The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1890-12-20
A BooMoPoL1s WEDDING.


There was joy in Boomopolis. That thriv-
ing city of years growth had experienced all
the delights of life but one. Progressive
shooting bees there had been; donkey parties
in the temporary canvas residences of the fash
ionable boomers had been held, and success
fully: there had been four military funerals
and two divorces-but no weddings And now
on Christmas Day came the glad tidings
that Miss Penelope Hicks, the principal of the
BOomopolis Academy of Learning, had plight
ed her troth to Coyote Bill, ne Wilkins, for
merly of the Cherokee Strip.
1t was a great relief to every one, including
the happy man, when Miss Hicks gave Mr.
Wilkins the measure of the third finger of her
left hand. and named January 1st as the hap
py day, the lady being opposed to long engage
ments, particularly in a country where no
man knoweth when an error of judgment on
his part may enable the other man to shoot
first.
The reason for the towns relief over the
announcement of the approaching nuptials
was this: Miss Hicks had been the undisputed
belle of Boomopolis ever since her arrival in
that Eden ofsand and corner lots She had been
for some time the most cherished object of the
affections of six gentlemanly cowboys stimuli
taneously, and Boomopolis was anxious.
There were fears that the half-doZen suitors
might resolve themselves into executive session
and diminish the population of Boomopolis
by at least five of her leading citizens which OPP
Grafton would result in considerable loss of
prestige for the town, particularly in census
year. But, happily for all concerned, Miss
Hicks was woman OF much tact and ready
for any emergency. She had been proposed to
by each of her several admirers and for some
wholly feminine reason had given each much
reason to hope. she dld not realize the situa-
ton until few days before Christmas, when
bullet whistling through her parlor window
and grazing the hat ofthe admirer wholwas at
that moment calling upon her showed plainly
that something must be DONE and quickly.
To realize with Penelope was to act and the
next evening the six heart-stricken cowboys
were gathered together in her parlor, in response
to her invitation, upon which she had written
r. S. V. p, and in accordance with which
they were one and all unarmed, K. 5. V. Z. in
Boomopolis being the abbreviated form of
RENDEZVOUS sans pistols.
After all had partaken of a light supper of
sandwiches and sarsaparilla, Miss Hicks, in
short address, informed her guests that she
loved them all dearly, not to say passionately,
and had no doubt whatsoever that if given
time she would marry them all, life being
feeting and in that section particularly un-
certain for men that, as patriotic citizen OF
Boomopolis, however, she wanted the question
of priority settled amicably, and without due
loss of population, and she added that as
Christmas was approaching she could think
of no better means of settling the difficulty
than that of giving Christmas tree to her ad-
mirers, placing upon that tree six packages, all
of a size, and one for each. In one package
she would place, she said, pair of silver plated
Mexican spurs in another would be the best
bride to be found on that side of the Mississip-
pi; in a third would be lasso that would
make its possessor the envy of the Territory;
the fourth would contain a nickel-plated six
shooter self-cocking with an ivory handle;
in the fifth would be found an order for the
finest saddle in the universe; and in the sixth
would be photograph OF herself, with which
would go fife lease of her heart and hand.
The would-be husbands could select each his
own package, precedence being decided by
numbers drawn from hat.
The proposition was received with enthuSl-
asm. The six gentlemanly cowboys vowed
eternal frindship for each other, and swore that
whoever should prove to be the lucky man,
the others would usher for him at the ceremo-
ny: -.
the packages were distributed, and to Coyote
Bill fell the prize of the hand, heart and pho
tograph of Miss Penelope Hicks.
The week between Christmas and New Years
passed rapidly away, and on the afternoon OF
January lst the youth, beauty, and fashion OF
Boomopols assembled in the little portable
cathedral on West End Avenue to witness
the ceremony. As the melodeon pealed forth
an adaptation of Mendelssohn's Wedding
March, rendered by the leader of the Boomo-
polls brass band, the BRIDE leaning upon the
arm of the Mayor, walked up the middle and
only aisle of the edifice to the altar, where
stood Coyote Bill and his best man. Nevada
Pete AS the bride mounted the platform the
groom stepped forward to meet her, but started
back suddenly as he heard an ominous click
in the coat pocket of Nevada Pete Then
Nevada Pete advanced and offered his hand to
the BRIDE She, astonished at this somewhat
remarkable proceeding, withdrew her extend
ed hand, and looked inquiringly at the appar-
emily presumptous Pete.
"it's all right, Miss Hicks, said he. coyote
Bill will explain"
"Yes, Penelope" said Bill cts all right
That six-shooter you gave Pete was such
pretty gun couldn't resist when Pete offered
The bride blushed. Coyote Bill withdrew to
the best mans place. and Nevada Pete once
more offered his hand to Miss Penelope Hicks.
"All right" said she, taking the proffered
hand ''rm satisfied. Let her go Mr.. Par
son."
And the marriage was solemnized amid gen.
eral rejoicing.