Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-11-17

In the late afternoon her friends
came to dress her for the wedding. |
They draped her in some fluffy white
dress, coiled the luxuriant brown
hair around her head, and placed a
bunch of simple mountain flowers at
her belt Never had she looked so
beautiful or so defiant. A commotion
outside the tent announced Carlson's
return, and Miss Thurston, surround
ed by laughing friends went out to
meet him.
"Margie," said her cousin John,
striding up to her angrily, '.this
farce has gone far enough. Carlson
is certainly demented. He has
brought full fedged parson with
him without even mentioning that
this is all a jest. You must put
stop to it at once, for it is down
right shame to trife with such serious
things to such an extent.
At these words Miss Thurston
grew very pale, but her friends
laughed and said: sOf course he is
not real minister, John Shepherd.
This is only part of the joke"
eyes, be is a real minister" was
the reply, s'for I heard him preach in
the village only last Sunday"
At this moment Mr.. Carlson came
up. He too was pale, but his dark
eyes burned with an intense fire.
s'Miss Thurston," he said, II was
in terrible earnest when / said what
/ did last evening. In proof of which
/ have procured a license and a min
ister."
Those who had been most forward
in urging on the joke were now most
earnest in dlssuading their friends
against such highly improper pro-
ceeding, but Carlson's intense eyes
were upon Margaret's face, and his
voice said: ''You and / have lived
for fun all our lives; let MS now be
married for fun
This 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
fan; yes, she would dare as much as
he, and she Immediately stepped to
Carlson's side, remarking in a laugh
ing tone: eyes, Mr.. Carlson, l will
marry you for fun
"Margie, this cannot 60 on. What
will your father say and feel?" 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. stepped
out of his tent, and the young couple
took the places which had been pre-
pared for them when the mock mar
riage 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
groom, clear and determined.
"That ye may SO live together in
this life that in the world to come ye
may have life everlasting" Marga-
ret never forgot these words. In
coming days she repeated them over
and over to herself until she almost
prayed to have them blotted from her
memory.
By the time the ceremony was fin
ished the audience had concluded
that the affair had been planned be-
forehand in secret, and that they
were dupes of the joke. According
ly, never was company gayer than
theirs that night, and the merry max.
ing continued into the morning hours.
The camp broke up in a day OF
two. Mr.. and Mrs. Carlson parting
from their friends in apparently higt
spirits. Arriving at their home
where the news preceded them, the
culprits were received with real Cor
giveness, for, undoubtedly the mattel
was a splendid one. Judge Thurs
toms family had been known an6
honored in the community for years
while Mr.. Carlson was the junio
member of large and wealthy firm
dealing in fine imported goods.
Two weeks passed after their re
turn, in which Arthur saw but LITTLE
of his wife. Judge Thurston's sum
mer residence was number of mile
from the city, and the gentlemen
could only run down over Sunday
On these days the two were as un
comfortable as possible in each 9th
er's presence, and avoided being lief
alone together.
5 One quiet Sabbath evening Arthu
+ came out of the Judges library wit
} pale face and set lips. Ascendin!
: the stairs with faltering steps, h
t sought his wife's room, and knocke
s at the door. ssCome in,' said 10,
: voice. Entering, he saw Margare
= sitting in low chair with her ligll
brown hair falling around her shouI
e ders in great profusion. He ha
e never seen her so before, and som
t great mental emotion prevented hl
y noticing the look of glad surprls
which flashed into his wife's fac
t when she perceived who her vislto
n was. Mr.. Carlson checked the III