Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-02-05
All QLD' NAID'S MARRIAGE.
BY GEORGE B. BURGIN.

/ that kind" answered Prudence, serl-
ously scanning the pages.
Miss Matte had not lost all sentl-
ment. She recalled that episode OF her
vanished youth when Reuben ROuntree
/ had declared that he wOrshipDed her.
| Reuben was only q farmers son-a
/ struggling farmer-and Miss Mattle's
exalted position had been declared a
/ fatal obstacle TO Reuben'S pretensious.
/ WhereuuOn Reuben had uttered wicked
words, shaken his fist at Mattie's white
I haired old father, and departed to landS
unknown in search Of fortune. He had
taken a lock Of Miss Mattie's fair hair
with him, and she still cherished In
secret a little black daguerreotype OF
The parted swain. All this had happened
/ a quarter OF a century ago. AT first the
faith OF love had kept Miss Mattie's
heart warm. But hearts grow cold ana
faith waivers and dies when years pass
and absent lovers make no sign.
Miss Matte drifted placldly adown
the stream OF time, distributing little
/ gifts 10 her neighbOrs on the banks and
/ winning the love OF all. But she found
/ life rather dull. Her old schoolfellows
! had large families, who called MISS
/ Matilda 'Aunt Matte" and cOnhded all
their troubles to her sympathetic ears.
\ Miss Matte also found, TO her very
great surprise, that men rather dis
turbed her. She liked her little nap
after dinner, her game OF backgammon
\ with Prudence In the evening, her reg
ular outlet life II she had marrid Reu-
bon all thes- 4lngs would have become
I impossible.
/ Miss Matte did not like to be hur-
ried. And yet-and yet. As she sat
I there holding DR.. Siurke'S letter In her
} nand her youth came back. How the
moor GOV had loved her! She recalled
I his foolish speeches, his fOndncSs for
| her yellow locks aud blue eyes, and all
/ the thousand and one little tricks and
/ tests with which he had beguiled her
/ into loving him. DR.. Slurke's letter had
unsettled her. Though she felt she
could not marry a man who never wiped
/ bis boots on the mat and believed that
. q contested liver was answeraOle for all
the sorrow in the wOrld-yet there
might be hidden depths Of love within
him. He was q doctor, too That was
another recommendation.
Prudence still waited, the letter in
her hand. 49,,
Miss Matte temporized. IL will
ask him to tea, Prudence" she said as
she sat down TO her desk and wrote in
an elegant Italian hand that she must
have further time in which TO consider
DR.. S.urke's catering proposal. And,
Prudence, she said, as she sealed the
letter-Miss Matte always used a seal
see that your pikelets are plentiful
and of the best. Nothing comforts a
man so much as good tea"
Miss Matte was little bit rufiled by
the events Of the day. She went up
stairs and looked long and lovingly az a
certain little tin portrait. Then she put
on her best lavendar silk dress, removed
her cap, and went down stairs to her
coy sitting room.
A mans step crunched the gravel out
side, and the next moment an unknown
voice demanded IL Miss Matte Sewell
lived there.
Miss Matte thrust the dageurreotype
into her bosom and went out. what is
10. Prudence?" she asked.
"A wayfarer from over the seas who
would have speech with thee, Mistress, "
said Prudence, quietly, as she went back
20 her pikelets.
Miss Matte felt an odd sensation at
heart. 1t futtered and leaped What
n this burly stranger brought her news
from the uniorgotten Reuben?
The stranger held a letter In his hand.
eve lust come down on the cars with
a letter from an old friend" he said.
/ ION the wnat?" asked Miss Matte, in
bewilderment.
"On the cars. Oh, forgot. You call
them trains. Can l come in?'
"With pleasure" said Miss Matte, In
/ a fiuttered, odd little tone. May
offer you a dish OF tea''
/ The stranger seemed puzzled. eve
/ generally drink it in mugs" he said.
/ lie took of his hat and coat and care
fully hung them on a peg in the hall.
/ The passage seen ed 10 shrink when be
walked along IL, and his head hit
against the low little portal as be fol-
/ lowed Miss Matte into her small sit
ting room, full OF delicate china and
CAV with samplers and quaint old mir
rors on the walls.
The stranger sat down In an armchair
\ bv the fire. He seemed 10 swell over
the sides OF IT, The Gao jumped onto his
colossal knee and went TO sleep there.
Miss Matte sat facing the window
and feeling treasured. She trusted that
cats instinct almost as much as sh9 d d
the wisdom OF Prudence. And the cat
did not know young carpenters.
AS the stranger glanced round the
room, the ancient figures on the sam
piers caught his eye, He studied the
I impossible peacOcks spreading their
tails under equally impossible trees, and
his eyes twinkled. My! Amt they
prettv." he said. Then be looked at an
other sampler. II like that picture OF
Noah and his sons sitting on the top Of
\ the Ark" he observed, genially.
/ Miss Matte felt distressed. She did
not like 10 interrupt the flow of art
criticism by admitting that the Ark was
meant for the roof OF a house, and Noah
and his sons were only four ravens
perchsd on the ridge.
Excuse ne, " said the stranger, hand
/ Ing her a letter. won't you read this
first, and then Wen talk"
/ Hospitality was q sacred rite with
/ Miss Matte. Il trust you will partake
I of nv poor hospitality first. M-Mr-?'
/ she said, with stately bend OF her
+ head.
"Alph2us P. Winterbottom. I'd be
7 sorry TO go away without doing So
answered the stranger heartily, as
/ Prudence appeared with the pikelets.
prudence, " said Miss Matte solemn
/ IL. make some more"
"You're right, Ma'am," said the
/ stranger, surveying the little dish. 81
was Just thinking 1 could eat the'whole
. lot of those cunning little cakes"
And Miss Matte actually laughed.