Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1897-12-24
THE BLIND BRIDE.
BY Amy Randolph.

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1oveiest Of all when the reapers were It
work in the harvest fields and the yellow
light of the October sun turned the
woodland paths to enchanted aisles. A
long, low structure of warmly-tinted
red brick, with mullioned windows, vel
vet-smooth sweeps of lawn and box Dor
ders, which stood up like walls of solid
emerald on each side of the path, it had
a SAVIOR of the antique about it.,
which one seldom sees in an American
house.
And old Brande Bentley, walking up
and down in the mellow sunshine, be-
tween the walls of black-green box, with
his eyes bent on the ground, and his
hands clasped behind his back, CORE
sponded we'll with the Grange.
Suddenly 4 cheerful footstep rang on
the stone terrace steps-the sound of a
clear, fute-ike whistle rose above the
click Of the distant moving machine,
and Harry Wade, the old mans nephew,
stood like an incarnation of youth and
sunshine before him.
Uncle he cried, merrily, you've got
the prettiest place in the world here.'
Mr.. Bentley took out his big, old-fash-
toned silver watch.
1.-Two O'clock" said he, "and the bank
don't close until four. Humph! 1t APP
pears to me, young man, that you don't
stick very close to business hours!'
Like limpet, uncle 'said Harry,
"and just for to-day. Will Caryl has
come to act as substitute, for i really
wanted to see you, uncle.'
"Humph!" again commented Mr..
Bentley. You're very fond of me-just
of late!''
I'm always fond of you, Uncle
Brande,'' said Harry, gravely, ''but I've
something to tell you.''
"Some scrape you've got into,'' said
Mr.. Bentley.
Nothing of the sort, sir!''
, "Want to borrow money, perhaps!"
~Upon my word, no!''
you've fallen in love with some girl
them
you are right this time, uncle,'' sand
Harry, laughing and coloring; land, of
course, have come directly to you to
tell you of my good fortune. 1t is little
Bessie Bird!''
"a milliner's apprentice!" snarled the
old bachelor.
IF she chooses to help her mother
along by trimming hats in her aunt's
millinery rooms, 1 see nothing deroga-
tory in that" said Harry, valiantly.
"A mere child of 17!''
~But don't want an old lady of Az"
"Humph!" growled Mr.. Bentley
~What do either of you know of ife?"
''Not much, to be sure, uncle, as yet,"
admitted the young lover, "but we think
we can easily learn-together.''
And where do you think the napkins
and tablecloths and bread and butter
and rent and water taxes are to come
from?" sardonically inquired Brande
Bentley"
II have my salary, Uncle Brande,''
said Harry, land Bessie has been edu-
Gated to be very economical"
"Ill have nothing to say to such nom
sense" said Mr.. Bentley.
But, Uncle Brande, all we wants.
Nothing, I say-absolutely moth
1ng!" Numbered the old man. Its
folly-trash-sentim ental tomfoolery!
If you want my opinion, there it is!
Time enough for you to think of mat
r1mony when you are ~. There ought
to be law to prevent young people
making fools of themselves
And Brande Bentley turned on his
heel and strobe back into the house.
So that Harry had no very inspiriting
news for Bessie Bird when ne met her,
as usual, on the corner of Broadway, to !
walk home with her through the pleas
ant autumn twilight.
WAS he very CROSSE" said Bessie, who
was white-htteny sort of a girl, with
luffy yellow hair, dimples in her cheeks,
md eyes the exact color of the flowing
blue" china on our gTandmothers'
helves.
IA savage as Bluebeard!" L
did Ae sooA dreadfHlly 2" asked Bes- l