Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-11-24
M1cH1GAN,s PRIZE CooUETTE.
She msrries at Last, to the Great Aston
ishment Of Her Neighbors.


One of the small villages Of Northern
Michigan was thrown into unwonted ex-
citement recently by wedding, which,
for dramatic situation and startling devel-
opponents, rivals the plot of a Bowery
drama. The bride is a pretty and
naughty coquette of II, with about as
much idea of the seriousness of life as a
small kitten, and when to the rest OF. her
bewildering charms was suddenly added
a fortune of of several thousand dollars,
it may be readily inferred that the little
god of love had to get on his seven
leagued boots to keep up his maneuvers.
Six times within as many months was
she solemnly engaged to be married, and
as many times was the sacred vow
broken. "Why," she used to say ingen-
ously, with her big bewildering eyes full
of sparkles. Il always say yes when a
fellow proposes to me; that is, unless l
happen to be engaged at the time, when,
of course. | have to ask him to wait until
can arrange matters Handsome Jack
Farmer finally won her tickle little heart
and she was perfectly devoted to him
so devoted that one night, when he in
vited her to 90 to the New Years ball and
after he got there found that he hadn't
enough money to quite pay the bill and
an irate landlord refused to hang it up or
allow him to 90 supper until it was paid,
she gave Jack her tiny diamond-studded
watch to pawn for the amount and went
on with her waltZing.
Later in the evening Phil Thomas,
learning OF the watch episode and also dis
covering that Handsome Jack was con-
siderabiy the worse from wine, redeemed
the former, sent the latter about his bus
mess and took the girl home. There FOL
lowed a race between the two men for
the hand of the fair lady, and so close was
the result that the girl herself couldn' I
quite make up her mind whom she cared
most for. and they finally left the town to
pursue their avocations in distant cities.
A short time after their absence she con
ceived the idea that she would telegraph
TO each of them The one word Come,
and the one who needed her invitation
first should be her husband before the
other sutton arrived. Accordingly she
set her wedding day at the very earliest
possible time in which they could arrive,
spoke to the dominic, and secured the
VILLAGE church, Tor she had no father or
mother to attend to these details for her.
She set the hour of the ceremony at 4
o'clock, and when the Western express
pulled in at $3.50 Phil Thomas arrived:
but all at once the willful, cratic little
maiden concluded to postpone the we'd
ding until seven o'clock, for it just occur
red to her Jack couldn't arrive before that
time even if he had started Immediately on
on receipt ofthe dispatch. Seven o'clock
came and the Eastern express thunder
ed into the station, and though she
waited and listened fer step, she
knew, none came. Long before the
appointed time the little church fill
ed with eager, expectant villagers, the
clergyman robed, wondering if she had
changed her mind again, and the tow
headed organ boy peeped under the cur
tain for the first glimpse of the carriage,
At 1870 promptly a carriage is driven rap
idly to the door Of the chapel, and Phil IN
faultless evening dress, springs out and
lifts down bewildering vision Of blonde
lovliness. A man is waiting in the shadow
of the doorway, and as the bride catches
a glimpse of him she gives faint little
scream. and exclaims: "Oh, Phil, have
left my boquet in the carriage It isn't
in the carriage, but pressed close to her
perverse, fiuttering little heart; and while
Phil gropes among the cushions for it, a
strong hand is put upon her arm, the
heavy doors are opened inward by the
usners, the procession forms quickly, the
wedding march sounds, the white-robed
priest is at the altar, and the ceremony is
going on, with Phil in his dress suit back
by the door, and handsome Jack, in his
traveled-stained garments, promising to
Glove and cherish" with all his worldly
goods -four O Us and button-hook)
ito endow" this girl for whom Phil
bought the orange flowers and hired the
carriage.