Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-12
HIS MATCH.
What Was Accomplished by a
Plucky Little Step-Mother.

Everybody said that Orphies French
was crazy to think of marrying Hector
Hunter. In the first place he was too
old. Gle was thirty-ive and Orphies
only eightcen.) In the next he was a
widower with four children. (Orphies,
being I'M only child, was unused to
children.) And lastly, he was the
crOssest-grained. most misery man
that ever existed.
Every one in Hillwood knew him.
They knew he had been the means of
his first wife's finding an early grave;
and now he wanted to break Miss
French S heart; pretty. dimpled, brown
eyed Orphies. the pride of the village,
and the admiration of all.
How she came to choose a surly, sell
fish man like Hector Hunter was u
wonder to rybody. 1t was we'll
known that blue-eyed, sunny-faced
Charlie Chester stood ready to lay
down his life for her sake. and that
James Singleton had offered himself to
her at least three times.
Either would have been considered
good match. and yet it was quite evil
dent that Hector Hunter was the man
she loved, and she had been known to
watch beside him day and night when
he was ill. and refuse all food till she
was sure he was out of danger.
Yes, Miss French did love him. She
was engaged to him, too, and that sun
ny morning in June was to witness her
bridal. She was to be married in the
little church where she had been bap-
tized, in the presence of those who had
known and loved her from n child.
So what was really nobody's bust
hess was everybody's business, and
proved the topic of conversation
throughout the entire village. All her
girl friends pitied her; all her male ac-
quaintances envied Hector Hunter. All
the matrons bewailed her fate; all the
sires limited that the bridegroom was
lucky man.
Finally came the organ peals, then
the solemn service-for it was solemn
and then pretty Orphies went down
the aisle leaning on the arm of her
sour-looking husband as smilingly as
if her path were strewn with roses and
her future as clear us n lake at even
when the glory of the setting sun rests
upon its placid bosom.
II can't afford to take wedding
trip. Orphies," Mr.. Hunter had said
the night he slipped the engagement
ring on her finger. and listened to the
shy Eyes" whispered under the tree
that grew back of her home.
at costs a good deal to live nova
days. The children need clothes, and
twill take Il tive-dollar bill right out
won't care, will you? You had just as
soon settle Gown as sensible woman,
hadn't You? That is the way my first
wife did,
And Orphies said eyes, she'd do any
thing he liked" like the dear little
thing she was.
So us soon as ner gray-haired pastor
had made her Mrs. Hector Hunter, she
walked quietly across the village COM
mon to the large. gloomy-looking
house built on its edge. and closed the
door in the faces of those looking after
her with world of commiseration in
their eyes.
She'll regret this act of hern, or my
name is not Mirinda Highfiyer," said
one narrow-minded spinster to an
other.
She'll look like wilted rose by the
time she has lived three weeks with those
children" said Miss Dean, the village
dressmaker. to her customer, Mrs Flint.
at know all about them. once made
dress for the first Mrs. Hunter. and
! had chance to see some of their ac-
lions"
''We've lost our pretty Orphies for