The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-24

were engaged Elopement and marriage
were suggested, and she said. the sooner
over with the better she would like it.
The arrangement was to meet under the
big oak on Nash Square about nine clock
at night, and be married, as she sug-
| gested without license, lest the secret
might get out, but as soon as the cere-
mony was over and the danger of interior
ence no longer stood in the way, the Ii
cense was to be secured All that was
satisfactory. So at O'Clock one night,
our hero and his friends, one of whom
posed as a squire, were promptly under
the tree. Presently one said, There she
comes!" Sure enough figure IN trailing
dress, and hooded and yelled beyond re-
cognition, entered the circle. asking in a
tremulous tone of voice "Where is he ?
Which is he?' They locked arms, when
the Squire asked: where is the IL
cense?" "The money is in my hands
with which to buy the license as soon as
the marriage is over" said one of the
groom's friends. 'That being so, I'll pro
ceed,' said the Squire, and he proceeded.
The marriage over it was arranged by
the boys that a reception be given at a
place designated, after which the bride
and groom would go to the home of the
groom, and there remain until the irate
parents became reconciled. AT that re-
! ception the bride disappeared. The
boys had q medley of things not usual at
ordinary receptions, and it turned out in
the whirl of excitement that the bride,
who up to that time, was still hooded and
yelled, suddenly disappeared. While the
grooms attention was turned in another
direction, the dress, hood and veil sud
denly fell off the tride, and, instead Of
woman there stood a man in her place.
When the groom turned to look upon his
bride she was nowhere to be seen, and
the boys swore that the door had not
been opened and that no one had gone
out "But where is my wife," the groom
demanded. I'm the one you married"
said the boy who had impersonated the
bride, "and if you are ready We'll leave
this crowd and go to your lovely home
where we can be happy together
The remark the groom made w2-;id iOt
look well in print. The next day he came
to my office and wanted me to write a
piece as he said, to tell how badly he
had been treated. He gave me the names
of all the boys who had figured in the
matter. and assured me that If I would
not publish them he intended to sue the
last one of them. l told him l thought
that would be the better course, but he d
better think over the matter awhile. 1t
was not long before l noticed that he and
the boys were on good terms again, but l
don't think he ever promenaded by Miss
Mary's residence any more. She was hap
PLY unconscious of the whole matter and
the boys justified their conduct by saying
it was the only way to bring the block
head to his senses. And I guess it was.
I heard that some young men played off
a similar joke on a very prominent citi-
zen, near Forestville, one night; walked
him up and hurried him out in the cold
to marry a runaway couple which turned
out to be couple of men but that ended
in a jolly good time, which all parties en-
jCyed but the joke on the magistrate
could not be suppressed.
The recent deaths of Generals Longstreet
and Gordon remove two very distinguished
representatives of the war period from
the ranks OF the old veterans. and forcibly
remind us of the inevitable; death will