The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-26

! eiopemcnt was the only way we could have
a quiet wedding. We decided to elope.
! n girl does not leave home for a surprise
wedding without some feeling of regret. |
mated to get married without having father
ana mother present, but it would have been
Impossible for US to let them into the Sc
cret without spelling all the plans. ! must
confess that | felt very much like crying
when / told mother GoOI-by that morning,
and | am pretty sure that there was a tear
in my eye when i took my leave of father.
But there was Walter with me: and |
would go anywhere in the world for him.
So the tear was dried before it was shed
and the sobs that were trying to choke
me disappeared in the great wave of JOY
That leapsd from my heart. and the trip
to Clayton was begun.
Cora looked pretty that morning. Pack
home she had Il dress that she expected -
wear at our wedding. As | looked at her
on the car. | felt Just a wee hit regretful.
No girl likes to he cheated of the oppor-
tunity of wearing It special dress on the
occasion for which she secured il. And l
knew that Cora would be disappointed when
she found that she would be bridesmaid
but not in her wedding dress. But Cora
Is young. and | thought she would get over
such little disappointments as that: and
perhaps she would agree that it was more
fun to help surprise everybody. even with
out wearing the bridesmaids dress, than to
wear the dress and have the wedding on
the regular stereotyped plan. So l ceased
to worry about Cora.
Walter looked 81 handsome and strong.
and | was perfectly happy in my choice of
Il husband. | felt sure that. whatever
mi2ht come. the quiet. happy-looking young
man beside me would give ne all his love and
care. i never felt a moment of regret. nor
a doubt that | WIS taking a step that
meant the greatest happiness for ME in aft
er life. None of us got sentimental. al
though the air was fun of sweet sounds;
even the rattle of the wheels of the cleo
trio car. as we rolled away toward East
st. Louis, was musical. and seemed to be
Whispering under its BREATH" as one might
say, Walter and 'happiness.' | looked
out of the car window. across the green
fields and back toward the forests and the
hills. and felt sure that all nature was
smiling in unison with us; l thought 1 saw
the farm hands and the miners along the
route look closely at us, and then turn
away with that expression in their faces
which means love for Il lover and when
the busy bridge was reached. l was sure
tina everybody in the throngs there knew
that We Were clippers and felt happy with
us.
At the bridge Mr.. Guiton, Walters best
friend. joined us. He was in the jolliest
mood. And he laughed and joked until I
thought sure everybody would know Just
exactly who We were and what we were GO
ing 10 do. Then it was that Cora first knew
we were bound for Clayton. She did not
appear shocked in the least: / fancied that
there was 4 moment of regret about the
dress back there at home, hut after that
she was as much interested as we wera,
although she was too smart and too much
a fun-lover to let on that she knew.
IA We crossed the bridge a ferryboat
get up on the pilot-house and throw rice
at us. But nothing of the kind happened.
1t was a long trip from the bridge TO
Clayton; | thought we never would get
there. Any other time it would have been
a hot and tiresome Journey as well as a
long one. But now 1t had pleasure and de-
light in every foot of the way.
out through the busy streets of the down.
town district: through the h~Ot-looking rows
of handsome houses in the West End;
through the cool. shady forests and the
shimmering fields OF grain; over hills and
through wales. passing people every few
yards. !