The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-06-02
FOOLED ~ THE BRlDEcRo N
A Best Man whose Joke Was Fore
seen and Accordingly Failed Mis-
erably.

A Best Man Whose Joke Was Fore.
seen and Accordingly Failed Mis-
erably.
AT a noon wedding at the brides
home cut in a New Jersey suburb n
day last week, says the New York Sun,
the bridegroom accidentally dropped
the information to his best man that he
intended to take his bride that even
Ing to the theater, in New York, be-.
fore :.sum'ng the bridal journey the
next day. There was considerable talk
about The various play in town, and
the best man, with the consideration
that usually prevails on such occasions
offered to procure seats that afternoon
Tor any performance that the bride
groom might prefer. The bridegroom
said he had obtained his seats.
Il trust they are good ones,' said the
best man, and the brideg room said
they were, for he had selected them
himself.
"Of course, they're not in a box"
said the best man, for that would be
too conspicuous. and I know you
wouldn't care to advertise your we'd
DING In any such manner"
You bet your life, old man. said
n bridegroom, with the ease and
familiarity that BELTS a happy nan Oh
such an occasion, they are not in 4
box. They are right in the center of
the orchestra Seats" and to make u
show that narrowness had taken no
part in the days events, as most BRIDE
grooms 90, he gave the numbers and
row letter of the seats. He wasn't fus-
tered a bit, and this memory of de-
tails showed it.
With a wicked CLEAN in his eyes the
best man turned away, and after much
whispering it was noticed that he took
h next convenient train to town on
the plea that he had some urgent bust
ness that must be looked after before
the office closed. His urgent business
showed itself when the patrons of a we'll
known uptown theater arrived for the
performance. They were astonished to
see two seats in the center of the house
deliberately decorated with white rib
bon, SmilaX, roses and other flowers;
and every man and woman took in the
situation at once. There was such cram
ing of necks as seldom is seen in a
theater, as each arrival came down the
center isle. That house was in good
humOr long before the curtain went up.
The young women especially seemed
beside themselves with interest. Would
they never come, and how would they
act? A sedate and portly couple of
middle age passed into the row, and
there was a sigh of disappointment as
fhnv h0rnrnI 0lN,p% tho ~D,<r Fo~ n
time, but they finally settled down
next to the decorated places. Two men
occupied seats on the other side of these
chairs. Except these two seats, the
whole row was filed when the perform
ance began.
w. minutes passed and there was
a commotion. A young man in evening
dress, accompanied by a budding. su,il-
ing young woman in a tailor made
gown, sw,pt down the aisle, and the
usher showed the way. The young man
drew back at the entrance to the row
to allow the young woman to pass in.
She got by two men before her eyes
lighted on the seats. With an express
siou of horror and a little scream she
drew back, and then fairly rushed back
into the aisle. The bOuSe was wild
with merriment n the young couple
retreated UP the aisle and out of doors.
Throughout the evening the two seats
remained vacant. There was n young
IN a few rows back, however, who
had sat a. if awaiting the arrival of
people to fill the bridal seats but who
didn't laugh. He was the best man.
He remained through the performance
to wait for further developments, and
at the close he was amazed to see the
bridal couple Of the afternoon, who had
sat in the balcony urprece;ved by him,
wclking cut calmly with the other
auditors and both smiling. The BRIDE
grocn touched the best man on the
shoulder and said:
"Say, Billy, you didn't suppose I was
fool enough to give you the right NUM-
bers to u seats, did vou?"