The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-06-05
OLD BuLLloy's BRIDE.

peAO oAe"e" VI AiSh uEIuSe, DoatlnS Oy
moonlight. A globe of reddish pear
slowly assembled out of the east-the
shadows of the great bridge resting
softly on the mirror-like surface of the
Hudson river. Tho sound of o flute
played softly afar off, mud all of sud.
den the keel of my boat coming sharp.
ly in contact with somebody else's
oars.
Halo, you!" cried out a clear. incis.
i've young voice. "Where are you going
to? Why don't you look which way you
are steering?"
"Charley Dresden !" cried out 1, little
needing the torrents Of obloquy he was
beginning to heap upon me.
"Old Mottimore," he responded Joy
ously. "Why, who on earth would
have thought of finding you dreaming
on Harlem river? Here! Come into
my boat; hitch on your old craft be-
hind, and let me introduce you to Miss
Sephy Adriance."
looked as sharply at Miss Sophy all
the moonlight and my own modesty
would let me, for / knew that she was
the especial admiration of my friend
Charley Dresden.
She was pretty, slight soNnd and
rosy, with china blue eyes and a dimple
in either cheek, and golden. brown hair
worn in long, loose curls. There was
something aower-iike and delicate in
her Notwithstanding unconscious
~ lmplcring in her way of lifting her
eyes up to your face.
We rowed home together-or. al
least, as far on our way home as the
Harlem river would take us. Sophy
sang little boat ballads. Chariey
roared out tenor barcorolies. I even
essayed German student song which
I had learned in Heidelberg no ono
knows how long ago, and we parted the
bestof friends.
A week afterward Dresden and met
face to face on Wall street.
Halo, Mottimore!n said Charley
his honest visase lighting up. "What
II think she is q pearl-a jewcl-a
princess among women!" I answered,
with perfect sincerity.
Congratulate me, then! !" cried Char
ley, beaming all over, "for am engae-
ed to her. Only last night! Look here /"
opening a mysterious silver case which
he took from his inner vest pocket.
What 10 you think of that for an engage
mept ring?"
"A fine diamond" said I, putting nv
head critically on one side, "and fanci.
ullv SET"
We're to he married in October, " said
Charley, lowering his voice to the most
confidential tones. Il might have been
sooner If 1 hadn't undertaken that
business in Europe for our firm.
But I shall be sure to he back
by October, and the money I
shall make will be acceptable toward
lifting up and furnishing our new home.
Because, you know, Mottimore. I'm not
rich" s'
spent an evening with her afterward
at the genteel boarding blouse where
she and her mother--a nice. bright
eyed little woman, the full-br rose
to correspond with Sophy's budding
lovliness-dwelt in the contest of apart.
ments, furnished in dark blue reps
with turn up bedstead, ingeniously
disguised as q high-backed sofa, and
canaries and geraniums in the win
doys,
Its so kind of you to COME" said
Sophy, with gentle pressure of the
hand when 1 went away. III am so
glad to welcome Chariey's friends"
And l felt ti,at could cheerfully sit
through another evening of common
place cl.it-chat, and photograph albums
for such reward as that.
well, Charley Dresden went awav,
md as he didn't particularly leave Sopiy
Aariance in my charge, I didn't feel
called upon to present myself at the
genteel boarding house. I supposed.
naturally enough, that all was going
right, until the day 1 received q note
from my old friend Bullion, the banker,
a man of 60, who wears wig and spec
tacles, and counts his income upon the
double figures.
Bullion wrote from Saratoga, where
he had gone because he didn't know
what else to do with himself in the dull
season. He asked me to be his gro,n,s.
man. Bullion was going to he mar.
ried.
"Of course, you'll think it foolish
thing for me 10 do, 4" wrote Bullion ;"but
even at sixty man has not entirely out.
lived the age of sentiment; end when
once you see Sophy Adriance YOU will
forgive any seeming inconsistency OH NV
part"
1 went straight to the genteel board
ing-house. It was possible that I
might be misled Ivy q similarity of
name, although even that was unlike
~.
us Miss Adriance at home? ?" I asked
of the slatternly servant girl who an
swered the bell.
''Lo', no, sir, Miss Sophy's spending
few weeks with friend at Saratoga.
she ans wered, promptly.
That was enough. I went home and
Enclosed Bullion's letter in another en-
velope, directing it to poor Charley
Dresden's address. Poste Restante.
Vienna, adding few lines of nv own,
wherein l endeavored to mingle con.
ISOLATION and philosophy a. aptly as pos.
possible.
And then I wrote, ourtly declining to
stand up" with old Bullion.
1t was but few weeks subsequently,
that the waiter showed an elegantly
dressed young lady into nv room at
the hotel. I rose in some surprise
Aside from old Aunt Miriam Plat and
my laundress my lady visitors were few,
But the instant she threw up her thick
tissue veil I recognized the soft blac
eyes and the damask rose cheeks of
Sophy Adriance.
ooh, Mr.: Mottimorel" she cried pit
eously, Il know you won't mind nv
coming to. your parlor, because Won
seem exactly like a father to me-"
WINGED little at this. "But I have re.
ceived such letter from Charley, and
as.-as you've kno6h him long time.
thought perhaps you could explain Il
to me. Oh, have been SO wretched.
And indeed, indeed, I didn't deserve
She gave me tear blotted letter and
then sat down to cry quietly in the cor.
ner of the sofa until srch f;,no q.