The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1904-09-23
John read II and slapped his knee.

Hes such n good man." she went
on with earnestness, "and ought to
have discovered before this morning
that l didn't care for him enough. My
sister is cross with me. She says this
comes of putting off everything till the
last moment"
1.-THE harm comes in putting Ii OH
later than the last moment"
II know that everybody will blame
me, and 1 know how good Mr.. Jack
son was to father. But i don't care"
she said sturdily, 81 won't marry until
| find some one really like"
"And that encounter"
"Please give me Mr.. Jackson's mes
sage" she said.
The elder sister had to be called
down and invited TO join in the general
congratulations and to observe the
wise and ingenious workings of Provi-
| dence, and this she did, pointing out
somewhat frostily that whatever might
be said her day was thoroughly and
completely spoiled. But John, declar-
ing that this was hasty anticipation
of events. remarked that the mission
|
| to be informed whether the ladies, I'M
der the altered condition of affairs,
would care to see the procession. Elder
sister replied that she for one was not
| going into the crowd to be torn into n
thousand million pieces, and John said
4 that being q man with some influence
| he had the right to three most admir-
able seats just on the other side of
London Bridge, and-looking at his
yatch-if they could be ready in eight
minutes he would gladly undertake
the responsibility of conducting them
to the point, looking after them while
there, and eventually seeing them home
again. Elder sister had quarter of
an hour since determined to stay at
home and have good cry, but Rowena
answering for both said that if Mr..
Walmer was quite sure he did not
mind
London Bridge was closed, but John
knew his way about too well to be
baffled by this. How 1t was done the
ladies never knew; what they did real
iZe was that they crossed the river
somehow, and crossed ii by n bridge
of some sort, and there they were, up
temporary wooden staircase. and in
the division marked L and finding pres
emily their numbers. The day was
warm, but they had brought their
parasols, and friend of Johns
brought to the lady tumblers of some
cool beverage with Jumps Of ice dane
ing atop. The elder sister expressed a
hope that it would not get into her
head. but the day being special and
the occasion rare decided to take the
risk.
And after what the elder sister an
nounced as two hours of solid waiting,
but appeared to John as two fieeting
moments. the barrier at the city end OF
the bridge opened, the band nearer
stopped playing, and Johns friend
| called from his seat below that the
procession had left st. Paurs. Soon
across the bridge came mounted SOL
diers, mounted representatives of for
eign countries, marching men from
every land that owned Victoria as
| Queen, and presently through n wild,
| long boom of cheers, in an open car
riage, little old person, in her eyes
tears of thankfulness.
1.-THE dear soul" cried Rowena. John
lifted her UP by the elbows that she
might see we'll over the heads of other
people in the stand. "This is better
than any wedding"
Bells changing out from st. Saviour's,
engines on the railway shrieking con-
| gratuiations, folk from HorsleydOwn
| and Rotherhithe at the top of TOoley
street cheering everybody, from a pop
ular British general on n white horse to
the black police from the West Indies.
1t did seem to the ladies that town
had no secrets from John. At Cannon
Street Hotel he warned them that they
might have to wait their turn for
! lunch: lie would do what he could.
AS n matter of fact, there was plenty
Of room at the tables, and when John
asked the head waiter whether they
could h3yc cold fowl the head waiter
replied that the supply was so much in
excess of the demand that he would let
John have forty cold fowls. They took
1t quietly after lunch. Had q rest first
| ana then strolled out into the city to
see the decorations. John showed Ro-
wena the Office where he had once been
n junior clerk; she said it was a very
interesting place. He told her how
remarkably we'll he had been getting
on the last two years.
TITS been n much happier day" she
said at Highgate that evening, ethan 1
thought it was going to be. l can't
think of anything being jolller."
81 can" said John.
Excuse me, Mr.. Walmer," inter-
posed the elder sister, "but-if it isn't
a rude question-are you by any chance
engaged? Engaged to lady, mean"
Dear me, nor
Then" announced the elder sister,
lmpressively, ''we're always at home
on Sunday afternoons"
John Walmer looked down ut Ro-
wena with a question in his eyes.