Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-22

ask yodr father first. 1 don't want to
be d~ishenorable. AS you are OF age"
.Twenty-twO,p said Edith.
,,As o are OF age" John continued,
al shall marry you whether or no, 6ue
I wish 20 be respectful"
Suddenly Edith became grave.
John she said, 81 know papa bet
ter than you do, il would be of no use.
We will marry and tell him afterwards,
and avoid a scene; he generally submits
to the inevitable. l will meet you where
you please tomorrow morning, and you
can take the certificate to Samuel Smith
aud secure the position. Go to your
home on Monday and / will meet you
there, and later we will tell papa"
"As you please" John answered,
wondering what sort OF a father Edith
could have and %dreading that he was
| probably some one of whom she was
ashamed.
1t was a strange sort OF thing, he felt,
to marry a girl OF whose antecedentS he
knew nothing; his friends would call
him mad II they knew it.
But they should not know, and
with this he flung his doubts to the
winds forever, and, to cut a long story
short, married Edith Smith on the fol-
lowing morning. And, having given
her the address of the little cottage
which they were to occupy (Mr.
Samuel Smiths estate was well In the
suburbs they parted with a kiss.
II will be at our cottage by 2 o'clock,
/ john" Edith said. Have the papers
signed so that there can be no backing
out on Mr.. Smiths part"
=
When John presented himself in Mr..
| Smiths study on Monday, announcing
his marriage and proving IL by the ex-
hibitlon Of the certificate, Mr.. Smith
was very cordial.
Cautiously enough, your bride has
one OF our family names" he said.
Edith is my daughters name, was her
mothers and her grandmother's.
"Wel, 1 congratulate you, and here
are the papers. We will sign at once,
If you please. The more l see of you,
| Mr.. Paddington. the more l like you.
( I've no doubt that you wife will be a
/ prudent little matr0D, who will set a
/ good example TO my little witch OF q
daughter, and will be good enough to
watch over her a little"
The signatures were appended to
papers already made out by a lawyer,
aud Mr.. Smith held out his hand to
| John"
NOW I shall have a vacation" he
said, ''and no doubt my affairs will
prosper in your hands, Mr.. Paddington.
1 am a very poor man Of business my
self"
"And Mr.. Paddington is a good one"
said a voice behind him.
John turned and saw his wife near
/ them. She was in home dress and with
/ out a bonnet. He was startled, almost
/ shocked. 1t was not at all nice; in fact,
Il was bold and forward to make such
an entrance, to speak so familarly to
Mr.. Smith. He fastened to check her.
"You forgot that have not intro
duced you to Mr.. Smith, my dear" he
said. ''This is Mrs. Paddington, sir"
"Where?" asked Mr.. Smith, looking
about him. ''Mrs. PaddingtonP l don't
see her. This is my daughter, Miss
I Edith, sir. Now, my dear, are you
playing some joke. hiding Mrs. Pad
dingtOn somewhere?"
s'This is my wife, Mr.. Smith," said
John Paddington, wondering if Mr..
| Smith were out of his mind.
"Sir. this is my daughter" said Mr..
Smith, lifting his voice.
THAT is true, papa" said Edith, ''but
I am his wife also. You ordered him TO
be married and he married me. He
hadn't an idea who 1 really was, though
we've known each other for q year.
Smith Is such q common name, aud II is
all ny fault. I thought 1 would vary
the programme a little, and not elope as
my sisters did"
Good heavensv" cried John Padding
ton, sinking into q chair, Edith, you
know that I emplored you to let me ask
your fathers consent. / never guessed
that I knew him; l believed him some
worthless old man OF whom you were
ashamed, ! had no idea"
Here, confused and mortified, he
paused for words; but Samuel Smith,
having regarded him for a moment, held
out his hand.
John P%addington," he said, 81 hold
you guiltless. AS for that-that-"
Don't call me names, papa" said
Edith. "You know yon like John very
much, and he won't want you to settle
money on him, and he'll be a splendid
steward. Kiss me, and forgive me-"
81 always was a weak fool" said Mr..
Smith.
And to-day the coachman son-in-law
and the gardner s~on-in-law, Is we'll as
the pastry son-in-law, complain very
bitterly that Mr.. Samuel Smith shows
great favoritism to the son-in-law who
is a steward, and Edith says, with an
air OF great propriety:
"You see, that is because John did
not elope with me-"
AStrange Freak.