The Somerset reporter., 1886-09-22

! took care 10 send to Stamford 4rfarc
NY wedding DAY. Ny cau-IH- aud aaut-
aud friends gave ne I'll ~u1f- - it.seIrt
and pretty personal knirk kHacL- and
/ thc~e carefully Packed in the half dpIeu
lruuf> which We're already corded aud di-
fccted Afo DAYS before The ma riasr day.
For Stephen had proposed 10 sand all
NY trunk, 10 our New Y5fk hoiel tNo
/ days before We left, in order that we
/ might lave no concern about them and
/ that might bc sure 40 have all / wanted
on my arrival. opposed tim, plan AT
4 first. hHt aunt said il wiz .rmiucntly
/ proper and lliougItiul." Saaii my ward
robe except nay wedding Il - and tray
/ Cling suit arrived AT the llth Avenue
/ llote4, NV York on the lasl day Of my
maiden HE.
Norman Strong called that night and
was in remarkably high spirits. lie
wished me ever, happiness aud was vciy
attentive to MalYina. Aunt thought hi
behavior charnlng-so unsesi>h-an /
was also very well satisfied with it.
Il shall call you about O'clock Fran
cc,, said my aunt. a. bade her God
night, the hair Il =. ser comes at 30
said, VERY well, aunt, and wei 40
my room. The h.>t thing / dill Wa TO
!
pass aS possible. and then put on ny lrav-
cling costume. Th~ done. sat down in
the dark. About one O'Clock | bead TIE
signal watched for | went softly down
stairs, nnlocncd the back door and walked
out Norman was tacle. W. did not
speak until we were outside the grounds
There buggy waited, and we drove rap
idly to main line ahou, three miles OF.
Here we caught the o'cock express and
were safe at New York and vc,y s>pcct-
tably married by IN O'Clock. My trunks
which had arrived the day before, were
then r. directed for Washington, and af-
ter delicious little wedding breakfast
all by OurselVes-we left for that city.
In the meantime there was trouble
enongh in Milford. oar flight was not
discovered TIL ne + eight O'Clock. and
then Uncle Miles sent word At once To
Stephen l. kc.. who secluded hinsclf
for that day ircly My aunt and cou>-
ms cnag, IN and disappointment wcic
very great; in fact, when | considered
the amount of condole zee and gossip
they would have to endure felt that for
all the slight and sc"rn~ of my unlpvc,
girl could cry quits. And had lot my
fortune also, and Normrr and were 50
completely happy, We had not a ear
for Stephen had given him Il 500 bill an
ii months holiday. and told us to get al
the pleasure We could ont Of il. W,
oheyed him implicitly.
During that month things settled down
Il little. did rot expect to be for.iVel
all at once, and was not, but Il CA was
in position not to worry particularly
about it. We returned very quietly alee
dark one night. very much like two chill
d"en who have played truant all day an1
ercpt lone at nigatfall with p i tie o.
tentaton as possible.
But at Stamford hall everytEn NJ h9
been prepared FOR NY comfort. 4 he fir
were blazing, the %aS lighted and eX
ccllcnt supper waiting. The next norr
in% Norman went back to his de-. M
Stephen tool; no more notice Of hi, II
turn than if he had never left it. People
who had been specializing about his losiu-
his position knew in five minutes thai
there would be no change. And every
one took his tone from Stephen We
were treated very much like tYo childrcl
WHO had been forgiven aud whose fau
WAS not to be tmown up 10 them.
That was the way the men took it and
Norman pretended; to be satisfied The
WON n acted with a great deal more in
trlligcncc. They all came To see me. and
though did not give them credit for the
very ktndcSt of mot YES | made Il en- all
welcome, told them about my wctdin.
rip, and showed them my new things. /
and dare say the men lkcd everything
over with trcm afterward
But what puzzled everybody WAS that
Stephen Barker came So often Ia see Us. |
and was so frici Oily with Norman Some
Thought it very mean spirited i'll him. and
Others remembered that when he WAS
very Young he h. loved my mother dear
ly. Even those who spoke kindly of him |
did not give him credit for half the noble
he bad shown. for he WoulG
not let me tell any one that it was lie aim.
self who had PINNED eve ythirt ABOUT |
my property and my wedding.
Just let them say you jltcG me Fran |
ceS. if they please to do So. We know
letter, and we will keep our secret until
| nee Miles comes round"
Aunt and Uncle bot1 can round sooner
than we expected When it was iuowd
that Stephen spent 50 much of time /
with Us Aunt Miles considered tie pdvan- /
:agcs of having her d.ush e. bior "a, |
farniliarly in contact with him, amt tor
their >akcS she came to see me and gave
me me kiss of reconciliation.
But As far rs Catching S,cphcu's heart /
in the rebound was concc ned she wa
just Il little too late. Normau'> sister /
who was teacher In one of the public /
schools of New York, cine to spend her /
vacation with Us, and S,cphcn fcll in love
with her in n way that convin Ell me thai !
his love for Frances Halliday Il ii only |
been the shadow of the love he had for
her mother. WIN, Norma himself never
behaved more foolishlv about me than
Stephen about this tide plain RutI
Strong, FOR She Is pla livery one must /
allow ,hat.
And 1hc preparations that are going on
for the marriage quite anu>e me-, who
might have been the ban ',er's wife my |
self. Dear me, | think Lovc must laugh .
at the kind of people he comes in contact .
with. But hope Stephen viii be Happy; /
| do indeed
That * all have 10 say about my m:
Iiagc. | think it was rather pccuH
Some women will doubtless say they do,
rlicve such men As Stephen exist b
let girl, when She discovers she do
not like Il man, tell him 50. and ask Ii.
dYlce anG help, and ten To one she vii
tind another Stephen. How ran men h /
chiva'' Gus aud self-dcnving if WON,
don't give theLI opportunities: | thin
that is Wron". and intend 10 give Nof-
man every chan"e TO cultivate such mob Z
qualities
4c'ir". ! uShtDg "ad Et',a6ie.