The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-05
KISSED THE MAYOR.


Seemed Dazed.
NEW YORK, June g. --hielle Stanleyetta
Titus, the young lawyer, has taken her
partner for life, and the terms OF the
partnership have been made doubly secure
by two marriages. q civil one snda re-
ligious one. Mr.. Edgar q. Werner and
Miss Titus were first married in the
Friends meeting house in Rutherford
place, and then with few members of
the family the newly made man and wife
drove to the city hall. Here they were mar
ried again by Mayor Strong. after which
ceremony Mrs. Werner, according to witty
bystander, issued peremptory manda-
mus upon the Mayor to show cause why
he shouldn't kiss her. His Honor at first
was not quite equal to the occasion, for
the papers, SO to speak, had to he served
on him twice, but he finally plucked up
courage and was kissed, blushing the
while like school girl
The first ceremony in the Friends
meeting house was very simple, as all
ceremonies there are. The bride and bride
groom married themselves after the GUS
tom Of the Quaker sect. The meeting
house Was wholly without decorations
and the guests were few. Samuel Haines,
one OF the preachers, made short ad-
dress, and, after silent prayer, the
bride and the bridegroom exchanged
the marriage vows. Then the certificate
was signed. After this Mr.. and Mrs
Werner drove o the Mayors Office to
have the knot tied again. Colonel Strong,
with his little black book in hand, was
waiting for them, and he lost no time in
getting to work.
Mrs. Werner looked exceedingly pretty.
She is rather slender, OF medium height,
with dark hair and blue eyes. She was
most simply dressed in street gown of
light brown whlpcord, checked shirt
waist, and white straw hat trimmed
with lavender. Mr.. Werner wore he con-
ventionaI black froek coat and light
more self-possessed than bridal couples
usually are when they come before the
Mayor. The civil marriage service is not
long nor complicated. 1t was finished in
a couple OF minutes, and then came the
kissing episode.
During the first months of his term Of
Office His Honor kissed nearly every
bride he married, but of late he has stead
fastly refused to do so, much to the dis
appointment of some of thesbrides that
came before him. When he hao finished
yesterday Mr.. Werner asked:
sis that all2''
"Yes, that's all," replied His Honor.
Then he shook hands with them both,
congratulated them, and beaming all
over, stepped back toward his chair.
But neither Mrs. Werner nor Mr.. Werner
moved Mr.. Werner'bowed to the Mayor
and then looked at his wife, and his wife
smiled back at him and then looked
doubtfully to the Mayor, who was stand
ing, wondering what il was all about.
Then Mrs. Werner with little glow on
her cheeks took step forward and put
up her face to the Mayor; most inviting
face 1t was.
His Honor seemed either stupid or
afraid. He bobbed his head up and down
and smiled, but didn't respond to the
advance in the least. Then Mrs. Werner
looked at her husband again, and he nod
ded to her slightly, smiling the WHILE as
everybody in the room WAS doing. With
a still deeper flush on her cheeks and
broader smile she advanced toward the
Mayor again, and q second time put her
face up TO his.
This time the Mayor understood, and
he came forward and there was q kiss,
but whether the Mayor kissed the bride
or the bride the Mayor nobody knew, IL
was ell done SO quickly. AT any rate
ripple OF laughter went round In the
room in which not Only the spectators
but the actors in the little comedy
joined. Then il was that the irreverant
spectator made the remark about the
mandamus, and another said:
"No wonder she's success as q law
yer."
The Mayor shook hands with Mr.. and
Mrs. Werner again, chuckling and look
ing as IL he would not be averse to an
other experience of the same kind. AZ
ter they had got their certificate from
Clerk Burrows they went back to the
Mayor and bade him goodbye, and he
shook their hands again and wished
them good luck.
Mr.. and Mrs. Werner will sail for Eu-
rope on Saturday and will spend the
early part OF tho summer cycling through
Holland. They will return in October.