The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-02-17
TOO MUCH BEST MAN.

lOO III UCI1 DLOl ,MAN .
a BACHELOR WHO OBLIGATED At
FORTY WEDDINGS.
why Lieutenant Prince Has Such Fine
Collection Of scarfpins- Each Ono of
Thorn Is the Key to . Romance-A
Warning to All Young Men.
Lieutenant Oscar Prince is rapidly
seacbing 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
of 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
each one represents scar more or less
serious. They have simply made pin
cushion of my heart. My case, am
sure, is an unusual one, and am will
ing to discuss it, that 1t may serve as a
warning to young men. Let me start
with the assertion that believe in the
noble institution of marriage, and it
was probably my advocacy of it while
was at West Point that suggested to
. lAssmate-Brown-tO 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 I had been sta
toned west at God forsaken post since
leaving the Point it was my first op~
portunity 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,
and we did have good time. Let me
look at that pin again. Yes, Ethel was
her name. You see, have it tagged on
the pin. Ethel was mighty fine girl
tall, good swing and high stopper.
We hit it of together in fine shape.
Who was Ethel? Why, in this case, she
was the maid of honor. We had de-
aightful week at Newport, and when I
went back to my post / had Ethel's per-
mission to write to her. heard the
>O&her 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. I think it was Jones.
Just hand me that little clover leaf pin,
will you? Yes, it was Jones. Here is
the date, 1883, and tagged to the pin is
Maud's name. You don't understand.
No, of course not. You haven't acted
- best man or usher in 40 weddings. I
thought 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
izing about the associations of a we'd
ding party if chap is at all suscepti
bile. The girls all rejoice with the bride,
and 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 one of the bridesmaids as bride.
Maud was different from Ethel, more
vivacious, and then she was short and
Ethel was tall. On the night of the
wedding asked Maud if might write
TO her. Dear Maudl / wonder what has
become of her. I sent back all of her
letters and her photograph just short
time after Adams got married. That is
the pin in the cushion-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 shall always re-
member Maud. had been sent east just
before Adams was married, and he
wanted me to be usher because, as he
put it, had been in the game before.
Mary was her name at Adams wedding.
That doesn't describe her at all. No
name could. She was just as attractive
as Ethel and Maud, but different We
discussed very serious matters, did
Mary and I, and knew that she was
girl who would make sensible, think
ing man happy for life.
''It was discussion of telepathy that
made me forget Maud, that is a discus
sion and subsequent attempt to expert
ment. Mary didn't ask for her letters
back after Rogers wedding. I told Sal
ly-she was one of the bridesmaids, and
q very jolly southern girl-an about
Mary, and she said she didn't mind. I
came very near proposing to Sally, but
by this time I had become professional
as an usher and best man, and since Sal
~ there have been by actual count 33
other girls, any one Of whom might
have made me happy. felt after meet
ing each one Of them that if could
only keep away from weddings my hap
piness might be assured. could marry
the last girl-that is, Of course, if she
would have me, and they were all very
sympathetic-and feel that was lucky.
I couldn't dodge the weddings, though.
'All my friends are married now,
and have assisted in each case. 1t got
50 that while ! was at work would
uncOnsciously begin to whistle we'd