Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-06-16
AN IMPRONPTU BEST MAN.

N~NNt--l'trN u hll tllr Il lNuCU OF l.. y. as
saUlCJ
People have a way Of speal5ing-wen,
q irlie lightly-of a horse dealers con-
science, but there are occasional honest
men among them. I myself know one
Tor whom would not hesitate to vouch.
1 would like to present him here under
ms true name. but the story connected
with him is Of such a nature that dis
/ erection iorbids me to identify him too
closely. l shall therefore call him John
Miller.
Twenty-Five years ago he was my
| laJners cOachman, but he was sober
and Industrious, in course of time he
married a cook, who had a snug little
| sum laid away for such an emergency;
and now he does quite a business as a
livery stable keeper out in the Mission
some days ago [ was commissioned to
| look up saddle horse for a young
widow who hOnOrs me with a show OF
confidence i'm my judgment in a variety
OF matters and accordingly betook my
self 90 the Mission TO see what Miller
might have ON hand and soon found
myself at his stable. I was not little
ast0nished to find him got up in q
shiny high hat, black coat, white tie
ana gray trousers. He was even tug
ging ON q pair of straw col0red gloves.
which thanks to the enormous fists they
imprisoned, looked like those a fencer
wears
Well, well. Miller" ] said. what's
the meaning of an this? Are you go
ing 20 be married."
Bless your soul, sir, no, sir" the ole
man replied, with a chuckle. My old
lady is still alive and kicking, praise
God. No sir, it's my little Josie that's
20 be married. She's turned eighteen,
just the right age, and q fine chance for
her came along in the nick of time"
His daughter joey, it seems, was to
| be married to q Mr. Hobbs, middle
aged veterinary surgeon with a house
or two and q snug little bank account,
who had physicked Millers horses for
several years past.
"Jocy's a dear good girl" Miller con-
Guided It's not three months since
she graduated from Miss Sudebaker's
Seminary for Young Ladies across the
Bay. / left her there as long as posi-
bile, for it's a first-class establishment,
and they make the young ladies toe the
mark there. / can assure you. Why.
she can't look at q man without blush
Ing. Hobbs is the first man she ever
saw that She diln't get as red as fire;
but the first time she saw him she burst
ont laughing. And il was that very
Thing, sir, that made him make up his
mind to marry her.
Just then a district messenger
brought q note to Miller who read it
carefully and then burst into a string
of good. round oaths.
well. if ever 1 saw the like" he
clustered. when he had somewhat re-
leyod his feelings. would You believe
it. sir. here's the best man gone and
sick Just as he was dressing for the
wedding. He's had to go to bed, and
we're due at the church in an hour. The
carriages are almost ready, and now
there's no best man.
'WhO is this remarkably frail young
man?' 1 asked.
Arthur Graney. sir. son Of the man
I buy my feed Of I chose him for the
best man myself-Hobbs Gidn't care
rap who it was so long as he got mar
ried He's a likely fellow, just your
height and build. and it's the first time
/ ever heard of his being sick. But
what I'm the world are We going to DO
without him?'
Poor Miller was as badly demOrallZed
as if be had just been told that his fut-
ure son-in-law already had a wife and
four children. Suddenly he seized me
by both arms and fixed me with a sup
plicating glance.
ooh. sir, he said. 'you can save us.
and what an honor it would be for us.
I've kn0wed You since YOU was mere
babby. sir. and it was me put you atop
of your first pony. Now
But I viii omit his touching recital.
The reader has already guessed what
was coming It was nothing less than
/ q request that 1 should take Arthur
Gauneys place i'm the wedding party. /
had always the kindlieSt recOllections
of the man when ne was in my father 4
service. besides the adventure promised
( TO be something of a lark. so l accepted,
and. as there was no time to lose, post
ell back to my rooms to dress, promis-
/ Ing to be back and at the church by
eleven o'clock
During the marriage ceremony the
I bride wept copiousiy- happiness,
doubtless. such, at letst. was evident
I lv the opinion of Hobbs. who gloated
over her. which made him less attrac-
| tive than ever. Everybody was more
orr less moved. except myself, / must
confess. As we were returning. to the
/ carriages my companion. who had been
watching me all the time out of the cor
ner Of her eye. gently pressed my arm
and whispered to me-
"YOu are a man
This was evidently ir,ended as
compliment. and ] hope / deserved it.
but had not the faintest idea what had
ELECTED IT, This singular young wo-
man was proudly tender I'm her manner
toward me. and | promised myself
very pleasant hour at the "ban1SsEs
which was to be served by eR-sss-> OF
local reDute There were four Of rs in
our cab-my young unknown, the other
maid of honor myself, and a young fell
low from some ranch in which Miller
owned an interest. The young woman
paid no attention to anyone but me. but
/ must say they We're Unremitting in
their efforts to amuse me. To put me
at ease. they informed me. both talking
az the same time. that they were poor
Josephines best friends that they had
been pupils at Studebaker's, in the next
class to Miss Miller's; and that they
had obtained leave for the day. but
must 20 back on The nine o'clock boat,
so MS to be i'm before ten o'clock-the
Z "reeuIar hour for locking up.
Thinging to show them that was not
dumb. / launched forth in an enthuSi-