Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-12-29

oAiH LII EbAf hhA-AsANA LhoA AhSEo-
DAY
the brood. When | told her last night
what | expected to say TO you she
asked me to be married at once.
'Laddie.' she said. 1 am getting old.
and before 80 | want TO see you
married and settled down. Promise
me, son, that you will be married as
soon as possible, so that l can be here
to see my boy united to the woman of
his choice | promised"
But your mother can go to Eng
land with us, dearest"
"ImposSible She has a horror Of
the ocean that nothing can conquer.
Why not bring your father to Amer
ica?'
IF | waited for father to come TO
America TO see me married, John,
must die a spinster. The last time we
crossed 1t took him four months TO
summon up his courage TO the point Of
embarkation. Three times we bought
tickets; twice we forfeited our depos-
it's once on shore, he assured me that
he had suffered his last trip. John,
you are such a resourceful, clever fel-
low that you must devise some way
out Of our dilemma"
At first | suggested TO Veryl that
half the ceremony be performed at
Matlock and that we proceed by diff
fercnt steamers to America, where the
remaining portion might ne read
Veryl would have none of II. She had
coycnanted to be married in the pres
ence Of her parent-nOt half married
And, besides. John" she added re-
proachfully, If anything should hap
pen to you on the return trip | would
be semiwidow" The lugubrious
prospect of semiwidowhood invited
tears, and l desisted
The plan of marriage by cable, next
advanced met with like discourage
Of an international chess tournament"
Wireless telegraphy offered some
slight prospect of solution, but Veryl
retraCted on account of It's uncertainty.
With the rattle of the first milk wag
on on the street outside and its remind
~ NAA'AA ill'tl ltl'AN hti ~ NN N'AliV tiC
scheme that we finally adopted Neryl
was to 20 to England, | to remain be
hind In America On the l4th day Of
June at high noon, Greenwich time. she
was to stand before her father In Mat
lock and repeat her responses. At the
same instant agreed to go through
the ceremony at my mothers home in
Belmont That neceSsitated a slight
postponement Of our honeymoon and
the omission Of a bridal procession.
Veryl grieyed over both features l
shared only half her sorrow.
AS time went on Neryl became quite
reconciled TO our marriage plan despite
the separation it involved. She is a
most unconventional little person at all
times. and the oddity of the arrange
ment doubtless appealed to her strong
ly With me il was otherwise. The
glory of our engagement was quite
dimmed by the prospect of her depar-
ture for the other side. When she sailed
on the 1st day of June my grief was
abysmal. Mother has since assured me
that for three entire days l ate not n
morsel Of food My thoughts were
with a certain ocean greyhound speed
ing over its Atlantic lane, and l read
and reread nothing but storm reports
and derelict statistics.
one Friday evening found two
small trunks in our front hallway. The
maid informed me that they were there
0y order of my mother. When she
came down for dinner that evening l
noted at once mn air Of suppressed ex-
element about her, but | asked no
questions.
SON." said she after we had seated
ourselves, Il bought your wedding
present today Scet'
Imagine my establishment when she