The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-05-23
THEIR COURTSHIP.
An Atlanta Mans Description of How He
Won and Married His Wife.

81 don't know whether my wife
would like me to tell of our courtship,"
said prominent Atlanta (Ga.) pro-
fessional man to a Constitution report
er. ''because it was rather peculiar. 1t
was kind of leap year love affair.
However, as our marriage proves the
love to have been mutual, | don't sup
pose she'd mind.
1--WE were distant cousins and | be-
lieve we loved each other from the
time we could talk. We climbed trees
and made mud pies together. Our first
engagement ring was an heirloom of
grandmother's, that /, at the age of 10,
stole from her work-basket. On it was
engraved Till death do US part She
was 8 and placed it on her finger as
we sat on top Of the grape arbor, one
summer day, with our little bare legs
dangling down among the vines. She
swallowed that ring the next day, had
it in her mouth while skinning the cat
on my gymnasium pole
cat Is | was sent to Athens, and she
at the same time went to a fash
ionable school in Baltimore. Our
families never paid any attention to our
love affair. She had money and l had
none, and her people wouldn't have
thought of me as suitor for an in
stant.
I'm Baltimore she met, at the house
of friend, rich fellow, who fell very
much in love with her, and her parents
sanctioned the match. She became
engaged to him and our correspond
ence ceased. 1t almost broke my heart.
Wedding wells and preachers and
voices-a man and woman's-declar-
ing eternal love and fidelity mixed
themselves up in my studies so that my
mind lost the power of retaining a
sensible idea. She went to Europe to
buy her trousseau and was to be mar
ried in the spring upon her return.
"a week before her marriage l re-
ceived a little note from her. She
asked if l would not come to her we'd
ding, and if so to come Immediately.
i want to show you some of my pretty
things. l remember you always
noticed the pretty gowns l used to
wear she wrote as postscript. These
words fell upon my heart with a sort
of humorous misery.
"Yes," said, bitterly, to myself,
it would be awfully jolly to see the
pretty gown that another man was 60
ing to put his arms around. But /
braced up and decided to grant her
peculiar request in the spirit it was
given. SO went. | found her sew
ing the lace in the morning gown of
pale blue satin. The room was full of
lace-frilled garments, and she looked
like a fairy princess amid her treasures.
I hpr hearty IF fa
hand shake, though | would have
given my life to have laid her sunny
head on my breast. A wild desire
came upon me to pick her up in my
strong young arms and run away with
her, but instead l sat calmly down by
her side, asked about her future hus-
band said nice things of him and
wished life full of happiness in the
IN the years to come. The face looked
bright and CHEEKY, but her eyes gave
little uplifted look of surprise as 1
spoke.
1--WE chatted on in a careless, cousin
ly manner. Her mother had gone out
shopping, and she was alone in the
house. She showed some of her pretty
gowns and talked of her bridesmaids,
her presents, ETC., and I was as inter-
ested as if it was my own wedding we
were talking of. l arose to take my
leave, and we shook hands cordially. 1
saw her face grow suddenly pale and
her lips trembie, but thought it mere
ly passing regret for her treatment
of me. | turned and left her, and as l
reached the front door l heard her
voice softly call my name.
81 turned and saw her standing in
the door, and returned and looked in
her eyes. They were full of tears and
| didn't stop to question then as to
right or wrong. | just took her in my
arms.
"'And you were not sorry to have
me marry someone else,' she sobbed,
'and loved you so mIs,h. and never
did want to marry anybody else, and
I'm not going to, either
when | told her all the misery that
had been, and all the joy that was in
my heart and we had a foolish, absurd
sort of making up, we went to the
minister's and were married before her
mother came home, and that wedding
trousseau was for me after all. The
other fellow? Why, of course, it was
hard on him. He was telegraphed to
stay at home. He's married and happy
now, and so are We"