Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-18

why shouldn't we be married at once?'
 "Oh, Jim"-what a rosy color suf- fused the brown little face-''it is i'm posSible!"
 ''No such thing, Gladdie. we need only wait week or two to comply with tho legal formalities and then goody forever to all attempts to sever us Won't you-wOn't you conscnt?"
 Jim was very persuasive, and Gladys was very lonely, and love was very strong. And somehow between the threo 1t was practically settled by tho time they reached Thurloe square The awful imprudence, the desperate fatuity of this sudden step, which good, motherly Mrs. Greenaway tried to impress upon them both, they simply lost sight of in their ridioulouSly childish happiness. And that tender hearted matron, after scolding them both soundly for their folly and prophesying the most miser- able results from so rash marriage, en- forced her lesson by offering Gadys temporary homo and permission to bo married from Thurloe square, if she really was bent upon that insane step.
 It would look very bad for you, my dear, circumstanccd as you arc, to be married from lodgings or a hotel," Mrs Greenaway said. And though l am strongly opposed to this most imprudCnt union. yet if it is to take place. as you both seem obstinately determined, l should like to see it celebrated in re- spectable way
 The good lady further insisted upon one conditi?n, which both Jim and Gladys willingly accepted. This was that each should write, tho one to his uncle, the other to the aunt, apprising them of the intended marriage She i'm pressed upon them-even these foolish young people saw the wisdom of her ro- markS-that any appearance of secrecy in the matter would be the worst possi- ble thing for them, and that moreover it would bo entirely usoleS- sinco they were both of age, and no ono could pos sibly stop their marrying Therefore, on all accounts, the less concealmCnt tho better.
 So Jim wrotc to Uncle Obed and ao- tually had the nerve to ask him to the wedding, while Gladys wrote to Aunt Louisa tender, loving nttlo letter which might have moved an ogreSs- No reply, however. was vouchsafed to either misSive
 The time soon slipped away, and the day of tho wedding-tho earliest posSi- ble dato allowed by law-arrived. Tho marriage was to bo solemnized carly at 10 o'clock-and very quietly. no ono being invited except tho Grocnaway family and q friend of Jim's to act as best man. Mir. Grconaway undertook 
 bride, who was to be married ill n simple travelling dress, and immediately after the corcmony tho happy couple werc to proceed to Victoria, ell rOuto for Brigh- ton, whcro they proposed to spend a weeks honCymoon-tho nccdful for which was ono of kind Mrs. Grccu- l away's wedding presents-bcforo ro- turning to tho cares of n penniloSs exist ence
 Jim and his best man wero the first to arrive at tho church. Whilo they were waiting ill the veStry, tho window of which overlooked the approach through tho churchyard, Jim's friend, watching for the first signs of tho bridal party, gave vent to a sudden cxclama- tion:
 Hello, who's this spruce old John py in tho white waiStcoat:" Jim started and turned pale.
 Good LCrd" ho cried Its my Cnclo Obcd He has accepted my invi- ;ation, after all, then. l hope to good ness hc docS not mean onIlke n useless disturbance.
 Before ho had timc to say much moro | Uncle Obcd, very smartly attircd, hiI | white waistcoat contrasting strongly with his rcd facc, walked into the vos- try.
 "HaL you reprobatcr" ho criC,l, scowl- ing at his nephew II have come to | witness the consumuation of your ruin, | you sec"
 1 You aro very kind, an sure, un- cle, " answered. Jim. holding out his hand, with all tho coriialtty of cxcoss- i've happiness
 tone
 Look here, my lad." said he 'There's not much time for eXplana- tionS Tho brides will bo hero in a min ute, and wo must be moving up to the altar. may just say this, however: Blood is thicker than water, you rogue and loves a divine thing, after all And to show that there's no i'll feeling and that 1t is all comfortably settled we have arranged a joint wedding, in which Miss Bailey and havo agreed to assist
 "You-you arc going to be married, unclc?" cried Jim ill amazomcnt-
 And why the devil not, sir? If I'm an ass, so arc you. And if. as I'm in- clined to think, WIG arc both playing the d-d idiot tho old fool will help to keep the young fool in countenaucr.
 With these words Uncle Olscd caught his astnnishod nephew hy tho arm and led him away to tho altar Only just in time, for they had scarcely taken their places when the brides and their fol lowing entered the church And SD it fell out that the rich and the poor rela tions were all turned of together,
 Nothing like testing yon young lov- CTS. '' said Uncle Obcd in the course of a subsequent interview with Jim. You were both-pardon my saying so-a trifle green, and had it been known that either of you was heir to fortune you would have been marked out as a safe prey by matrimonial speculatorS Then you went and got engaged to one another. We elders were both delighted at the upshot of events, but we thought we would just satisfy ourselves that it was a genuine love affair, and so, my dear boy, we have ''-London Truth. CUBA.