The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-09-16

hihS " HI AoN'S
Lieutenant Oscar Prince is rapidly
reaching the age when his friends will
stop asking him the question, "Why
don't YOU Get married?:' and substitute
for it. How did it happen, old man,
that you never married." Lieutenant
Prince is as acceptable as the average
man. and he has no antimatrimonial
views. He is. however, a victim of we'd
dings. and therein lies the explanation
If his failure to marry. One Of the fin
est collections Of scarfpins in this city
may be found in his bachelor apart
ments, but no wife.
My collection of scarfpins was be-
gun about ten years ago, he said, land
zach one represents a scar more or less
serious. They have simply made a pin
cushion of my heart. My case, / am
sure, is an unusual one, and I am will.
ing to discuss it, that it may serve as a
warning to young men. Let me start
with the assertion that l believe in the
noble institution of marriage, and it
was probably my advocacy of it while
was at West Point that suggested to
a Observation-Disclosures write me to
act as his best man when he got mar.
ried. Let me see. The date on that
pearl pin is 1887, isn't it? Yes. that
was Browns little token. Brown had a
fine wedding, and as l had been sta
toned west at a God forsaken post since
leaving the Point it was my first op-
p0rtunity to get at short range with
eastern girls. There are no girls like
them. my boy, and don't make any mis-
take about that.
Brown was married in Newport,
hnd we did have a good time. Let me
look at that pin again. Yes, Ethel was
her name. You see. | have it tagged on
the pin. Ethel was a mighty fine girl
tall. good swing and a high stopper.
We hit it off together in fine shape.
Who was Ethel: Why, in this case, she
was the maid of honor. We had a de-
.ightful week at Newport. and when l
e back to my post had Ethel's per-
mission TO write to her. l heard the
other day that her oldest hopeful was
the star boy in a kindergarten"
Lieutenant Prince pulled his pipe
hard for two minutes.
Ethel was. all things considered,
about as nice as any Of them. We might
have been very happy together, but for
Jones wedding. l think it was Jones.
Just hand me that little clover leaf pin,
vii. you? Yes, it was Jones. Here is
the date, 1888, and tagged to the pin is
Maud's name. You don't understand.
No, Of course not. You haven't acted
as best nan or usher in 40 weddings. /
thought a lot about Ethel while On the
railroad train that took me TO Boston.
where Jones married, and there | met
Maud. There Is something very democrat.
lzlnC about the associations Of a we'd
ding party If a chap is at all suscepti-
hle. The girls all rejoice with the bride,
ard they are all in their best frocks.
Somehow you begin to speculate about
yourself, you know, and wonder how
YOU would appear as the bridegroom
With n Of the bridesmaids as bride.
Maud was different from Ethel, more
~vlyacious, and then she was short and
Ethel was tall. On the night Of the
wedding asked Maud if l might write
to her. Dear Maud! l wonder what has
become Of her. l sent back all Of her
letters and her photograph just a short
time after Adams got married. That is
the pin III the c~ushion-the one with
the small diamond in the center. Adams
was married three months after Jones,
and was an usher. Those three months
were happy ones. and l shall always re-
member Maud. ! had been sent east ius-
before Adams was married, and he
wanted me to be usher because, as be
put II, | had been in the game before.
Mary was her name at Adams wedding.
That Goe-n describe her at all. No
name could. She was just as attractive
a. Ethel and Maud, but different. We
discussed very serious matters, did
Mar and l, aud l knew that she was a
girl who would make a sensible, think
ing man happy for life.
1T was a discussion If telepathv that
made me forget Maud, that is a discus
sion and a subsequent attempt e expert
meAt. Mary didn't ask for Der letters
back after Rogers wedding. | told sal
lr-sEe was one Of the bridesmaids, and
q very Jolly southern girl-all about
nary; anu cls edll -!lE QIll I MIND. |
anne very near proposing u Sally, but
It's this time | had become 4 professional
a. an usher and best man. and since sal.
Is there have been by actual count 30
atner girls, any one Of whom might
aaEe made me happy. Ifelt after meet.
~ Zach one Of them that if ! could
l-9 keep away from weddings my hap
pines might he assured. | could marry
f4e lest girl-that is, Of course, if she
would have me, and they were all very
-yaaEataetic-and feel that / was lucky.
c11lla't dodge the weddings, though.
ali my friends are married now,
AL have assisted in each case. 1t got
80 that while l was at work l would
unconscloGsly begin to whistle a wed.
ing march. Walking in time to it made
ne slow on parade. l couldn't keep up
with my company. have, l am glad to
lay, done my duty by my friends, but it
mas ruined me sentimentally. When l
look at that collection Of scarfpins, each
one labeled with the name of a girl who
was the only one III the world for me-, |