The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-10-29
a PRACTICAL JOKE.

We were stationed at Fort Manhasgst.
Cne Of our mon, Harry Blanton, was a
vain fellow and very %eredulous. Passing
a farmhouse near by, he made eyes to q
girl on the veranda, and her father, see
ing it al, ordered his daughter into tho
house.
Harry came on into camp aglow with
cxci6eiEcn: and was soon telling as what
had happened. Flo admitted no Fad be-
come sinittsn with the lady's charms and
was satisfied she was desperately in love
with rim.
We all deeply syfnpsthized with him,
and one of rs suggested to him that If he
wished to write to the girl he would @
trivo in son,s wa to deliver the letter and
get d reply If possible. Harry jumped ut
this at once, and off he went to write the
letter, with which he returned i'll d couplo
OF hours. We begged to be allowed to
read it, but no., no., he could not 10 that.
He wanted the messenger to start at once,
SO impatient was he, but was told great
caution had to be exercised and a fayora-
bic opportunity present itself, so he had
to be content.
In d day or two another letter was writ
ten by Harry and soon as possible deliver
ed M d reply received. In the course of
ten days soino four or FIVE letters we've sent
and replied to. In his last he insisted on
G meeting, if only for q few minutes
begged her to arrange one immediately.
In her reply the lady said she was willing
eager in fact-but her father and BROTH
ers were suspicious and watched her very
closely. However, for his sake she would
take great risks. AT 9 O'Clock that night
she said she would try to Slip away from
the house andg go to a certain peach tree
that was in tho field back Of the house
and for him to meet her there.
To say that Rianton was happy does not
describe it. In the meantime we had in
duced q young soldier who was small,
slim and beardless to help as. He was a
great wag and full of fun and eagerly
went into the scheme. The country was
secured, and a woinan's dress and sun
bonnet secured and all preparations made.
A short time after dark Blanton was no
ticed to slip out of campand move toward
the field. The night was dark, and he
went slowly, but he finally reached tho
designated tree, and sure enough after a
few minutes waiting his beloved came
tripping to tho trysting spot. They were
SO glad to meet, and Harry was disposed
TO be very loving and affectionate, but his
laaylove WAS coy. The conversation was
carried on in whispers, and they were
having a sweet time, when a gun was sud-
denly fred near them from the direction
Of q house, and a mans voice angrily ex-
claimed: s0h, you ~sooundreli l intend
to kill you"
Tho pair were terrified, and the girl fell
to sobbing, telling Harry her father would
nearly kill her, and it would be torment
for her to live at home after that, and,
oh, she was SO miserable! Blanton broke
out in a cold perspiration. What was TO
be doneY lie had an ideal And after
whispering a few words to the girl cling
ing to him the pair turned and sped across
the field toward the camp. the brother fol-
lowing as best he could in the dark and
swearing loudly what he meant to do when
he caught them. Hurry and his girl
reached the fence, cleared it in a second
and hurried on to camp. just before.
reaching there they ran upon several of
course, in that direction. An explanation
followed. Harry asked US ta help him
and what was best to be done.
After talking 1t over hurriedly it vas
decided that the only course left was for
Blanton to marry the girl, and at once, to
which the pair agreed. A proper soldier
was hunted up to act as the minister, and
BIGnSon ana tho girl, who had been car
ried Into o tent, were ROW brought out,
told to join hands and stand in front Of
the minister, and by the dim light Ct tho
campfire tho marriage ceremony proceed
cd. 1t proceeded so far is to secure Har-
ry's affirmative response, but no further,