The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-03-16
THE BRIDAL TOUR.

Jeremiah Plodgott, ta1lOf OF larry
town, stepped before the long mirror
in his cutting-roon in a brand new suit
of clothes, and turned himself round
and round before the glass 10 witness
the perfectness Of their fit.
Tomorrow" said he-and he must
have been talking to hir.sclf, as he
was alone-"tomorrow I shall be the
happiest fellow in existence; and Min
nit ought to be the happiest girl, for
where could she have found Il better
looking bridegroom than l shall make,
or one that is more forehanded, con-
sidering that Eve had only my two
hands to carve my fortune WITH"
Had jeremiah had an auditor. he
would doubtless have smiled at the
idea Of the tailor thinking himself
g~ood-looking.
He was extremely tall and uncouth
in form with a sallow, dried away.skln
and eyes about as eXpressionless'
lusterlcss as they could be; and as to
his fortune, II consisted Of lis little
shop and a rather pretty cottage, to
furnish and repaint which all the sur
plus cash within the tailor's command
had been called into r~equisltion.
Il hope that dandiied VIII Pomfret,
who used to hang around Minnie so,
will he at the wedding. 1t would 90
me good to SEQ his upper lip drop IKE
a scolded baby's when Minnie re-
him, and all the world, Tor me.
Confound the upstart: he'd take ner
from me at the last moment II he
could, and I shan't rest entirely easy
till the words are said which make her
Mrs. Plodgett."
Thus soliloquizing. jeremiah Invested
himself of his wedding gear, and pro
ceeded to pack each article with the
incest care into his satchel. linen he
took out his purse and counted its con-
tents to make sure, that after takinG
the short bridal tour he II Minnie
were contemplating, he hould have
enough to stock his pantry win neces-
sary stores.
"There'll be plenty" unused Jeremiah
as he replaced the wallet in his pocket
land If Minnie doesn't mind taking q
basket of lunch to save eating at the
restaurants on the road, we can go to
the Falls.
The next morning before the rising
sun FURNISHED the windows OF Jere-
miah's hillside cottage, its owner was
seated III the car, and being rapidly
whirled away toward Albany. where
lived Minnie Roche, his intended BRIDE.
Arrived in the city jeremiah re-
nared to a hotel and donned his wed
ding apparel.
They were to be married in churcn,
and how his heart futtered when he
| thought Of the hungry eyes which
| would be there to devour him.
But when he actually stood before
! the altar, with fair Minnie blushing 50
| p~rettily by his side, his heart ceased
to futter merely. and knocked furi-
| ously against it's ribbed Enclosure, while
! his knees trembled and seemed about
| to knock together.
Jeremiah turned once to see If his
| former rival was there, and encounter
| ed such a sea of up-turned faces that
| he thought the whole city had turned
| out to see him married, and he nearly
tainted away
What a relief the poor fellow felt
| when, the ceremony over, he walked
| down the aisle with Minnie. and saw
Will Pomfret. pale and sad-counte-
nanced. leaning against a pillar.
But just as the happy pair reached
the open air, and We're about to enter
a waiting carriage, the hand of an
| officer of the law vas laid heavily on
Jeremiah's shoulder, and both bride
and groom turned pale at the words:
"You are my prisoner"
Too bewildered to speak, or even to
think clearly, jeremiah dropped his
arms and turned his eyes appealingly
to Minnie. as though he expected that
she, being well posted in relation to
city and customs. could give
some explanation; but Minnie was pale
and agitated, and her hand clutched
her husbands arm convulsivelv.
AS they stood thus for q moment a
woman alighted from a cab and, fol-
lowed by half n dozen youngsters Of
various ages, ranging from sixteen
years down to three. came forward.
wringing her hands disconsolateIy and
looking unutterable things at Jera-
miah.
ooh SAM. Saul! How could YOU do
this thing? You have broken my heart
indeed you have. Saul!' And with
this the m who was far from
young. II a very witch for ugliness.
rusled forward. and throwing her
rawny arms around the br~idegroom's
neck, sobbad Historically, now and
then thrusting her gloveloss right hand
at lnnie face in a manner we'll cal
c'llated to make the poor girl trembIe
for the safety Of her eyes. ooh. Saul,
SAUL again walled the woman. "How
ron'd You leave me and poor, dear
h''1ren for that creature? But como
'"E with me now. and all shall hn
'orGottnn. The children want their
n7pa. Don't you. d%arlings?' and The
deserted wife wiped her streamins
eyes with a corner of her wran.
You go TO Halifax. and the little
lmps, roo. for all I care broke from
Jeremiah's pale lips. eff this is one
nf your Internal city lodges T shall he
glad when I'm out of it again, that's
all"
(Which won't be tonight. NV prettv
Bird said the officer. CURLY. Come
this way. We know what is good
for such cove as you"
With a cry between a shrek and n
moan. the woman unclasped her arms
from Jeremiah's neck and sank down
on the steps of the church. Thus ut
liberty. jeremiah quickly put himself
in a defensive attitude, and Minnie.
covered with shame and confusion, re-
I treated to the side Of her father. who
now recovered from his establishment
sufficient to demand an explanation.
Hes my own lawful husband, and
has been these years" And the WON
IN swayed her body to and fro. He
left n week ago, pretending he wa,i
| going To Cbicapo and boro bo h.c boou