Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-12-13
MY WEDDING EVE.
A shop-walker's story.

~ "hu lAaSou, tue WeI-kuOWu Se1lPTdl
providers in the Borough, and it was
MI. S~pencely's own daughter, and the
sweetest girl in the world to boot, that
I was to marry on the morrow. I was
IN the counting-house with Mr.. Mason,
talking over some matter Of business,
when a shopman came to say l was
wanted. / ran down stairs to my spec
ial department, the drapery, to find that
a lady was awaiting my coming. She
had, II turned out, made some large pur-
chases. to the extent Of three hundred
pounds. but. having forgotten her pock+
etboOk. had requested that someone
might &c with her TO receive payment.
In keeping with our usual course of
business. this task fell to me.
The lady's carriage was standing at
Sie door. footman and coachman both
In a quiet and becoming livery.
"A regular t%ip.topper," whispered
Bob Edwards to me, one Of u hands,
who had himself been waiting on the
lady. Buys everything without ask
Ing the price"
i felt rather shy and, I fear. awk-
ward at first, but before our drive zane
TO an end / was satisfied fifth myself
and charmed with my companion. We
drew up before a substantial house in
one Of the smaller squares of the West
end. A grave-locking major-domo or
butler. as / took him to be, opened the
door. and | was ushered into a room,
while the lady and her butler
ed in a low tone In the hall.
"fr. Stewart will see you in a min
ute" the lady at length said, pushing
$1,000 4hA IA4- N ltNtI - ,.AlA, ~-l H.
ing it as she Withdrew her head. Then
heard the outer door close with q
bang, the carriage steps put up, and the
noise Of wheels rapidly retiring. Mr..
Stewart was evidently in no hurry, for
ten minutes passed, and still no sign of
his coming. / was anxious to get back
TO business, and began to feel annoy
ed.
/ had been walking the feeling off,
but at last. out of patience, 1 proceeded
to open the door. 1t was fast. For a
moment l suspected a trap, but ii was
for a moment only. Mrs. Stewart, l
reflected, was a thorough lady. Besides
had she been dishonest. the amount at
stake was a mere bagatelle to n who
could afford to live In such a house.
She had probably exceeded the limits
OF her commission, mo- an unusual
thing with ladies shopping, as I know
TO my-no, to their husbands cost,
and she and Mr.. Stewart would be hav-
ing a little matrimonial tiff" over the
bill. For a few brief moments l com
placently, by a natural divergence of
the train of thought, pictured Elias fu-
tuTe linked with mine, without the
slightest possibility of any difference
ever arising. 1 learned better after
wards-but that Is DEPRESSING.
In the midst of this day-drem, / re-
member, 1 mechanically surveyed the
apartment. The windows struck me
ms being an unusual height from the
door. There were no chairs, except
pne- a library chair-near the massive
table, but luxurious seats extended
along three sides Of the room. /
threw myself into the chair and tried
10 push it back from the table. Both
alike refused to stir they were screwed
fast to the floor.
L now awoke from my dream to the
conviction that / was a-well, not ex-
actly a Solomon. and that / had been
trapped. / rained blows upon the door
with hands and feet, too, and, after a
hort delay, the aforesaid butler appear
ed, accompanied by two men, presum-
ably fellow-servants.
why am / kept waiting here?' I de-
manded.
Don't get excited, my dear sir"
'sTell Mr.. Stewart I can't wait any
longer, and that l must have the
money"
"Ali In good time, my dear sir; all
In good time. Don't get excited, I beg
Of you. Excitement to a nervous tenn
permanent is"
Nervous temperament be hanged.
Fay me my money and let me out Of
this"
"All in good time, all in good time"
What was I to do? The man was
smiling, unctuous. imperturbable. Geaf
to my arguments, unnoved by my pro-
testations. / ragged and sto- ned, called
them all swindlers, and threatened to
have them indicted. 1t was all of no
use; / might a. well have stormed at
the table and the solitary chair.
Gradually l cooled down, as n who
needs must, and, in a hoarse voice,
begged them to say what they intended
doing with me, and what in the world
1t all meant, for 1t had now dawned
upon me that they were not acting a
part, but were sincere according to
their light.
And then, to my horror, / learned
that the gentleman / had aiken for a
butler was Aloysius Fitzsimmons, M.
d., F. r. G. F., the great specialist
In obscure diseases of the nerves and
brain, and keeper Of a private establish
ment devoted to the care Of the cere-
brally afflicted" as he uoted from his
own prospectus, which / had afterward
the pleasure of perusing. 1 confessed,
somewhat injudiciously, that I had new
er so much as heard of him before,
but il only furnished him with fresh
proof Of my insanity. He wound up a
long monologue by telling me that Mrs.
Hall was to call on the morrow to In
quire how / was getting on.
And who may Mrs. Hall be-" I
asked, scarce knowing what / said,
for everything seemed topsy-turvy now.
Poor man, poor man, a bad CASE
i heard him say, soto vOce; ''he has
yen forgotten his own name" Then
aloud, 'sThe lady who accompanied you
here. your wife,"
my wife!' i shouted.
Quiet, my dear sir; you forget your
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