Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-09-20
A BRIDE BY TELEGRAM.
ny Mrs. whitney.

Send me down bride in full dress
for Friday evening. H. Smith, Walk
ley Station"
That was the tenor Of the telegram
Miss Betsey Blythe knew, because she
read 1t over forty times, If she read II
once. She picked it up on the step OF
the telegraph office, where the lucky
recipient thereof must have dropped II
and, unluckily, the address was torn
Off the northeast corner of the folded
paper.
But Miss Betsey Blythe had not been
engaged in looking after her neighbors
business all her life to be foiled now.
She wiped the street mud off the tele.
gram with her pocket handkerchief
put 1t safely into her reticule and car.
rled it home to her sisters, Miss Are
thusa and Miss Pamela Blythe.
There" she said; didn't / tell YOU
Harold Smith was going to be married
on the sly
Goodness met said Arethusa.
1T can't be possible piped Pamela.
But who can the bride be?.
That's the question: declared Miss
Betsey, staring back at the poll-par-
rots cage in the window. "And Fri.
day is to be the wedding day."
(Which Friday, wonder?' said
Miss Arethusa.
why, this Friday, of course!, pro.
nounced Miss Pamela. "The day after
tomorrow, of course; or it would have
been n deal easier and cheaper to write
Instead of telegraphing. Don't YOU
see?"
friday's an unlucky day for a we'd
ding, groaned Miss Betsey.
Just like Harold Smith TO get mar.
5ried on a Friday said Miss Pamela.
He's always making fun of what he
calls 'snperstitious observances., !
We'll, l ncver!" said Miss Arethusa,
WhOgis the bride, anyhow,
" she's girl of any spirit what
ever" tartly observed Miss Betsey,
: .she-- won't allow herself to- be tele.
graplied around the country like. a
package of dry goods"
Some girls will do anything to get
married" said Arethusa, with vicious
emphasis.
Its Jessie Mordaunt. of course de-
cided Pamela. SHE'S been flirting ON
ana off with Harold Smith for these
three years, but didn't suppose lie
was foolish enough to fall into her
trap!'
"Or perhaps it's Marian Shelton.
added Miss Betsey. II know they've
been making up new white silk dress
with tablier fronts and a trained skirt
at Shelton's. Miss Needlepoint told
me so herself. And can believe any
Z amount of folly of the Shelton family
since they changed that girls name
from Mary Ann to Marian,
There's the three Misses Mackenzie,
every one of 'em crazy suggested
Miss Arethusa.
NO., said Miss Pamela, decidedly.
You may be quite certain it's Jessie!
Jessie's Eighty enough for anything. I
think she'd rather enjoy an esclpade
like that.n
And dare say" vindictively added
Miss Arethusa, who was the eldest sis
ter of the three, and the least addicted
to favorable views of human nature,
they think it's an unfathomaDle Sc.
crct.
Walliley Station is only tllree.uuar-
tiers of an hour from New York." said
Betsey. Tets go to the wedding!
And added Miss Pamela, in a
cliuckle, lets notify all our friends TO
go.''
For the three Misses Blythe were not
pleased that Harold Smith should pre-
sumo to take SO important step as
that OF matrimony without their con-
sent and advice. Hadn't they known
him as n curly-headed lad before he
ever went into college? Hadn't he
played many a practical joke upon
tlienl i'll his wild, rollicking way-and
didn't they know perfectly well that
he regarded them as three sour rldicu.
lous, disappointed old spinsters?
And now that they had come into
possession of one of his choicest. dear
est secrets 1t was scarcely in human
nature not to be reyenged. fully and
entirely.
10 you suppose she'll so ont in the
cars?" asked Arethusa.
Sin full dress, What nonsense, re.
torted Pamela. She'll drive, of course,
In q carriage!."
Shell get her death of cold." said
Miss Betsey, with a shiver. 'Driying
fifteen miles/in full dress.
"The idea of Harold Smith ordering
her around in that majestic fashion,,
cried Aretlusa. But. girls, I'll tell
you what we will do; we'll go and call
on the Mordaunts."
Mrs. Mordaunt, Il pretty. full-bIown
rose style OF matron, was doing crewel-
work. Jessie, her daughter, who cor
responded with the rosebud in the fam
lily, was painting vase of purple pan.
sics in watercoiors. They did not APP
pear in tile least like custodians of an
Important secret; looked surprised
when Miss Betsey alluded 10 the sub
ject of impending marriages. and said
they had heard Of no wedding in the
neighborhood; and they stared when
Miss Aretilllsa asked if they hadn't had
Il dressmaker in the house lately.
We always do our own sewing
said Mrs Mordaunt Jessie can fit a
dress as we'll as Madam Mondinl her
SELF
But for such a very. very important
occasion as this" smirkcd Miss Are
thusa.
I'VE never have any important occa-
sions," laughed Tcssio. Look, Miss
blythe; do You tliiak my pansy is as
deep q purple as :lie originate.
And when the tlirec old maids had at