The herald., 1896-03-29

niece. Mrs. Harrison, always the faith
full housewife, from the time she used
to cook dinner for the young lawyer
at North Bend, o., was kept perpetu-
ally busy with the management OF the
establishment. Mrs. Mckee was, in
her way, comfort to her father, but
she was averse to exercise, and the
president enjoyed long walks. So did
Mrs. Dimmick. She was good walker
and used to challenge the chief magis-
trate to all sorts of trials of speed and
endurance. These challenges were al
ways accepted at once, and always
these two went, like school children.
or course their regard for each 9th.
er was now nothing more than good
fellowship, yet it was enjoyed by them
to the full, and, without in the least
suspectiDg ii. they were laying the
foundation for the serious compact
which is to bind them together for life,
and it is matter of fact that never
since that time has there been the
slightest break in their close friend
ship.
Mrs. Dimmick accompanied the
presidents party when Mr.. Harrison
made his memorable tour of the coun-
try. and it Was she who invariably
stood beside him on the rear platform
of the car from which he addressed the
multitudes OF his countrymen who
came out to greet him. In this con-
nection, and as notable instance OF
| the truth of the assertion that Mrs.
Dimmick retains today all the jsunty.
fun-loving spirit of her childhood, an
incident of this presidential trip may
be mentioned.
The party had arrived at Mrs. Dim
mick's old home in Springfield. Ill,
and the oration that was rendered was
more in her honor than that OF the
| president.
Mrs. Dimmick stood upon the plat
| form, watching the members of tne
party alight and get into the carriages.
One, two, three carriages filed up
with the men of the party and drove
off. Then Mrs. Dimmick commenced
to laugh. Turning to one of the MEM
bers of the committee, her eyes twink
ling with fun, she said:
$50 you separate the sheep from the
goats?"
For Springfield people in truly pro-
vincial style had arranged to have all
the men in one set of carriages prop
erly escorted and the women in an
other set, accompanied By the women
of the committee.
During the illness of Mrs. Harrison,
which resulted in her death October
25tb, 1892. Mrs. Dimmick gave strong
evidence Of her gentle, self-forgetful
nature. She was untiring in her etten-
tions, and it was only by the use of
most esrnest solicitation that she
could be induced to leave her bedside
and take the few hours Of rest which
her physical nature demanded. At
the same time she shared with Mrs.
Mckee the duties OF the household.
Mrs. Harrison WAS devoted to her, and
the parting between aunt and niece WAS
said to have been pathetic in the ex-
trene.
After Mrs. Harrscn's death, Mrs.
Dimmick went with the family to In
dianapolis and remained there until
Mrs. Mckee came east to join her hus-
band in New York. That was a little
more than a year ago. Since that time
Mrs. Dimmick has lived with her sister,
Mrs Parker, in New York.
With Russell Harrison and the Nc
Kees living in New York city the ex-
president has had ample excuse for his
rather frequent visits to Gotham, and
nothing could be more natural than
that he should display an interest in
Mary, ss he always calls Mrs. Dimmick
By means of the present prospective
it is easy to see that Cupi1 has laid his
plans long ago, but the ex-president
never felt the keen edge of his dart
with realizing sense of what had
struck him until Mary left Indianapolis
and came to New York.
Soon after her departure he began to
talk to his old cronies in indianapolis
about being lonely and asking them to
"drop around soma time" which was
unusual in him, for while he has al
ways been cordial in his friendships he
had shown since the death of his wife
very marked aversion to society of
either kind.
The fellows did "drop around" but
Mr.. Harrison was disappointed. They
we're good friends and all very we'll in
their way, but
Well, the next thing anybody knew
Mr.. Harrison was in New York enjoy
ing the society of Mary, and it was, not
long afterward that these two agreed
that life without each other would be
hollow and unendurable.
HOW TIE SECRET GOT OUT
It was their intention to keep their
engagement dead secret until such
time as they should select for the per-
formance of an unostentatious wedding
ceremony, which they decided should
be come time in the spring of 1896
Indeed, no word of it would have
escaped, so it is said, except for the in-
discretion of Washington jeweler
who fashioned ring for Mrs. Dimmick
at the order of General Harrison. As
it was an engagement ring. beautiful
diamond, tue jeweler drew natural in.
ferences, and this high social secret
was too large for the jeweler. He had
either to let it out or burst with the
sheer Importance Of it; 80, being a
prudent man, he let it out. Then a
newspaper correspondent took it in his
profane hands and put on the livest
wire he could find, and, flash! all the
world knew.-Chicago Chronicle.
| Trvy ,orf xry,nn ~