Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-12-25
A DEATHBED MARRIAGE.
Confidential Revelation of Miss
~.Grigg's Strange Illness.

fore she married Mr. Birch / knew
all about that affair 1t was very singu-
lar indeed-very' I'm not sure that l
ought to mention it, for if lady's maid
can't f9ld her tongue she can't find
good eaces. Dear me, I'm no talker
I'm as mum as o mouse. Bushels of
pearl powder and quarts of rouge have
applied with my own hands, and
never so much as binted at AS for
cotton, bless your heart, I've never
breathed about it, and did live with
lady once that took arsenic regularly
for her complexion. That's no secret,
for she took too much one day by acct
dent and died.
''There was an inquest and it all
came out. It's well it did, for suspicion
pointed to her husband. Somehow, it
always seems to strike jury that a
husband is the likeliest person to wish
his wife out of the way. But this isn't
anything about paint. Miss Griggs,
being on the stage, made no secret of
that. She played queens and such, miss
I've often had tickets given me and
gone with my young man to see her
act And when she was naughty and
curled her nose like, miss, and looked
at other folks over her shoulder, and
talked away down in her throat like a
pigeon gurgling, she was splendid
miss 1t made think how nice it would
be to be a queen and to take airs over
everybody.
swell, Miss Grigg was engaged to be
married Mr.. Birch had fallen in love
with her when she was playing Ham
let's ma. Perhaps you have seen the
play, miss? The young man objects to
his ma getting married the second
time, SO seemed to make out, and act
ed most impertinent, giving sass to his
ma and his step-pa, and carrying on
awful. And there was poor young
lady quite out of her mind that after.
ward got drowned.
"Well, she was playing Hamlet's
ma and Mr. Birch fell in love with her
ind sent her letter, and called and
made an offer all in no time. She &C
cepted him, of course, and the prep
arations for the wedding began.
don't think any lady ever had so many
dresses before. Silks and satins ant
velvets and laces. Dear me, Nine
Z. IS whole establishment was hard al
work for month, and if I'd had TWEEN
ty fingers, instead of ten, I'd have haG
use for them all,
At last everything was finished. The
trunks were packed, fifteen of EN-
miss, and fourteen were to go on thai
afternoon, and one-the one with thC
wedding and travelling dresses-was
of course, to be left and go with the
bride when she started next day. She
was to be married at ten o'clock il
church and then drive home, have {
splendid breakfast, change her dress
and catch the three o'clock train. O.
course | saw to the trunks, and wa,
very careful; but just when | wa
needed most just as the trunks wa
going downstairs, Miss Grigg called
me.
MISS Grigg was lady who didn'
like to wait. / went to her at once
miss, as was my duty, and said t,
bridget Buster, the chambermaid:
bridget, watch that black trunl
and see that The men don't carry i
off.
Bridget understood with her ell
bows, off course, miss, and after hat
been to the lands end for two yards o
blue ribbon of exactly such shade a
she wanted and got back found tina
she had sent off the black trunk frs
or all, and was very proud of havin,
been so careful The trunks were al
miles away by that time. There wa
nothing for it but to tell Miss Grigg
She flow at me, miss. don't blam
her for being angry, ! would forgiv
her In such case She few at m
violent, miss; and then, miss, she ha
spa3ms. She beat the sofa, she tor
her b~,ir, she screeched, and me all tn
while say 'rg:
"tRemomuer your eyes, miss, Thin
h-w You'll look. Your nose is swellin
dreadful, miss
FINALLY she camc to and bathed hs
face. And says she;
"'Flora, what -+shall-l do?
- don't kuo W. miss, said l, 'unles
you put of the wedding uatil you tie
egraph for the trunk
mo said She that's uniuclly; bC
sides. one never knows. None amt
oe depended on
TYou II ight borrow Dress said
"'As if Ia be married in one tha
didn't Ct ,ne,' said she. Stop, don
spcel a word I've an idea
"s he sat w.tlI oac finger en- her il
fcrawhi,A ID ; $40 said;