Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-11-30

I'D like to ask the privilege of bein' mar
| ried in your house, Sarah"
ITO be sure. To be sure" was the prompt
| rejoinder. Anything to see you started
we'll in life, if it is little late" And thus
the matter was settled.
Miss Polly Bascom began at once to pre-
pare for the greatest event in her life. Mr.,
Lawson was a man of her own age, timid
bachelor who thus far had escaped the
pitfalls of love, and who, like Polly, had
come to the conclusion that ere long it
would be too late to wed.
His courtship had extended over series
of months and some said that at the last
moment he would back out and leave
Polly still in the matrimonial market.
Thank sgiving morning found Polly ready
for her nuptias The whole neighborhood
was on the qu vve. And why shouldn't it
be? Polly Bascom and Eph Lawson. Did
you ever?
81 say, Polly, what if Parson Trimbls
had asked you first?" queried Mrs. Thorn
son, as she looked at Polly in her wed.
ding gown.
"But he didn't He had more than one
good chance, Sarah, and you know that
/ don't want to miss this one" and Polly
laughed as she surveyed herself in the mir
ror.
The hour of seven came on apace and
the little parlor in the Thomson home had
been arrayed for the occasion. The few
guests who had been invited had come, and
Parson Trimble, accompanied by an itin-
Grant minister of his own persuasion, was
likewise on band. But the bridegroom was
strangely absent.
81 knowed he'd back out. These old
bachelors haint got the spunk of an"
Hell come" said Polly. "Eph said he
would and that settles it"
eth be sorry Thanksgiving for you,
Polly, if he doesn't"
The hour passed and no Ephraim. The
guests looked at one another and always
ended by stealing glance at Miss Bascom.
She was Illustrated" as Mrs. Thomson
said If she let this opportunity slip she
might never have another. Polly always
said she would be married on Thanksgiv-
ing, when she did marry, and it would be
long year before another came round.
Seven-eight o'clock struck.
"Polly," said Mrs. Foster, "are you goin'
to disappoint us? We've come to see you
married and there's no Eph here. He
couldn't screw his courage to the stickin'
point an
Polly blushed and looked across the
room where the parson sat.
81 didn't think Eph would act that way,
she said. Its treatin' me rather shabblly;
but just wait. I'll show him thing or two,
for no man can trifle with the affections OF
Polly Bascom."
In another moment the bride-to-be had
crossed the room and held out her hand
to the parson.
81 want to say that disown Eph Lawson
"a man who hasn't the courage to lead a
young lady to the altar she said. Il don't
like to disappoint my friends and-to-
morrow won't be Thanksgiving. So, Parson
Trimble, if you can take me for better or
worse-take me yourself, | mean," here
Polly blushed again, ''I'll do the best can,
and Eph Lawson will learn to his sorrow
that he can't trihe with my affections"
Parson Trimble coughed little, he said
it was rather sudden, that he hadn't thought
of such thing, though all knew he had,
that he didn't care to infringe on another's
rights but that he had always regarded
Miss Bascom as an unexeeptionable woman,
one who would make any man happy
walk up to the fodder, parson, the sup
per's gettin' cold, broke in Mrs Thomson.
"And if Polly don't get husband this
year there's no tellin' when she will" said
Sally Truaxe.
And when the party filed into the dining
room Parson Trimble led the way with his
new wife, and Polly wondered what Eph
Lawson would say when he heard that
there was at least one woman in the does
trict" who had mind of her own, and
would not let her affections be trified with