Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-11-10
CHAPTER vi.


CHAPTER VI.
Marry us here, DOCTOR" Stanton
said, gathering himself together.
ut could be DONE" replied the clergy
man, easily entering again into the
worldly wisdom of the transaction.
mo one is aft on this side. Not soul
need be the wiser. l have two friends
aboard who will stand as witnesses.
But to think of my marrying John
Olmsteads nephew on fcrryboat!
And hold on, Robert, How about the
license? This is New York, and the
permit is for Brooklyn. You know the
Importance of the case and whether
there's any law to conflict"
ut wouldn't matter, but this is for
New York." Stanton replied, calmly
enough SO long as he was upon point
of law, at the same time handing the
clergyman his third paper.
Good boy, Robert" the white-haired
saint exclaimed, slapping his friend on
the shoulder. "Trust lawyer for do
ing the thing brown. Just take your
wife back to the most quiet corner you
can find, and I'll join you with my
friends in no time"
Again Stanton was trembling so that
he could scarcely move or speak; but
there was little need, for the clergy
man was well alive, now, to the world
ly wisdom of the case. The witnesses
were hardly introduced when he be-
gan, from memory, the marriage cere-
mony, holding his watch before him
as though it We're his Book of Prayer
while his lips flew with the second
hand.
The wheels started, but his lips only
moved the faster, under the full sense
that millions of money hung upon
them, and he cut and abridged the GER
emory without consideration for any
thing but the law. He hardly waited
to catch the first faint sounds of re-
spouse, much less to judge from them
what of doubt or fear or uncertainty
the voices might portend.
III thinking of it afterwards, Stanton
often shuddered MS lie realized what
the result must have been had the
clergyman been in his own quiet home
Even if the matter could have been
brought SO far as the ceremony. Stan.
ton himself would have failed there
oyer and again, under any circum.
stances but the present, with the gin
and excitement and demoralizing haste
that obliterated every feature by the
way in the struggle for the end.
The awful meaning of those words,
rapidly and almost unintelligibly as
they were spoken, came to him even
now with overwhelming force, and
struck him dumb with terror.
"Now join hands," DR.. Borden repeat.
ed, and, hardly giving them time tic
obey, he continued: ''Those whom God
hath Joined together let no man put
asunder. pronounce you man and
WIFE"
Then came the repetition of the sa
cred names, followed by moment Of
reverential silence, broken by the good
doctors CHEEKY voice, devoid of thu
faintest professional accent, exclaim
ing:
| ".Geptlemen, your watches. The ex
act time is matter of the grayest i'm
portance."
"Three minutes of 49,"
1.-TWO and half Is all, think"
1.-TWO, gentlemen. Two. Precisel,
two. Rely upon my watch. 1t is tw'
minutes before IL, this 9th day of De
cember, 1892. Two minutes is enough
gentlemen. It is enough. And let m
tell you that this is the second tim
that one and the same fortune has beel
rescued, AZ by miracle, by the spac
Of two minutes one side or the other, o
IL o'clock. But bless my soul, Mr.. an,
Mrs. Stanton, forgive me. My hearties
congratulations and best wishes. Ma,
you"
Fortunately the boat struck the pie,
and the good doctor had all that h
could do to keep his feet. Stanton coul,
not have listened to much more.
As they parted in the waiting-roon
the clock struck ~, and for his las
words DR.. Borden repeated:
Twelve o'clock, and all is WELL"
From the moment when the cere
mony began, Stanton had acted onl
mechanically. He had heard the clel
gNman say: Join hands," and involur
tarily extending his own, which wa
cold and trembling, lie saw q whit
hand come from under the cloak t
meet 1t. He saw diamond flashing o
one of the fingers. He even saw tina
the diamond was beautifully set j
pearls, He felt q strange thrill as I'll
warm, firm hand touched his own.
| Then he heard those words-feal
full words they seemed to him-"Whol
God hath joined together let no man pr
asunder."
| He tried to CRY out to stop, to save III
) hrsvehttls woman BY his aide from sue