The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-12

prOacl or 3. His Wlitb L4Es u1S patent leather shoes, his long. black cutaway coat with the white chrysanthemum in the buttonhole and his tan gloves of an obvious newness, all proclaimed the ap- proach of an epoch in his life. Near the one little window in the room sat a plump. pleasant-faced young woman. In one hand she held an ample bouquet of white pinks: the other hand restlessly smoothed the folds of her white muslin gown. Now and then, as she glanced up and caught the young mans eye she gave him a | quick smile of perfect confidence.
 The young man paused before her and took one of her white-glove hands ] in his own. You don't feel scairt, do you, Nell lie?' he asked in grave concern.
 Not a mite,'' she replied. cheerfully.
 He leaned over her and looked out the little window. He saw the balloon swaying in the breeze and the sea of upturned faces watching it.
 T sorter wish We warn't, goin' to do i it-On your account, Nellie" he said.
 Look a-here, Jim,'' she said gayly,
  count. I'd rather marry you hangin' head down from trapeze than to go on the way I was, a-workin' there at the Jones' We couldn't get married for years, if this chance hadn't come along, an I call it flyin' in the face of Providence to talk about not wantin to go on, and everyting's all fixed.'
 There's an awful crowd out there,' said he
 Pooh! Who's afraid of a crowd?" she sniffed. T ain't'
 He looked at her with admiration plainly stamped on his face. His Eig hand pressed here tenderly
 Well, 'twont take long, he said, as if boistering a waning courage. It'll all be over in in a jiffy"
 She picked thread off his coat and absently wound it about her finger.
 ''I should sorter liked to gone up to Cousin Sereny's after twas all over,' she said, a little wistfuily. "She be- in about the only livin' relation I got, I'd like to gone up there an told her all about it.
 | Traps we can go, Nellie" he began, but she cut him short.
 l No. we cant, Jim. It would cost a lot for two of us to go up there, Ian we'll need all the $22 we git out oe this to start in with in the spring, I don't know just where 'tis that Cousin Sereny lives. All know is that it's somewheres in Ridgway coun- ty, We'll wait 'till after we've got started in on the farm But twould have made a beautiful weddin trip, wouldn't it, Jim?" she ended, a trifle respectfully.
 q wish we could go for your sake" !" he said.
 "Oh, tain't no great matter anyway" she declared easily. we ought to be thankful we've got this chance to get married and git start.''
 At that moment: some one came stamping through the outer office. The Idoor was jerked open, and the man. ager of the fair, red-fftced and puffing. stood before them. rE,.
 ! Ready" he asked, with business like directness. 1
 The girl rose, a tri1e pale, and thrust her arm through the young mans.
 "All ready" said the latter quickly, while beads of precipitation sprang to his forehead. 36u
 Come on then,'' said the manager, leading the way. st.
 They stepped from the gloom of the office into the glare of the afternoon sunshine, the girl breathing fast and clinging to the mans arm; the man shambling along awkwardly, his eyes fixed vacantly on ther bits of cloud in the sky, and the manager moving along majestically before them, his red face wreathed in smiles of professional cour- tesy for the benefit of the crowd. In the bands stands the musicians strug- gled manfully with the Mendelssohn wedding march, and the great event of the day-"an aerial wedding 500 feet above the earth,' as the posters an- nounced it-having at last the crowd left itself loose and howled. Thus they made the way through the lane opened up in the crowd, and came finally to the balloon, where a solemn-faced young clergyman awaited them.
 The manager turned and caught the girl in his arms.
 'In we go'' he said cheerfully, as he lifted her into the car.
 The groom-to-be clambered in clum- silly, and the clergyman followed, his method of authorization detracting somewhat from his dignity. The rope was unreeled from the big windlass, and as the balloon crept slowly upward the cheers of the crowd redoubled The young man slipped an arm about the girl.
 Don't look down. he cautioned
 T ain't scairt, Jim," she replied bravely, although he felt her trembling. Presently they were aware the bal loon was stationary. The clergyman !