Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-12-23

dition that chicken salad will be in,"
che moaned. s1t is preposterous to talk
to me of patiencel I've said all along it
was to be an unlucky day, because you
all know perfectly well-at least if You
don't you ought to+-that it is just IS
years ago this day: that we were all
gathered at Fort Qreok for the funeral
of Captain Crocub which was to take
place the moment the ambulance got in
from the front, and the band was all
ready, and the escort and the hearse and
and after all the whole thing had to
be abandoned, for when the ambulance
got in there were no remains at all-at
least there were, bat they weren't t ready
for burial because; they'd revived and
were sitting up and saying shocking
things. Why, I think wedding with
out bride is tent;times worse than q
funeral without a-without a.
But here, it must be admitted, the
burst of laughter in which Rorke in
dulged was too much for her determina-
ton to weep, and, blazing through her
tears, the maiden demanded explanation
Of his unseemly conduct. Rorke was q
permanent member Of the colonel's es-
tablishment now, but he could not risk
Miss Lucretia's; displeesure, and was
wise and knew his danger and fed to
the kitchen, there to tell cook and
Chinaman the Iady's plaintive mono
logue, while Am6ry, equally conscience
less, ran out toSconvulse with it the
party on the porch. And then in. the
midst of all the laughter came delirious
news from the ''best man" sent tomeet
the bride and Ormsby at the station and
break to them The direful news that
"the bridegroom Was late. The train
had passed Fetterfnsn Bend. The bride
would be there in28 minutes.
And she came; aud what scene there
was! And how she was hugged and
kissed and mauled and pulled about,
and how she strove to tell Of her tribu
lations and could not for the volume of
welcome, exclamation and interroga-
ton, and not until trunks, boxes and
what alls had been whisked away to her
room aloft and somebody said it was al
most II o'clock did she find breath and
opportunity to say; "Gracious heavensl
And I'm to be married at noon! And
not a thing done: yet! Why-why-
where's Willy2"4 ,..,
Aghast they looked at one another.
Was not all this to have been explained
by Wayne2 Hadn't Wayne told herr
Told her? Told her whatp All Major
Wayne said to her about Willy was that
he was almost frantic with impatience
to meet her, but e'd-he'd have to take
his bath first. What did he mean by
sending such ridiculous stuff What
were they all laughing-orying at?
Isn't herep Couldn't cross? Can't he
swim? Why, the man she thought he
was would swim Niagara rather than
miss his wedding day! And then-oh,
day of days-perhaps her words an
initiated space and reached the ears Of
the maddened lover, for at the very mo-
ment came an Irish howl from the porch
without. "Oh, fur the luv Of God, shtop
him! Don't let himl Oh, mother of
Moses, it's drownin he isl'' And then,
all shrieks and terror, did most of the
party scatter for the balconies, while,
all shrieks and terror and protestations
that she'd never speak to him again If
he dared to, Kitty collapsed upon sofa.
Was ever there wedding day to
match it2 Soaked to the skin, dripping,
but triumphant, Will Fa1rar rode out
of the floods and up the heights amid the
frenzied acclamations Of the garrison,
and throwing himself from the saddle
at the colonel's gate demanded to see,
if not to squeeze. his bride. There were
they gathered, the elite Of Fort Frayne,
some in wedding garb, some in travel
ing dress, and what cheer went up as
he sprang to the porch and his mother
wanted to clasp him, dripping though
he was, to her heart Of hearts. Not 30
Kitty. Don't you come near me, you
dreadful thing!" she cried, and, laugh
ing and protesting, he was led away to
be caparisoned for the ceremony. Lu.
cretia's spirits were once more in
ebullition. Wayne was back, the re-
mains had come; so why longer delay
proceedings2
They were not. There was as blithe
and bright and joyous soldier wedding
that perfect monday as ever was seen
within the walls of old Fort Frayne, and
Kitty made a bewitching bride, and
there was wonderful unloading of
sorrow from heart after heart on to the
shoulders of one luckless, sorely tried
man, Major Percival Wayne. On, Mad
Anthony But here was one Of thy de-
scendants ten times worthy thy namel
In that one day there came crushing in
upon him the consequences Of genera
tion Of misdoing.
It was enough that he should have
failed to explain matters to Kitty. 1t
was worse when he took the first oppor-
tunity to explain matters to Jack. His
way of doing it was somewhat as fol-
lows, and they were dressing for the
ceremony, and Jack, gorgeous in his
full dress uniform as lieutenant Of the
Seventh, was sick at heart over the cold,
constrained greeting accorded him BY
Ellis.
"Why, Of course, old fellow, you
didn t impose silence on me, and I s'pose
I let out about your engagement
my what?" says poor Jack aghast.
"Your engagement. You said, even
to attend Kitty's wedding, you couldn't
get away until yours was fulflled-on
the 10th, wasn't it?"
Certainly, our annual inspection.
No man in the Seventh would miss that
for love or money"
"But, Jack, don't you know? I'm
sure YOU told me lady was in the case.