Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-03-16

Come to the s..crlsty With me, N1n-
ME; | want to have talk with you
And still sobhis:g, she followed him.
When they arrived in this room, away
from the curious and gossiping neigh
bors, he said abruptly:
'Tell me. Minnie, do you love Ned
Lehane?"
The poor girls white face became
crimson with bushes, but she did not
reply.
''Why don't you answer me, child?
Come, now, tell me everything. Do you
truly love Ned, and would you marry
him if it was so arranged?"
Timidly the young girl looked at him
through her great lashes, and she replied:
II would, father"
very we'll, child. He will be at the
wedding don't know how he means
to do it; but don't be surprised if you
are made Mrs. Leblanc instead of Mrs.
Pratt And now go to mass, child, and
pray to Saint Patrick to help YOU"
And then he blessed her, and Minnie
went out from the sacristy happier than
she had been for many day.
IhIlllS, lOl UillCu W DliO "OAh ho VI CAAO
priest, signed the promise to marry him
that Pratt insisted upon, and on Easter
Tuesday the wedding was arranged to
take place.
At seven o'clock in the evening of that
day Father Molyneux went to the
Widow Regan's house to tie the knot.
Pratt was bealning with delight. Min
ME was nervously happy in anticipation
Of the event which the priest had limited
on Patrick's Day, and her good humor
pleased the bridegroom-expectant very
much. But Ned Leblanc was also an in
vited guest, and so was Maurice Flynn,
and these two young men were very
busy over the arrangement of a strange
looking bundle that Maurice had hid
den under bis greatcoat.
But now it was the time for action.
The priest had opened the book and
Minnie and Mr.. Pratt were bidden to
stand up beside him. All went on quite
smoothly until the priest came to the
part of the service where he asks, "Will
you take this woman for YOUR lawful
and welded wife?' Suddenly Maurice
Flynn slipped hooped sack over Pratt's
head and shoulders and Ned Leblanc an
swered II will, at the same time push
ing the bewildered Pratt out of the way
and standing beside Minnie.
There was hum of astonishment
among the few onlookers. The agent,
unmindful of the ceremony, struggled
to free himself from the sack, but Fa-
ther Mclyneux s1nilingly went on with
the marriage service, and when it was
over and just as be saluted Minnie as
Mrs Leblanc, the sack flew from Pratt's
head, and to his intense rage he diseov-
cred how he had been outwitted. But
he was most anxious to find the man
who covered him with the sack.
"Yerra," said Ned, "'Twas Saint
Patrick covered ye up, Don't be angry
with the saint, Mr.. Pratt"
"Tll make you sorry for this, Ned Le-
hane; I'll evict Mrs. Regan at once"
"Ah. don'tr' said. Ned, brimful of
laughter
"Won't though? 1t is an outrage"
'You can't mind broken egg, Mr..
Pratt" interjected the widow, who had
now realized the situation, and who on
the whole felt pleased with the arrange
ments which Father Molyneux explained
to her. But Pratt was furious, and left
the cottage to procure his writ of evic-
! ton and few bailiffs.
When he came back not a vestige of
the wedding party was visible, nor of
| the widows furniture Ned and Maurice
| Flynn had carts in readiness to remove
them, and to the agents intense mortifi-
cation he found, nailed to the door, a
piece of paper upon which was written:
"Saint Patrick has taken Mrs. Regan
home. Goodby, Mr.. Pratt.