such serious things to this extent.
At these words Miss Thursten grew
very pale, bat her friends laughed
and said: "Of course he is not real
minister, John Sheppard. This is on
ly part of the joke. "
eyes, he IS real minister, " was the
reply, "for / heard him preach in the
village only last Saturday"
At this moment Mr.. Carlson came
up. He, too, was pale, but his eyes
burned with an intense fire.
"Miss Thurston, he said, II was in
terrible earnest when l said what
/ did last evening. In proof
of which | have procured license and
minister. VIII you be- my wIfea"
Those who had been most forward
in urging on the joke were now most
earnest in dissuadlng their friends
against such highly improper pro-
ceedlng, but Carlson's intense eyes
were upon Margaret's face, and his
voice said: you and | have lived
for fun all our lives; let us now be
married for fun
The very demon of recklessness took
possession of Miss Thurston's spirit.
If Carlson had asked her there, before
them all, to marry him for love, she
would have turned away, shocked and
grieved-but for fun; yes, she would
dare as much as he, and she immedia-
tely stepped to Carlson's side, remark
ing. in a laughing tone: Eyes, Mr..
Carlson, l will marry you for fun"
'Margie, this cannot go on. What
will your father say and feel2" and
her cousin stormed up and down be-
fore the tents, appealing first to one
and then to the other, but all to no
avail. At this moment the minister
whom Mr.. Carlson, had secured, step
ped out of his tent, and the young
couple took the places which had been
for them when mock cere-
mony had been in view.
A silence fell over the little group
as the solemn words of the beautiful
Episcopal service fell upon their ears.
Then rang out the responses From
the bride, low and defiant; from the
the groom, clear and determined.
THAT you may SO live together in
this life that in the world to come you
may live everlasting
Margaret never forgot these words.
In coming days she repeated them
over and over TO herself until she
almost prayed to have them blotted
out OF her memory.
BY the time the ceremony was fin
ished the audience had concluded that
the affair had been planned before
hand in secret, and that they were the
1upes of the joke. Accordingly, never
was company gayer than theirs that
night, and the merrymaking was con-
Iinaed into the morning hours.
The camp broke up in day or two,
Mr. and Mrs. Carlson parting from
their friends in apparently high
spirits. Arrived at their home, where
the news had preceded them, the cul
prits were received with real forgiv
ness, for, undoubtedly, the match was
\ splendid one. Judge Thurston's
family had been known and honored
IN the community for years; while
Mr.. Carlson was the junior memser of
4 large and wealthy firm dealing in
fine imported goods.
Two weeks passed after theirreturn,
n which Arthur saw but little of his
wife. Judge Thurston's summer res
dence was a number of miles from
he city, and the gentlemen could only |
'un down for over Sunday. On these
lays the two were as uncomfortable
Is possible in each others presence,
md avoided being left alone together |
One quiet Sabbath evening Arthur
,ame out of the judges library with
pale face and set lips. Ascending the
stairs with faltering steps he sought
lis wife's room and knocked at the
loor. Come in, said low voice. |
he saw Margaret sitting in
, low chair, with her light brown hair
alling about her shoulders in great |
lrofusion He had never seen her so
before, and some great mental emotion
him from noticing the look |
If glad surprise which flashed into his
Hife's face as she perceived who her
visitor was. Mr. Carlson checked the |
mpetuors words which rose to his
Ups, and spoke in a voice Of strained |
,oldness. Margaret" he said, ad-
yancing to her side. II desire few
conversation if it will not |
inconvenience YOU
The bcrbt dipd ont If no br;obt Faoe