Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-03-20
A COMMERCIAL EPISODE.

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The clock has Just struck twelve. and
The sun is shining vertically upon the
pretentious roof that houses Mr..
Humphrey Dawson and family. Be-
meath that roof are now complete the
extensive preparations for the marriage
ceremony that is to make the only
daughter of the house Mrs. Thomas
Winfield. The parlor is full of guests;
the perfume of an elaborate floral dec
Grafton pervades everything: and from
certain quarters of the estab ishment
proceed the savorv odors of spread
feast; for the wedding is to be an event.
Upstairs, in the downy environment
OF her own apartment, stands the pivot
OF the occasion in bridal array. The
toilet is marvel in its way; frail en-
bodiment of monumental expense and
labor, as such things are apt to be. but
petite Miss Alice is SO beautiful in 1T
that only churl could bewail either ex-
pense or labor in the presence of such a
result She is surrounded by bevy of
admiring friends of the same sex, who
chatter necessarily, and manifest their
anxious interest by sundry little touches
here and there upon veil or drapcry, for
the groom has not yet arrived.
Presently it is qua ter past the hour
and he has not come yet, but no account
Is taken OF this circumstance, for who
ever heard Of a wedding being cele-
brated with anything like percisi0n in
regard to time?
Uncle Peyton pauses at the door TO
remark in jocular vein that this s'seems
of hn 10,
Finger shivering on the brink and fear
to launch away and to deliver him
self OF numerous malign prophecies that
are fatty contradicted by the Look of af-
fectionate interest and unqualified adj
miration in his eyes.
Another quarter slips away. 1t is
now half-past twelve and still the delin-
quent does not appear. Up the broad
stairway comes the murmur of impa-
tient expectancy, and the face under
the filmy white veil wears shade of
NexatiOn. When it is nearly one o clock
Mr.. Dawson comes to the door and
softly calls his wife. In the hall out
side they hold a consultation. and
Alice, with alert eyes upon their faces,
divines that something is wrong. In a
moment she has separated the crowd
about her like an arrow. and is before
them demanding the latest intelligence,
whatever it may be- ut is postponed,
my DEAR says her mother, choking.
That's it, my dcar-postponed,"
echoes her father, rs he stands absently
twlrling crumpled note around his
finger.
Alice sees the note, and before he can
prevent her has taken it. She opens it
with breathless Gag ,rness. 1t is soon
read, and runs thus:
II can't do il, uncle-not for twice your
fortune. have seen her. and | wonder that
you could ever ask il of me- Doas You please
M VIII ane money. I'm OH. Your atectionate
nephew, T. W."
1t is malicious. inhuman, crushing.
Why did he wait until this moment?
She turns back to the room with white
face. throws herself upon the lounge in
reckless disregard of flowers and per-
lshable CONNECTIONS. and lies there with
her face buried in the pillow in an
agony of mum la: ion.
Bye-and-bye the situation is commu-
nicated to the assembled friends, who
take their leave, marveling gre atty. and
60 home to speculate tor DAYS with
greater or less accuracy upon all that
has not been given them to know.
Where few hours ago there was
laughter. congratuiat:on and ant cipa-
ton, all is now sorrow, Indignation and
resentment. There is mockery i'm the
flowers scattered everywhere, and bit
ter, lntolerable remembrance in the
odor of baked meats
The afternoon passes, and still Alice
lies with her face among the pillows,
thinking how it must all come out
finally; how everybody will know about
that brutal note and how they will pity
her. She wishes she might die now, SO
that the time would never come for her
to lit up her head and face the world,
with It's knowledge of this dreadful
AFFAIR, and its soul-sickening COM
mlseration. One thought is always
uppermost. to fly from the scene of her
humiliation and the officious sympathy |
OF her friends. Filial ties. luxurious
surroundings. the perils and hardships |
OF flight. every consideration whatso-
ever dwindles into invisibility in the |
presence of this great indignity. Her
mother comes and sits BY her, aud, after
several hours Of remonstrance and
persuasion, induces her to 90 to bed,
but when she comes in the morning.
hoping to see her somewhat soothed.
she hnds only an empty room and a
hasty note.
1t is seven a. m. and the mammoth
retail dry-goods house of Gray &
Gordon begins to show sigus of life
without and within. For the last halt
hour q continuous stream of salesmen.