Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-03-19
faB WEDDING AT LUHLErS PASS.
By JRANSETTE II. wALwoRTH.

was locally called the "Lumle,
Pass folks" were few, hard-work
ing and unimaginative. They wer'
much given to staying at home ant
minding their own business, in tn,
sense which conveys total lack Of
interest in anybody else.
Long reaches Of rough noun.
tain roads; frequent torrents, which
rushed rudely wherever resistencs
was most readily overcome, CON-
lbinwu vtta 4 sosnbrs, stretolasso ! dsns<
forest 70 discourage sociability.
Nevertheless, when it became
known, in general way, that the
old tip-tiited log-house-a house
hoary with age--about which the
halo of romance had never clung,
was to be the scene of q wedding,
interest in it became vivid. and Wis.,
itors multiplied miraculously.
The house stood at the head of
the Pass. and gave it. its name. 1t
was Peter Lumley's daughter who
was TO be married.
That piece of information perco-
lated through Peter himself, one
evening when he had fingered at
the store in Hogan's Gulch long
enough to forget his usual tacitur-
nifty and wax confidential with 9TH
er late stayers.
On that occasion Mr.. Peter Lum-
ley remarked, in q general way,
that
"Women folks was a cussed lot
Of trouble when they got marvin
in their heads, an he was considu-
BILE thankful that he didn't have
but one gal to turn the world up
side down because a fellow had ask
ed her to change her name"
The amiable allusion to his only
daughter. coupled with the fact
that, earlier in the evening. Mr..
Lumley had openly invested in ten
yards OF white 'cross-bar' muslin
and .scalloped' handkerchief.
fastened the impending Change OF
name on Sue Lumley.
Until that cross bar muslin and
embroidered handkerchief, were &C
tually transferred from Hogsn's
counter to the gummy sack which
already held Peters supply Of to-
bscco, whlskey, seed potatoes and
rope for plow lines, the general pub
lie had laid no particular stress upon
Peters outburst.
Never before had Sue Lumley
been an object of even passing To-
cal Interest. No one had ever as
sociated her name with a possible
lover. She was accounted rather a
spiritless creature, totally lacking
in grit. Grit is a moral quality in
high repute with your mountain
eer.
Being motherless and sisterless,
Sue had grown up with even fewer
feminine accomplishments than fell
to the lot of other Lumley Pass
girls.
A wedding presupposes q man.
1t was long time before local gos-
sip fastened upon the right mar
for "Sue Lumley's beau" When
it did, curiosity was merged into
amazement bordering on indigna
ton.
Was Brad Martin bent on throw
in hisself clean away? Had BraG
Martin turned plum idiot ? wer,
questions which everybody was ask
ing bat nobody answered.
Bradley Martin was what nigh
be called newcomer, having onll
lived in the neighborhood of Lum
ley's Pass four or FIVE years. Non,
of his forbears had ever titled tn,
rocky acres he called his own.
He was a handsome fellow with
broad shoulders and strong, swif
legs, which carried him over tn,
steep. mountain paths with tn,
sue footedness of the goat.
There wasn't girl within twelv,
miles ef Peter Lumley's old graz
house that would not have lent /,
willing ear to Bradley Martin If b,
had come a-courting. But Su,
Lumley. of all the Pass girls p
Martin and Sue alone knew tt,
very beginning Of the love affai
whose imminent culmination wa
agitating the scattered settlers o
Lumley's Pass.
They had frat met each oths
when the Pass lay in the shadow
OF evening. which came early an,
fingered long in the maintain