Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-26

great many Things Inat Sno never Qlu GO
without, and tried to take an optimistic
view of the affair, and said meekly and
untruthfully that I supposed it was all
for the best. To make matters little
worse. / drew from my pocket large,
square, elegant looking envelope, and
said to my wife:
"And here's an invitation to the much
talked of Smythe- Durant wedding next
week. and I really would like to go. I've
known Helen Durant all her life, and |
like her, if | do despise that snob OF q
George Smythe she is going to marry
I'm so sorry." said my wife oontriteay.
and here we might have gone as web as
Tot If hadn't sold your only black suit.
1t did look real nice. and quite as good as
new. | dare say. by lamplight- could
have worn my wedding dress, and we
could have made very decent appear
ance 1t is too badT
She began crying again. | said would
go away and never come back If she didn't
stop Suddenly she jumped to her feet
and said excitedly:
why, Tom how foolish we arel It
isn't at all likely that old issacs has sold
the suit yet. and it may be that he hasn't
looked In the pockets. Let US hurry right
down to his store and buy it back. We
can tel him it was mistake, as it truly
was Let us hurry right off,
We reached the uninviting store Of B.
Isaacs. dealer IN second hand and misft
garments, In about fifteen minutes, but
the suit was gone,
Il hat just sold it no more as dree min
utes and haauf ago, It vas not worth
much makes me no moneys on dot suit.
1t wood not Wit man dot ways any ding
ut all"
raced angrily out Of the store. well"
| said. as we walked moodily homeward.
I'm not the only hundred pound stE
feoter in this town That's evident. II
keep my eye On the other living skeletons.
and if / find the one who has my trousers
III have them back again By fair means
or foul"
kept sharp lookout for lean men dur
ing the next week, and was gratified to
discover that there were fifteen or twenty
in the city as lean as myself. but all Of
them were saved the humiliation of being
informed by me that they were wearing
my clothes, humiliation that might not,
perhaps, have been lessened by the offer
of twenty five that l intended making for
their return.
As the evening for the wedding before
referred to drew near our desire to at
tend it increased, and at last l said to my
wife:
''We1, just cannot afford to get mo
another full dress suit that l might not
need again for ten years. And I'll stay at
home forever and wear rags and tags be-
fore I'll wear hired suit. But we can.
ct least, go to the church. 1t is to be
church wedding. you know. and can
wear any ordinary business suit and over
coat to the churchill don't find the man
who has my clothes"
But did not find him. and we went
early down to the church, that we might
be first there, and our lack of festive gar
ments less noticeable
''If it wasn't for Helen 1 wouldn't go at
all, !" / said as we sat IN the church, await
ing the coming Of the bridal party. 81
cannot endure Smythe. He thinks him
self vastly superior TO me, and makes me
sicl2with his talk about fashions and best
society and all that. It makes me so mad
to be told, as often am, that he looks
ike me. know I'm long and lank, but
he"-
''Sh-sh-shI" whispered my wife; they're
coming"
With such Furnishing of trumpets,1
l whispered in reply.
Down they came in the broad center
nisle-fve bridesmaids with gorgeous pink
and lavender and blue and cream and car
dinal trains, FIVE best men" in ugly black
garments. and, last of all, Helen, with
yards and yards of white satin and tuue
and lace; and Snythe in-I clutchsd at
my wifes arm and almost shouted in her
ear:
He has on my wedding suit, as sure as
you re living womanP'
Mary Jane gave my arm an awful pinch
In return and an admonishing poke in the
side with her fan.
"No, my DEAR" said, as we walked
homeward after the ceremony, Il am not
mistaken. Those were my clothes.
would know those trousers il l saw them
on Hottentot. Didn't you detect faint
oder of gasoline as hewent by our pewF TO
think, nay dear, that cannot go to the
most fashionable wedding of the season
because the bridegroom has on my clothesl
But II | had gone he'd had to have stayed
at home, wouldn't her Lean as we are
we couldn't both have worn those"-
''How perfectly ridiculous you ere, in
terrupted Mary Jane. Il don't feel at all
sure that they were your clothes"
And if they were, how are we going to
get that $50 bill out of that pocket2'
We didn't get it. But they were my
clothes. gave old Isaacs dollar for
telling me that he had sold the suit to
Smythe, who had sworn Isaacs to secrecy
on the subject. He looked heart broken
and turned green when l told him about
that $50 bill J. H" in Detroit Free
Press.