Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-04-27

ment such as peddlers, transfers and
others might get for paltry dollar.
But Harry laughed and said that he
would regard it as proud privilege
to be able to ask for and get Il license
to marry any good woman, but that
if her Oorothy's) name was to appear
Oh the document side by side with his
J he would consider his glory supreme
and perfect. etc. And they laughed as
/ she quiZzed him about how he would go
about it, and laughed again when he
dared her to go with him right then
and there to get Il license.
"Come on, Dotty," he urged. It'll
be new experience. l know the clerk
and he'll cancel the thing for me and
keep 1t out Of the papers and when you
see it done you can tell Steve how easy
try It,"
And they laughed some more and,
think, the waiter brought in a little
silver pail with beads Of icy water upon
1t and golden, green bottleneck peep
ing out Of the Ice, but anyway they
marched across to the city hall and, she
blushing and tittering, and he quite
ridiculously solemn Looking, they asked
for, and paid for, and got license, and
went back to the hotel bubbling with
enjoyment Of Harry's latest Joke"
Stephen was waiting for them, very i'm
patient and important, and Dorothy
thrust the Ied license into her b som
and with Il quick warning to Harry
went away with her fiance to the
theater.
Then Harry went back to the mar
riage license desk and called the clerk
aside so that he could explain the joke,
and that, Of course, he didn't want
the license at all, and that 1T mustn't
get into the papers.
Il just thought I'd come and tell you
to make sure the reporters don't find
1t out. We're going to tear up the
license, and"
but it's too late, Mr.. Hatch" said
the clerk, the afternoon papers have
got the names already. These lists are
public property, and, anyhow, the
license Is issued, is out and ia bona tide,
until you bring 1t back"
Then l must bring it back to be can
celed! exclaimed Harry, and not wait
ing for more than a nod, he darted Off
toward the theater where, he knew,
Dorothy and Stephen were attending
the matinee. He didn't find them, mis-
sed them In the crowd later, and when
he went rushing to her house at din
ner time, found her mother in tears and
the house in a bedlam. The reporters
had been there! The story of the
license was "out." Harry rushed back,
pell-mell to the newspaper offices to
have 1t stopped" but when ha got out
Of the carriage and bought the late
editions of the evening papers, the sotry
was there. looming black, sensational
and prominent "All about the sensa-
ton in high society,"" Harry read it
over and-grinned THAT won't do
thing but put crimp In Steve!" he
muttered.
He pleaded with city editors and in
sisted that the whole business was a
joke. They promised to do their best
for him, and interviewed him and sent
reporters to interview Stephen. 1t was
an awful mess! Harry, out Of breath
and anxious to pacify the Cars, has
tened back to Dorothy's home to find
confusion worse COMPOUNDED. Stephen
had been there in towering rage. He
had scolded Dorothy, read lecture to
old Mrs. Carr, cursed Harry and left
in sullen huff" Dorothy's mother
glowered at poor Harry and then burst
into tears.
THAT for your jokes, you mischief
maker!' she screamed at him when he
tried to explain, and then, for the first
time in his life Harry Hatch was
abashed, disconnected, ashamed.
But Dorothy. too, was in Il passion.
Not at Harry, but at Stephen. She
even forgot her proverbial tilial respect,
and when her mother resumed her
TRADE at the scape-grace, said with
shrill vehemence:
stop. How dare you scold him?
What is it after all but tempest in a
teapot! A few paragraphs Of silly SEN
have been a source Of fun for anybody
but an owl faced blockhead like Stephen
Hatch. | wouldn't marry him NV if
he had all the money in the world, I'm
of age and the whole thing was my
doing. and I'm glad Of it. SO there!'
And she and Harry walked away into
the garden silently but very contid mt
ally. Mrs. Carr didn't speak to Dorothy
till the very day of her marriage to
Harry. but old man Carr, Dad" as
Dorothy called him, who liked the
scape-grace and finally convinced ma
ma" that he'd rather have Dot married
to a good Indian like Harry than to a
coupon clipping. joss-like Stephen. fixed
up matters to adroily that the wedding
turned out to be the SWEETEST, happest,
most promising affair that even the
practical joker himself had ever ''as-
sisted at"
You're all right" said papa. when
the bride and groom We're going away,
you're all right, but-well, that was
a of a jOke-on Steve!"-Chicago
Record Herald.