Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-02-17

ms lLlNl NiQ AukN IS Il StHNlpl WERE a
couple Of horses attached TO a tumble
down carriage, the whole outfit decked
ia white ribbons, while merry party
OF Young people peltod the blushiug
pair with hardfuls Of rice. SO that
whom they entered the car they were
greeted with knowing smiles that
made the bride blush all the harder
and caused the groom to look sort OF
defiant as though he would like TO
rcll us all to mind our own business
Il didn't take much notice OF him,
he seemed Ike any man would under
the circumstances. but she-she was
the sweetest. purest prairie flower
that I had ever seen"
Il knew there was woman in il
some where" whispered Tom. Jacks
stories are never complete without
woman"
Not noticing the interruption, the
narrator went on: My next stop was
at Bellrvillc, new town where there
were several huStlcrs whom l could al
ways rely on FOR a good order 1t was
only natural, when / found that the
bride and groom were to get OF there
also. that | took second look Mt them,
aud, boys III never forget that girls
book Of new emotions. Love and trust
were uppermOst, but there were also
the sign marks of a certain timidity,
a shrinking from the new. untvied life
that was about to begin, and q half
longing for the sirlhood io~ that had
been left behind in that little jay town
Il hundred miles away.
They walked ahead Of me through
the main street OF the town and pass.
e's-by would raise their hats. then
nudge each other knowingly BY this
pautomlme | concluded that the groom
must be 4 resident of the place and
found later that my Surmise was cor
rect, for ut the one hotel in the town
all the talk OF the bar room loungers
was of Ezra Tappen's bride He was
one of the first settlers in Bclleville
having come with his parents when he
WIS but a year old, and twenty years
in a mushroom city counts rs much as
sixty IN New York They talked Of the
new home he had built for her; they
told of the diamond ring he had given
her; they dilated on her good fortune,
but said never a word of his in secur-
ing such flower Of purity and limo
cence.
Il didn't know what made me do
It, but next day / walked out by the
new home-you know the type, Il built
In 81 ,f MI Ng.ifl.
or shrI.bbery anywhere around and
the paint so fresh 1t makes you wink
to look nj it, She was ont on the porch
as | PASSED. and Just that glimpse Of
her made the place look more home
like She was the kind OF woman 10
make things look that way--a woman
born 10 be a happy wife and mother
You know what I mean, boys" hc add
ed, apologeticaily, as though they
might think him getting too sentiment
al.
81 didn't see her again until my next
trip, and then her husband introduced
us He was prospecting finely and their
home was just the contest nest you
could imagine There were some
whispers that he was drinking rather
heavily, but l saw no signs of it, and
certainly, Nellic-that was what he call
ed her. seemed too happy to have any
worrimcnt of that sort in her life
~ can hear her laugh now as ! told
her of the first day saw her, and she
would smile as her husl nd ioked her
about the rice, declaring that there
was enough in her bonnet 70 supply
him with pudding for a year, ntimat-
ing to me that that staple constituted
their principal diet until not one more
grain could be discovered IN umbrellas
or hat bands.
when | came again there was a
baby boy In the new house, and Ncllie's
face bloomed with that wondrous digni-
~ of love that comes with motherhood.
Her husband was going It q bit too
hard, but as a man Is privileged to
make q fool Of himself over his first
child ! didn't think much about it, but
I on my next visit | saw that matters
in the Tappen household were not
/ what they should be
/ Ezra was losing trade, he gave me
no order this time and Ncllie's eyes
/ looked troubled The baby wasn't
strong and ] could see that worry was
/ taking pounds Of flesh from the moth
/ er's pretty figure and setting its mark
upon her smooth brow. She never
complained she was too proud for
that Her loyalty to her husband
would have kept her lips sealed under
all circumstances, but ], who had not
see her for six months, could readily
detect the havoc that financial and
mental worries had wrought
Il didn't see her again for year
In the meantime the baby had died
and / found her trying so hard 70 be
4 brave. yet bending before the weight
Of her troubles like a reed in q strong
gale The boys death had caused Tap
\ pen to drink all the harder, and things
I .r..,,. .r,t,c. F,.ly,, IgaH n vvrpt.ga rTf{ta