The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-09

trifiing with you We can nrooa.z
| once to the head of the house. U-bo "a, q,
verify all the facts. Most younp 60
marry the first time in response %
romantic passion; the second tin
better their worldly condition. l annss1
not 10 your affections, for that woTIj
be absurd, but to the plain America y
| sense which | believe YOU tn r,osso'-.
AS for myself"-he was a. fina 1o.o1ss- 1o.oI',eH-
fellow as he smiled-''I am mar -
good habits, good social standing ans
not Old anu
He paused to admire the soft cbss,,.
of Mrs. Elrose, which confessed a foje.
| flush, and the little scar over her ten,
pie became a trifle more pronounoAd
Her suitor continued:
"A pretty house is waiting for vo,,
| the furniture for it is being packed N,
now here in the store-perhaps alreaJt,
| on its way there; your automobile +,
! purchased; you have only to enter III
suit department and select your travaI-
ing outfit. VIII you come with me n
see Mr.. Stanwood?"
The eyes of the young widow saw ne
fore her man of perhaps 35 years
of pleasing address and refinement ~
naanner; a quiet but elegant taste in
dress, brow intelligent, shaded by light
brown hair; deep-set blue eyes spark
| ling q gentle determination--in short q
total but not uninteresting STRANGE
who had just made her a startlins
proposition which had the ring of sin.
| certify about it..
1t was natural, however, that under
| the circumstances, she should hesitate
and offer all sorts of womanly object
ions; to plead for a little delay. little
| time for consideration; but the condi
| tions under which King was proceeding
| demanded immediate action.
She gave him a smile and a look al
| most of appeal, while her lips trembled
with the Importance of her answer.
Mr.. King. I must say I rather like
you. You are so different from the
men ! know. 1 would feel offended il
some had talked to me as you have.
but / cannot seem to arouse any anti
| pathy to you. You know you are ask
ing me to take a daring step. If
could have more time-but then of
course, you must win that thousand
dollars!"
When a woman hesitates she is lost
or won, according to the point of
view. Persistence and persuasion tri-
| umphed in the end. and the couple
finally started for the private Office Of
Mr.. Stanwood.
The sedateness of that gentleman
was aroused to almost enthusiasm;
he offered his congratulation, and at
once put the telephone at work ar
ranging details. He also wrote out a
check for one hundred dollars and
handed it to the confused little wo-
man, with the significant remark that
it would purchase a fine trousseau in
his wonderful cut-rate suit department
The bride-elect, therefore, with a
pretty gesture, retired to select a
hurried outfit. while several porters
hustled about carrying palms from the
plant department and arranging them
| artistically around the mammoth foun-
tain beneath the rotunda, where the
| ceremony was to take place.
AS for the bridegroom he was
already attired. according to the die
tates of fashion. and lacked, but a
spray of Lily Of the Valley for his
lapel, which he easily procured at the
flower counter. The ring, also pur-
chased in the building, was safely
| slowed away in his waistcoat- pocket
The news of what was about to take
place had been gossiped from counter
to counter and banded from floor to
floor. so that when the Rev. Mr. Din
widdie, Kings friend of the book de-
partment had taken his place before
the imDrovised altar. the throngs OF
shoppers in the store and even the
people in the street had a fair idea of
what was going on.
AS the familiar strains of "LOhen-
Erin's" famous march rolled out from
The organ. the bridal party emerged
from Mr.. Stanwoods private office and
moved toward the rotunda. The bride
groom had lost much of his nervous
ness, as some of the boys from the
club we're on hand to greet him, and
Naughty McNaugfton had arrived in
immaculate clothes to act as best
man.
Fate had her little joke, too, for the
bride had chosen her girl intimate.
the goddess of the candy counter to
stand up with her. No bride could
have looked happier than Grace Elrose.
had she been courted two years instead
of two hours; nor prettier, had she
spend months of preparation instead
of minutes on her toilette.
The vast hive became silent save
for a few half-suppressed comments,
as the Solemnites proceeded. At the
conclusion a wild handclapping arose.
King was about to follow the old
time custom of saluting his bride. when
Lambert sprang out from Oblivion and
secured the first kiss.
you've won the wager all right, old
man, but got ahead of you that time,
he chuclxled.
A brief reception followed in the
private office, after which. down long
lane of craning necks and oustretched
hands eager to offer their congratula-
tions, the party hurried toward the en-
trance.
In another moment the coach door
was closed with bang and they were
borne rapidly away.
King had won his wager. At 11:N
a. m. he had entered the store young
but hopeful bachelor; at S:15 y. M. he
left it not only a householder but a
married man, with a family. The
comprehensive idea of the modern de-
partment store could scarcely be made
more complete.
The evening papers contained brlef
and inaccurates accounts of the analr'
but Kings own complete story mus
trated from photographs, covered
page in the Sunday Smudge, and drew
from Mr.. Fithian his congratulations
and a check for $780,