Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-01-10

idea of our not saying at once that it is a
joker"
she must like It. Otherwise l will not
have any more to do with it,
The valet entered again. "There is a
boy here who says he has been looking for
the Signor N. at his palazzo and the club
and the hairdresser's and the cafe, and
finally they sent him here"
"What does he wantP"
"He has a bill for an order of confetti"
How much is it?"
"Sixty-three lire"
"Tell him to come to my house tomor-
row at noon. Hang the billsl This joke
is getting expensive"
Eyes. Do you want to stick tho stamps
on these invitations? I will begin the list
of women"
"Haye you finished the men?'
"No; I only want a change"
AS B. wrote the nalnes of the Baroness
L., of the Countess b., of all the elegant
women in his set, the vision of their
homes, their carriages, their personal ele-
ganoe, rose before his minds eye-their
husbands, the privilege of being received
in their parlors, and then a thought of the
disfavor into which he would falkland he
had a momentary burst of courage and
tore up the envelopes already directed.
What are you doing?" said N.
II draw the line on the women. 1t
would be too impertinent. A lady is al
ways a lady. And then his invitation is
SO queer. They would see at once that it
was a joke"
"And TIP
"We will say nothing to him about it
He will think all the invitations are sent
out as he planned"
This new stroke Of genius cheered them.
They continued directing the mems invi-
t%ations, but never was Joke carried on SO
lugubriously.
The two cheap landaus had become
four. There had been no way to avoid
the triumphant departure from 7. IS studio
and the ride down the principal streets,
and with what a crowd they were mixed
up the relatives pro tenn. of Maria! To
make the Joke as loud as possible, L. had
chosen a market day. La Piazza was
crowed. b. and N. had their landau clos
ed and sat as far back as possible, but they
were discovered by several Of the young
sparks of the town, who laughed in their
faces and pointed to the mayors office.
When they reached the city hall, the
wedding oortege formed a strange crowd
that did not know what to do. They
awaited a leader. T. jumped out of the
last carriage and whispered in the ears of
his friends:
'At the Three Roses everything is or
dered." Then he flew up stairs. The
company followed him. The room for the
wedding ceremony was filled with a curl
u whispering crowd. Here and there
the head Of an invited guest appeared. r.,
well groomed in dress coat, made signs
to them from a distance. He gave a seat
to the bride and squeezed the hand of the
doorkeeper. 1t would be impossible to
play the part of the bridegroom better.
Serious, less clownish, paler than usual,
nervous, his voice even trembled a bit.
The women, however, laughed too
much. Maria, with her stupid air and
her gorgeous yellow hair pulled over her
eyes, did nothing but squirm about as If
she were uncomfortable in her pretty black
silk gown. She wore a close hat of white
satin and brilliant earrings. In her hand
she carried an immense bouquet of red
roses. The hired mother was most agree
able with a cap on her head and a pair Of
gloves half pulled on, IN enormous fan in
her hand a yellow shawl over her shout
ders fastened with a brooch with the pho
tograph Of Maria in it. She famed her.
self violently. Maria was taken from her
seat to the red velvet armchair prepared
for her. She smiled at her friends while
continuing to wriggle her shoulders. T.,
before taking his place beside her, whis-
pered to the witnesses: where are the
ladies? I do not see one"
B., embarrassed, answered for both:
"The baroness has a headache. I do
not know about the others.
1t is early yet, and it is a good way
here"
'tThe mayorl'' announced the door.
keeper.
Where shall we put ourselves?'' ask.
ed N.
"Here, behind the bridal couple"
To be together was a comfort-in union
Is strength. They heard their friends
laughing in the crowd behind them and
bit their lips and assumed an air Of indif-
ference. The venerable mayor after hav-
ing made the usual inquiries read the civil
code of the kingdom Of Italy. Somebody
in the crowd reached over and touched B
on the shoulder.
II hope you don't think that we take
this seriously, " he said. "Of course 1t is
a joke, but it is a good n and well car
ried out. Bravo"
B. smiled. $50 much the better" he
meditated. "They have discovered that
1t was not in earnest" N. gazed sadly
over the head Of the mayor at the fresco Of
Giotto's madonnas that he had never seen
before. In the row of faded escutcheons
that surrounded the throne he saw that Of
his family. He thought Of his uncle, a
bachelor and rich, and he felt himself
freeze.
"And now that you have heard the
rights and duties of the holy estate Of mat
rimony, l ask you, U. T., do you take this
woman to be your welded wifep" asked
the mayor.
The two friends gazed ~intently at the
groom, who suddenly assumed a luminous
expression, as II he were really playing
Nevertheless he answered Yes in q
trembling voice. The same question was
put to Maria even with greater slowness.
1t seemed eternal. N. and B.. gathered
themselves together and recalled the pre-
arranged scene. 1.-THE here present Signor
U. IT," ended the mayor.
Maria hesitated a minute and then said,
with shining eyes and great frankness,
Eyes, (" and the newly married couple gal
ed at each other with delight. The two
witnesses looked at each other aghast,
hearing in a dream the questions the may
or asked them.
n, as white as a rag, murmured, "How
she has fooled him |"
Cor has he fooled uss" muttered the
other witness. -Chicago Times-Herald.
Hereditary.
does your husband ever say anything
about his mothers cookings"
mo, but he says things about my cook