Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-07-05

and has to fog her brain continually 80
that she may get her promised task
completed in time. She. too, speaks OF
it as idleness. And with that same kind
of idleness Alan Stacey was continually
afflicted, as he was with real love OF
doing nothing
In times gone by he had many day
sat down to work in the morning, say
ing: Now, Mrs. Conway, l have got
towork today; l have got to work hard.
Now, you keep me up to it. - And no
sooner had Mary inscribed half dozen
lines in her notebook than he would get
up and say. "By Jove, there's another
robin building its nest in that holly
bush" or some such remark, which was
interesting enough in itself. but which
did not help upon its way the story then
in hand. And often and often Mary had
had all her work cut out to keep him
chained to his task, and after they had
come to an understanding with one an
other it seemed to her as il he never
meant to work again, as if he could not
keep his mind off their plans for the
future, and as If any and every subject
was more interesting to him than the
fascinating romance upon which they
were then at work.
eyes. we will go to Monte Carlo,
che said at last one day, "but we will
not go to Monte Carlo, or to Paris or
TO church, or anywhere else until you
have finished this story. Come, now. l
am waiting to hear what you are going
to do with Evangeline now"
az think l shall chuck it up" was
his reply.
mo. no. To that resolutely decline
to be party. am not coming into
your life to ruin you. You have to I'm
ish that story before we can dream Of
being married. Come, pull yourself to-
gether. Think! Evangeline is standing
at the top of the staircase wondering
| what is going to happen next. :"
| Well, in da. course the story was
finished, and when the last words had
been taken down he asked her eagerly
what she thought of it.
"Give me your candid opinion, . be
said.
81 think" said Mary. "that it Is by
far the greatest book that you have ever
done"
And then they were married, going
quietly to church one morning, attend
ed only by great friend o. Alar
Stacey's and the girl through whom
indirectly the marriage had come about
the girl who had first given Mary thu
idea of taking up typewriting as seri
GUS profession. Then they went back Z
the Sycamores and had dainty it'll,
lunch, at which they made miniature
speeches, drank each others healtl
and were as merry as if the party hat
been one and forty instead of but fou
persons Then at the last moment, jus
before they rose from the table, the hes
man thought of something.
"My dear chap" said he to the bride
groom, ''there is one thing abou
which you have given me no instruc
tions. What about the announcement
to the papersf"
"Need it be announced 2" asked Mary
d my dear Mrs. Stacey" replied th
best man, sit is absolutely essential
Bohemian as Stacey is-has always
been-he is yet at the same time per
> soma grata in society, and unless you
/ marriage is announced formally and i'm
, mediately am afraid that it will no
be 80 pleasant for you when you com
home again. Here. give me bit of pa
3 per, Stacey. Tell me how you wish tn
: announcement to be worded. and wi
{ see that it is in all tomorrow papers.
q Alan Stacey got up and fetched
sheet of paper and pen and ink frol
; the writing table in the window.
n "Give 1t to me. said Mary. eth
is my idea what to say" She took til
! sheet of paper from his hand and wrot
q clearly and firmly: ION the 10th, q
1 the parish church, Fulham, by the Re,
F. d. Johnson Brown. Alan Stacey
) only son of the late Colonel job
IS Stacey, Bengal staff corps. to Mar
{ Conway, daughter of the late Rev
d George Hamilton.
n She handed the paper across the tab
n to her husband, and he. knowing hi
n well, realized instantly that her horr'
d and detestation of her first marriat