The Penn's Grove record., 1896-08-28
PARTED ON THEIR WEDDING DAY.

buggy was making the best posslbis
time over the home road.
He could hardly tell just when the
momentous thought did occur to him,
but as he rode along, dwelling upon
Hattie's earnest assurance that she
would marry him '.this minute" II he
could only take her along. q possibility
dashed across his mind hat made him
urge the horse to still greater speed.
He could not take her with him,
but
His heart seemed lighter already and
the horse fairly aew along the smooth
turnpike. Within a mile Of Mr.. Fur
mans there lived a justice Of the peace.
DR.. Hartley paused long enough to
Arouse this worthy functionary and
held a hurried consultation with him;
then he drove on.
Hattie's parents were somewhat sur
! prised at being disturbed in their slum-
7 Der, but not so much surprised as when,
after a short conference between the
young doctor and his fancee, who had
needed no waking, they were sum-
moned to give their consent to an I'M
mediate marriage. They could think
Of no valid objection II the young folks
! wished 1t, and IN hour later Justice
Evans pronounced the couple man and
wife.
1t was then 8 o'clock and the young
/ husband had only time to leave his
wife in her parents care again, bid her
another loving farewell and hasten to
/ reach the train that was to bear him 20
far away from his native Pennsylvania
village and her whom he had loved
since his earliest recollection.
His three years trip was one of min.
glcd har lship, excitement and pleas
IRE; In all a very enjoyable one to DIR.
Hartley. A part Of every Sabbath day
was spent In writing long, loving let.
tiers to Hattie. Aud although he often
longed for n sight of the dear face he
felt no anxiety on her account, know
ing that when he did return she would
be watching for him.
For the young wife the time did not
pass so pleasantly. Poor girl! Her
'fun" vas spoiled. She could not ac-
sept other escorts now. and as she had
no brother to act as such she was
forced to remain at home, and there she
moped and pinned for Frank until her
parents bitterly repenaed the hasty
ttep they had allowed her to take. And
II Is doubtful II In that first long, lonely
year she did not herself regret 1t, but Ii
so none were the wiser, least OF all the
absent husband.
She had never really meant to grieve
her faithful lover as she had In that
last year, and now that she realized
what heartache meant she would not
have him suffer as she did, and SO she
exerted herself to write cheerful, CON
tented letters. Frank almost believed
she did not miss him and wished Cat
she might feel just a little of what he
had once on account of her thoughtless
drifting, yet-he was too HONORABLE. to
give her any reason for distrust and
too true for deception Of any kind.
Home did not seem home TO Hattie
any more. She herself was so changed
that unconsciously her parents DE-
meanor changed toward her. Generous
checks from Frank much more than
supplied her wants, and wnat she dbl
not positively need was carefully
boarded to furnish the lovely home that
seemed yet 30 far away, and many
hours We're passed In making pretty
tribes for the same purpose. Much Of
her time was spent at Franks home.
His mother was dead, but with his
'ather, aunt and cousln she seemed best
content.
One day a gossipy neighbor bnntered
her about her strange w1dowhood and
remarked that likely DR.. Hartley was
having a fine time playing agreeable
to other ladies. for Of course no one
would suppose him to be q married
man. The shot struck home, for only
that very week he had mentiened In
his letter a lady that reminded him Of
her. To be sure, how did she know In
what manner he was spending his time.
And could she blame him IL he did
sometimes forget his loyalty to her?
And then she thought with shame Of
her own promiscuous flirting Of the
past.
That night she hunted up the piece
If paper that was legal evidence that
he twain was one. In that last year
that little paper was one Of her great
.st comforts, and thankful she was
hat she was bound to DIR. Hartley, for
that same contract made him hers.
Hes mine. He will be true to ME.
He will come back" she often sobbsd
to herself In the wee small hours Wien
haunting thoughts would not let her
sleep. And thus that last summer ap-
preached Its zenith. II Frank had
dreamed Of the torture she vas under
going he would never have planned the
little revenge that was so foreign to his
He wrote that he hoped to be
home to celebrate their anniversary,
but the party was unavoidably dstain-
ed. and he yielded to the impulse to re-
pay her for her old ~tormeating tricks
and forgot to write" Her letters
of late had been brief and unsatisfac-
tory, but little he imagined thar 1t was
because the poor girl could not write
cheerfully and would not write any
other way. She seemed to care 10 lit
tie that he thought a little anxiety
would make his welcome the warmer.
The wedding day was a fair counter.
part of that other one. and Hattie was
feverish with alternating hope and
fear. She started with every sound
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