Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-05-14
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But Edith laid her golden head on
his shoulder and murmured, softly:
mot tonight, Eric; there is no need
for such haste"
Tomorrow night, then. / love
you so dearly that every day seems
an eternity until | can claim you as
my wife,"
well, then. tomorrow night let 1t
be. And, Eric, we must have a car
riage and four horses, and n host o.
friends to welcome US at u journeys
end. If ! go at all | must go in style,
dear"
OF course Capt. Thorne consented to
all her capricious whims. The widow
kissed him and begged him to keep
the affair a secret until they started.
The next night at the appointed hour
10 o'clock-Eric awaited his lady
love, who was rather tardy. Four
handsome bay horses champed their
bits and paved the ground, impatient
to start. At last he saw her approach.
The tall, stately figure was enveloped
in a dark cloak, her head shrouded in
monstrous hood and veil.
TIC Ntub IVA W IHGcb uST, anu
perceiving hat she was violently agi-
tated, whispered words of encourage
ment as he assisted her into the car
riage, but although she gently pressed
the hand that held her own, he could
not induce her to speak a word during
the drive.
"Here we are!" he exclaimed, as the
carriage finally stopped. "In a few
minutes you will be my own"
Then with a caress-the last, he ex-
planned, that he should ever give to
Edith Gresham-he led her into the
brilliantly lighted drawing = room,
where the ceremony vas TO take place.
About a dozen OF their choicest
friends, including Miss Beauford, were
there TO meet them.
Capt. Thorne started when he saw
Nell, and changed color. Then, as
though with an effort, he turned to
his bride-elect.
But as the lady removed her hood
and veil she disclosed to the astonished
assembly the features of Nora Nc
Grath, his Irish laundress,
The silence that ensued was broken
by Miss McGrath:
"Well, thin, and what are yez wait
ing ferP Shure, and after stailing me
away from me home and frinds at this
tonne o. night ye'd betther be afther
marrying me, or I'll be getting q
breach of promise case out Of yez in a
jiffy!"
But, my good woman, where did
you come fromp How did you get
herep" demanded the captain in be-
wilderment.
"How did l get here? Do We name
TO deny yer brung me here yersilf?
Oh, we villain"
"But where is Mrs. Gresham What
do you mean by thisP Explain your
self, woman!"
The laugh at Capt. Thorne's mortifi-
cation was general; little Miss Beau
ford alone did not smile.
"Misthress Gresham, Is FTP Shure,
and | was forgetting entirely the little
bit of paper she tould me to give yez
when we wuz married"
So saying Nora produced a note adj
dressed to Capt. Thorne, which read
as follows:
My Dear Eric: When you receive this
shall be many miles away from Newport, but
hat you may not be disappointed in our
scheme for tonight | have prevailed upon Miss
McGrath TO take my place. i trust that she
will make you a good wife. This little firta-
ton has been very amusing 10 me and has
made the time pass very pleasantly for both
OF US. OF course you could not suppose that
] would ever consent-ln earnest-to become
the wife OF a common fiirt.
Yours. for aud lang gyne.
EDITH GRESHAM.
For one wild moment Eric Thorne
stood quite dazed. Then the manhood
within him which had so long lain dor
mant rose TO meet the occasion. He
walked straight over to Miss Beauford
and took her hand.
"Nell," he said, | lave been a fool
and am rightly punished. But through
all this n~onsensical business | have
never really forgotten you. In the
presence of these our friends / ask
your forgiveness. Impose upon me
any penance-only say you will event
ually become my wife"
Before Nell, overwhelmed by the sit
uation could answer, Nora McGrath,
now smiling broadly, broke in:
"And shure | said yc'd come to
yer senses in tonne, captain. Yer not
such a fool as We look, afther all. Now
I'll be Citing back home, If We place,
and We can settle matters wild the
young lady afterward."
Six months later Mrs. Gresham re-
ceived a letter from Mrs. Thorne, once
Helen Beauford, informing her that
Eric was so changed that he was quite
a model husband-in fact, he was all
hat she could wish him to be; but for
some reason he seemed to hate the
name of Gresham" WaUerley Maya