Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-17
SHORT STORY
OF THE DAY.
BURGLAR AND BRIDEGROOM.

From the New York Evening World.
The Colonial express from Washington
10 Boston was just drawing out OF New
Haven late in the afternoon. when a young
man with A dark mustache and glasses,
who had evidently just boarded the train,
walked down the car aisle and paused in
quiringly at the vacant seat by my side.
Thu train was well filled, and after paus-
ing for an instant as If TO see whether |
objected 10 sharing my seat with him. the
stranger planted himself by my side.
Finally he leaned over TO me, and,
touching my arm. said:
i trust, sir. the arrangements will be
Il beg your pardon, sir" 1 replied.
Il am Miss Celestes man. was sent
to meet you"
never neglected an opportunity to take
advantage of circumstances, and L merely
replied:
Indeed"
w are due at Providence at 100. The
ceremony will take place at S." he went
on, ignoring my non-committal replies.
III you VIII please to give me- y our bag
the servants attend to IL when We ar
rive"
= have nothing with me but this satch-
"a An. you have h sent it on ahead; 5 That is is
wondering how [ recognized you?"
Il am not remarkably well known" l
All. you look just like them. Miss Co
leste allowed me to look at one. l am
III dlliltI lldl you lll not lDIStI IL SbS-
gestion ] made to Miss Celeste that you
wear a fedora and a pink rose"
SO that was your Idea. was it," l said
The train commenced TO slow up for
Providence. My companion arose. and 1
followed him when he leaped upon the plat
form.
in waiting. and my companion guided me
10 it / was in such a strange position that
would have preferred doing without the
1ootmen at this particular time.
IN a lew moments the carriage Drew I'd
at the door of a large. well lighted house,
with a broad veranda- From the parlor
a large company was present. As We
alighted another carriage. which had been
just ahead Of us, turned from the curb
and d solitary gentleman walked up TO
We are just In time. That is the min
;ster;m said my guide; al will show you
join the company in the parlor as soon as
you are ready. If you need me you can
and 1 was saved the embarrassment of
meeting any of the guests whom l might
be expected to know. Celeste, also. l
Ny room was large. and upon the bed a
number of packages were spread OUT; /
opened one Of them 1t was a dozen silver
Mrs: George Mopart. Congratulations
Evidently the package was intended for
me opened several others. One vas
It Up | heard the knob Of my door turn
and unconsciously l slipped it into my
NJ companion of the train entered.
Miss Celeste desires M to say that she
will meet you at the head of the stairs IN
ten minutes. and will descend with you for
oh. thank you, William. Is your name
William? forget"
Very well. James; that will do"
I retied my cravat and then took another
look at the presents. 7 remembered after
eraI other remarkably costly presents OF
small size were also missing afterward,
though / remember perfectly seeing them
or the bed while | was in the room:
had lust about six minutes in which TO
keep my appointment with Celeste. Had II
not been for The cere m MIC af was
ward j believe / should have allowed my
love of adventure to lead ne TO the head
wondered what she was like, as ! softly
opened the door and looked out into the
hallway. She was not there yet Neither
ing the door lightly behind me.
The hall was deserted. At the head of
the stairs I could hear laughter and con-
in order not to excite Comment had left
nv small satchel behind. | strolled out
onto the vcranda. Just at that moment
down the street | heard the rumble OF a
cab. In another moment a four-wheel"r.
driven furiously, hauled m and a young
man leaped out. He dashed up the path.
aking the steps three at a time. ! drew
back into the shadow. He passed so
quickly that l could not see his face.
| sauntered down the path. The driver
was Just turning his cab around.
Iii, cabby." I shouted to the Jehu. "A
dollar If | get to New Haven depot in five
minutes"
! bought a COPY of the Providence Jour
nal next day AT Boston TO see how the
ceremony had been performed.
For a provincial paper the Journal really
did very well on that story.
| enjoyed reading the humorous account
of how the bridegroom missed his train.
and how the butler had mistaken another
gentleman on the train for Mr.. Nopart.
/ disliked. however. to have the Journal
make such opan iuSinuat.ons against he
honesty OF the person thus introduced in
Mr.. Mopart's stead.
II stated that in all probability the but
Ter had stumbled upon a clever rascal and
crook in his search for the bridegroom. for
a number of costly wedding presents which
had been left in the room with the sup
posed Mr.. Mopart had mysteriously disap-
peared. as he himself had done but a few
minutes before the real Mr.. Mopart had
arrived.
He had left behind him a small hand
satchel in which were found a number of
iimmies. skeleton keys and other articles
used only by a certain class of gentlemen.
il was the discovery of these articles that
first aroused suspicion.
IS for the wedding. that had taken place