Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-04
HARRY LATTER WEEDS.
Rock Island Boy Marries Miss
Josephine GiIIingwater. Of
ST. Louis.
A DEPARTMENT STORE ROMANCE.

Meeting In the Elevator Begins a Friend
ship That Ripens Into Love and q Secret
Engagement, the Ceremony Being Per-
formed at st. Charles, Mo.-Couple
Given Big Surprise.
Harry w. LATER, the we'll known
sign writer, left Rock Island about two
year, ago to takea responsible position
in Crawford's department store in st.
Louis. The following from the st.
Louis Post-Dispatch of Thursday tells
the rest:
Harry w. LATER, advertising ticket
writer for ID. Crawford Il Co., planned
a surprise Wednesday for his fellow
employees in the way of an elopement
to ST. Charles with Mis- Josephine
Gillingwater, of 1900 Madison street.
But his secret was poorly kept, and
when he reported for duty Thursday
his establishment was greater than
that which he had hoped to cause his
friends.
His appearance on the fifth floor,
where he is employed, was the signal
for an outburst of cheers that caused
the knowing look on his face to give
way to an expression of alarm. A
|
for congratulatory shakes, and his
arm was sore before he had passed
through the ordeal. He feigned ig-
norance of what his friends were
about and asked for explanations.
They laughed at him.
He was not easily to be beaten out
of the pleasure of surprising them,
and tried hard to mislead them
into believing they had been misin-
formed. But when he entered his Of
flee he saw that further denial was
useless. His little working room had
so much drapery and decoration about
it that he was hardly able to turn in
it. Flags. palms and flowers occupied
all availa BILE space. Upon the walls
hung many cards of congratulations.
Some of these cards convinced
him that the persons who hung them
there knew what they were about, for
they bore accurate accounts of his |
wedding and pictured him as he
thought of the surprise he would give
his friends upon the announcement of
his marriage. He Immediately con-
fessed. ordered up something re-
ceived more congratulations and the
incident was closed.
Love at First Sight.
The marriage is the sequel to a |
courtship that began on the day the |
bride became an employe in one of
Crawford's departments. That was
just one year ago. She and Latter |
met in the elevator and Immediately |
became friends. He called at her |
home several times and then they |
were more than friends. But they |
kept their engagement a secret, not |
telling even their parents of it. Miss |
Gillingwater resigned her position a |
few weeks ago. She told her friends |
she wanted to rest awhile, and did |
not give hint of her real purpose.
1T was their intention from the first |
to elope and that was the cause of all |
their secrecy. The day was set for
Wednesday and they did not think
any body but themselves knew of their
plan. But somebody did. One of
the employees in the store overheard
them plotting and carried the news to
the other employees. They immedi-
ateIy schemed to give LATER the sur
prise he had arranged for them.
1t is on me- said LATER, Thurs
day. i had hoped that | would give
every body in this store a big surprise,
but 1 was evidently not cautious
enough. l was married at st. Charles
Wednesday afternoon. We held our
from our parents until
the hour we started to St. Charles.
Then we told them. They were as
tonished, but forgave us readily. We
have rented a flat and furnished it
and will be at home to our friends in
a few days :"