The advocate., 1894-05-23

All laughed. Any joke is good on
such an occasion.
"That is bad. Why did we not think
of that? will tell you what we will
do to help you, if you wish. We will
lend you our license when We get
through with it. We shall not need it
again"
All laughed at this joke, too.
Honest, Marsh, I mean it. Can't
you put off your weddingP You'll
have to read up anyhow, for you must
be our preacher. We won't have any
body else."
swell, old fellow, l am sorry for
you. It seems to be case of the fool
ish virgins. You should have been
prepared for any emergency. We sym
pathiZe with you; but 'prOcrastination
is the thief of time;' / am growing old,
and this wedding must proceed. Per-
haps it is not too late to send meSsen-
ger to town for the states permission
for another wedding. we shall see,
as the novelists say"
The minister now appeared on the
scene, and the bridal procession went
down stairs. After a brief ceremony,
Mason and Kate were pronounced man
and wife. Congratulations followed.
Harbinson and Grace were particu-
larly enthusiastic. Dan Glass remarked
to Judge Bolder that he proposed to
"get even with that heterOdOx parson
for stealing the best and only girl the
News had ever had on its staff, and to
whom the editor would, had she been
willing, have given lifetime job and
thrown in his name," and Bolder i'm
mediately told what Dan had said.
Then everybody laughed.
Meantime Mason had found oppor-
tunity to speak to his father in q sub
dued tone; and OVerton remarked:
II felt sure it would be so, and /
thought it best to be prepared. We
cannot tell what moment Graham's 8
spies may be upon us, and the sooner
Lena becomes Mrs. Cotterell the bet
ter. In all probability her arrival at
Golden was noted by some miserable
detective"
He produced a paper, and Mason
showed it to John and Lena, and held
a brief consultation with them. Then
he requested silence, and to the aston
ishment Of all, the bridal party ar
ranged itself again, but this time with
John and Lena as principals, and
another wedding was in progress. AT
its conclusion, Slick Blackburn, who
had been all the time obsCurely pres
ent, could be silent no longer. With
colossal grin he seized Overton's
hand and exclaimed:
"I declarl Why, Cunnel, If you all
had broke bofe YOU legs that heah
time, you'd done married off de whole
'munityp
Which caused much merriment; and
he supplemented this with:
Miss Ka-- Mrs Mason, who's gwine
to run you noosepapah now?"
The guests had recovered from their
surprise, and began to congratulate
John and Lena; Mrs. Delorme embrac-
ing them both with tears Of Joy. There
was a sound Of wheels, rap at the
door, and two men entered wearing
stars.
sis there q Miss Graham hereY'
asked one of them, in a tone of author
iThere tcas, yes sir" said Judge
Bolder; "but she has just become Mrs.
Cotterell-the wife of this gentleman, "
pointing to John. "Under the circum-
stances, l presume you have no busi-
ness here"
"And you'd better be maxim tracks
pretty alfred quick, too" exclaimed
Sam Cotterell. "Whst right have you
got to be s-prowlin' round my house, 7
Now, you gitl'
Meantime John was advancing to-
ward the door when Bolder and Dan
Glass stopped him. The officers apollo
gized and left.
Among the wedding presents was 9