The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-02-16
miscellaneous.
THE THIRD TIME.

THE THIRD TIME.
John and Elsie had been engaged for
couple of years, and finally decided
| they were well enough off in material
affairs to have the knot tied for good.
So John built his cottage, while
Elsie was busted about carpets and
| linens, and all went merry as the mar
riage bell that was soon to ring.
The day before that set for the we'd
dingJohn and Elsie went to their cot
tage with several friends to take a
general survey. Their ''house warm
ingh was to be after the wedding and
trip in the good old fashioned way.
John had bought a beautiful side
board for the little dining-room, and as
sideboards were not common furniture
in the village this one caused much
friendly comment and criticism. John
had placed it at one side of the room.
1T would be much prettier over
here" said Elsie
Now, why ques toned John.
"Well, it would show more from the
other room and have a good light, too
she replied.
But it would throw the room all
out of proportion" said he. THE
table goes here, and the stove there,
and you see now how huddled up the
room would look with the sideboard
where you want it.
Il do not think So" returned Elsie,
although she did, and John looked at
her in establishment. Just see how
pretty it would look from here"
"Pshaw p said John testify, women
never see but one thing at a time.
| The sideboard will stay where it is
They had been engaged so long they
did not have that fear of being nisun-
derstood so characteristic of short ac-
uuaintances Doubtless Elsie would
not have thought again of his remark,
but would have waited her opportun-
ity to move the sideboard to suit her
self and either convince him or be con-
WINGED herself, had not one of their
female friends said sniffingly:
Its plain to see who is going to
rule in this house !"
1t ranked with Elsie. She was the
one, she thought, who should have
the say in such matters, and the long
er she thought the worse it looked
| and the more tyrannical seemed her
soon to be husband. 1t was too late
to break the engagement, for every
detail of the wedding was arranged
| for the next day.
So the morrow found q tasteful
bride, but in the gladness of his heart
John never noticed her constraint and
uuietness. A bride is always expected
| to be fearful and solemn, and Elsie,
with her white dress and veil and ira
| ditional orange blossoms, was an ideal
| bride and one of whom any man
might well be proud.
John made his responses with a
hearty good will, and then the minis
ter turned to Elsie and asked her the
usual question.
MOP answered Elsie, and the min
lister started He was slightly deaf
and leaned forward to assure himself
he was not mist aiken. Il do not I'M
derstand you, my dear" said the good
old man.
Mop repeated Elsie in clear ring
ing tones, and Johns confusion was
great.
He flushed and paled, then turned
and walked deliberately out of the
church, while Elsie smiled triumph
antly in the crowd to weep in grief
when at last alone. Her ruler was
gone but, oh, how sorry she was
1t was the sensation of the country.
|
John, and Elsie staid closely at home.
One day, just four weeks afterward,
John came walking up to Elsie's door,
and she flew out to meet him. He
! told her he had made his intended
| honeymoon trip all alone, but it was
lonesome, and he came back to see if
she would not try it over again and
take the trip with him.
She said she would, and then timidly
asked if she might move the sideboard
when they came back. He told her
certainly, and he would help her; it
was too heavy to move alone. And
| just as the villagers were recovering
from the sensation of the unfinished
wedding they received an invitation to
see it repeated.
This time, blushing and smiling,
Elsie was led to the altar. 1t was
double triumph. Surely he was
lover true and bold who would remain
thus constant after such a notifying
experience. When the good old min
lister asked John if he would take this
woman to be his welded wife. the
answer was Il reSoundlnS distinct
Mo-
The minister could not be mistaken,
Johns answer could be heard outside
the church door.
What means this triiiing with sa-
cred things - cried the good old man
in righteous wrath.
Revenge ~ quoth John dramatical-
ly, and he strobe out of the church,
while poor Elsie, thoroughly punish
ed, fell in faint.
John went away again, and the
months rolled on and on, until two
! years had passed, and he had never
come back, nor did anybody hear
from him. Elsie had the key to the
cottage, and she locked it with every
thing in it, but she moved the side
board to suit herself first.
At the end of two years John came
back and walked up to Elsie's door
again. In her heart she had expected
him all the time, although she had
never allowed herself to think of it"
"How do you do, john % said she,
but she did not ask him in.
Pretty we'll, Elsie, and SO are you,
l see," he returned, and there was a
little twinkle in his blue eyes. Il
guess we are about even, aren't we,
Elsie %
II believe we are," she answered,
but there was pain in her pretty brown
eyes.
Il wish, though, we had got married
that first time,' he said gravely.
80 do | Oh, John, did wrong y
ami then she began to cry and held
the door open for him to come in.
They had third wedding day, and
, they both said Yes" t, everybody
:, relief. The sideboard stood as Elsie
arranged it until they had returned
from the wedding trip, and the house
r warming, so long delayed, was over
Then Elsie wanted John to help hel
, arrange it his way.
The room does look better with it
SOL she admitted, and thereafter it
was very hard to say which was the
more submissive, John or Elsie.