The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-27


praised up old Stephen to her daughter
as being accomplished and eligible.
The fact IS that Stephen Mech owns a
mighty likely farm, and, furthermore
great many years ago he put 81 600 in the
Norwich Savings Bank an has never
teched principal or interest sence.' OF
course II kept on swelling in the bank
ana now amounts to over Sl2G00. so that,
all IN all, Uncle Stephen is ''wuth not
penny less'n $4,000" Some say S2O. QUO,
but it's $4,000, without a shadow of
a doubt and accomplishments of
the sort count in North Stoning-
ton-Ashwillet is in that remarkable
historic rural turkey town The course
OF true billing aud cooling in thrifty
North StoDington, as a rule. does not ex-
ceed twelve month in length. then event
uatlng IN marriage, because it is the pru-
cent public sentiment there that a couple
ought to be able to fix things in a hull
year." moreover, popular opinion frowns
on courtshlp that outlaSts single bar
rel of kerosene oil, worth g. 80 or "a
uncle stephens Courtship in the early
stages of it, went slow or kept in the
middle of the road, but along toward its
hnlsh events came thick and fast, fairly
tripping each other in hurrying, heed
less sweepstakes.
It was in May, of Sunday evening,
with volunteer peep-frog chorus down
in the Swain meadows going for all it was
worth, that Uncle Stephen asked his
prima donna if she would have him and
the captivating young lady, having
blushed once, hanging her head for half
a minute, replied that she would, provided
her mother was willing In a business
like way then she promptly interviewed
that sagaciouS lady in her kitchen, who
was dom up the Swain Sunday night
supper dishes, and she made answer in
the proper and fatLering North Stoning-
ton way that she hadn't no special OBJ
lection, so long as the young folks was
agreed.
Early in June Uncle Stsphen and Jen-
ME made a special journey to Boston, and
he bought her a complete bridal outfit
most beautiful to look at; also the grand
est piano in the market, that cost him
just $500.
Still, even in the intoxication and bliss
of hymenial distraction Nutmeg bucoliC
sultor rarely parts company with his
familiar thrift so the discerning Miss
IreadwaY was not at all disturbed in
mind when her lover had her piauoforte
billed to be delivered at his instead of her
home in Ashwillit.
1T I'D be all right" Uncle Stephen ex-
planned, fur it I'D be one and the same
thing, common property TO 'em, Jest as
soon as they were spliced."
The wedding day had already been
named by Miss Treadway, to-wit, June
q, and expeditiously, but with an ever
lasting sight of tuning and fussing couu-
| try dressmakers and milliners kiting
about the Swain farmhouse, camping for
weeks on the premisef, Miss Jennie's
trousseau was fabricated II was all in
creamy white, with tuttering ribbons
flutes and hutfs and drifting spray of lace !;
| and after Miss Jennie had dOnned the
gear one day Just for trial trip, all the
! Ach rrirl ro,-ily
! their envy and jealousy and said she
| looked real regal
| But alas! all unbeknown, unsurmised
| by the prospective young bride, there was
| trouble in the wind and trouble on the
| old mans mind.
/ 1t was Of a summers evening in the
| Swain homestead, 1t seems and Uncle
| Stephen had been listening entranced to
| Jennie carOlling, that is to say, about
| two thirds entranced-his being of thrift
always to be eXcepted-when that lively
and thoughtful, perhaps too thoughtful
/ and prudent, damsel crept up under the
/ old mans wing. nestled there, and coOed
! the fact is, so Stephen AYERS, she sprang
! the same old chestnut on him which his
! other flames had done, about iointures OF
something, special prerogatlves, and pro
visions for herself in the matter of the
mutual Mech estate in project
That settled it, although the old man
didn't say overmuch just then; but, al
ways shy and skeery in respect of his
pecunlary possessions, he SHE'D cOnSpicu-
ously at Miss Jennie's proposition. No,
ne said, he couldn't make any rash prom
Use about the future, and he even declined
TO forfeit to his sweetheart his proprie-
tary, Copartnership, half-share interest in
Miss Jennie's $500 piano.
Miss Treadway, to put it mildly, was
nipped, but she yelled her chagrin, so
there was no open outbreak and quarrel ;
and at O'Clock precisely-it's early
hours in North Stonington-the old man
slid out of the house silently and slid
home atoot and across lots.
1t is still a moot question in Ashwillet
and Preston city -One faction thinks one
way and the other "aggs contrawise''-
whether Miss Treadway inspected things
after her evening executive session on
finance with her national lover: at any
rate, she went straight ahead, like the
well-regulat ed woman she Is, with her
preparations for her nuptials. 1t was
gay and Joyous summer weather on June
~ and two towns turned out in holiday
mood and Sunday fnerY to attend the
Meech-Swain nuptials. The Swain home
stead was thronged with youthful guests,
in particular, and among them t1oated
Miss Jennie IN her brand-new robe, like
butterfly, somewhat iridescently. in fact,
commented an animated and eXpectant
native, Seems s eff everybody an his
wife he'd come ter see the tie-up;" true,
everybody about, except Uncle Stephen
| NJ Mech He didn't come. And natur-
ally. under the circumstances, his mex
plicable absence was remarked. 1t was
noted wonderingly by everybody and
his wife. and more particularly by Miss
| Tread way herself and the officiating
clergyman, who had got all ready to do
his work. and certainly needed him But
he never came. Miss Treadway. how
ever, is no Mariana of the moated grange
kind of a young heroine; and while she
NAV have been a trihe weary in respect OF
Stephen NJ. Mech at the time, she did
not reveal it. In a practical way she
notified the company that the match had
! been declared of, producing letter from
| her recreant sutton, in which he wrote
that on account of the financial specula-
tons involved in their late ante-nuptial
interview, he had become 'skeery' of the
! consequences.
Thereupon the bridal party disbanded,
and Miss Jennie, having removedher nup-
tial robe and put it carefully away, pend
ing a possible happier event and day in
/ the future, assisted her mother in put
ting the house to rights.
But she was by no means through with
| MFR. Stephen Mech as vet. On the con-
trary. she has Just brought suit against
him, accusing him of breaking his plighted
! trotb 10 her. and demanding 5000 dam
arae on account of the injury to her