The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-14
A PRACTICAL JOKE.
- ,ssoep THE AID OF A MINISTER
- .,o THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY.

s.,,.ters In the Millinery shop Want
i"' - rnn-The Preacher Proposed
-. For Thought-Annie Cried and
charlie Paid the Fee.
pov William H. Luckenbach OF Hud-
V. sends the following to the
| New York World;
3 was once innocently made a party
II On ATTEMPTED mock marriage episode.
T NJ was millinery establishment in
.no Mace. run by several jolly spinsters
- chances for matrimonial alliances
va been growing less and less for many
-oors It was familiarly known in my
Y Aggregation as the "shop," and it had
y .oooue n rendezvous for the young peo-
rlo who frequently happened in to ex-
change jocular greetings and enjoy the
;rnocent gossip that constitutes much OF
tbo Measure of intimate acquaintance
ship
J mo a woman who would have been Of
,ouded if we had called her "old, and
% whom we would not have told the
trutb of we had said that she was
.ronno." Boiling forward laughingly
coward Amelia, one of the spinsters, she
J exclaimed in loosely despairing tone:
81 am so tired of waiting for an offer
of marriage that I'll marry the first
man that comes along and offers his
hand. -. :.
"Good for you, ANNIE" said Amelia.
.sWho knows but that we may see a
wedding here this EVENING""
Several others had dropped in mean
y while to enjoy the cheeriness of the
Z "sbop." 1t so happened that among
them there came fine young man, who,
Annie had several times learned to her
discomfort was as witty practical
Joker as herself. Incidental greetings
had scarcely passed among the bevy Of
merry companions before Amelia ex-
y, claimed, in a tone and manner that at
Y once quieted the salutations of the mo-
ment
Charlie, Annie says that she is so
tired of waiting for an offer of marriage
that she will marry the first man who
will propose to her. "
Lifting his hat gracefully, and look
" ing at Annie without blush, apparent
" unabashed by the unexpected chal-
lenge, he answered:
Il am at your disposal, Annie. How
would l suit you:"
every good, said Annie. "Send for
the minister and We'll be married right
here on the spot p"
4 1t was not long after that my door
Y bell rang. Responding to the ring l
found there the brother of the spinsters,
who had sent for me to come down to
the shop" to marry couple who were
looking for a minister.
On entering the place and discovering
no strange couple there apparently con-
b templating matrimony, l at once sus-
\ pected that was to be made party to
some practical joke involving the mar
riage service--a kind Of merriment or
pastime that could not encourage l
asked, however, for the parties to be
married, intending, if it should further
appear that the company were expecting
only amusement, to give them gently a
brief lecture on the improperly of play
ing marriage and the risks often in
cured by the persons doing this.
Immediately up stepped before me
Charlie and Annie. Meanwhile, as if by
Weconcerted action, there was no exhi-
bltion at all of merriment by any one of
\ the company.
was greatly embarrassed. Charlie,
knew, was engaged to an estimable lady
in Philadelphia.
a happy thought occurred to me. 81
VIII not marry You now," said, "but
Will return home and leave You an
hour to think Of it, If at the end of the
hour you are still resolved to get mar
y ned, come to my house and l will mar
ry you 4"
flne," said Charlie. "That's fine"
an expression of relief as the same mo-
ment overspreading his countenance,
and whether we come or not" he con-
unued, you shall have fee for your
\ trouble. I"
Inc hour PASSED away, but they did
not come.
among the callers on the following
uay was Annie. She had come to make
eApianatlons She had not intended to
marry Charlie She supposed would
READ the marriage service as usual, but
wneh should come to ask her, "Do you
, 'ake u. here for you welded husband?"
eU,' she would have answered "No,"
sa Gnu turning away she would have had
the laugh" ON him.
.y Yes, Annie, but suppose he had said
No before your"
linen of course it would have been
|. " me out he didn't think of that"
y -; out another and more important
n uew Oh IT, Annie, is this 1t was not
,Se o for me last evening to read
u uae marriage service at all. Had sim
ars pronounced Charlie and you man
~ I wiie' you would have been married
wh" Jaw as effectually as if had read the
: "" .n, formula from beginning to end"
int on' Mr. L." said Annie, bursting
tbO w fears, was l SO nearly married? I
t thought that You were obliged to read
'"V whole cpiano,r -