The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-06-17

Freuerlcka DiuSneu, nut Sne lduSheu,
too, after pause. Now when you re-
turn to the West, - she complained you Il
tell your friends that the female majority
in Massachusetts is so large that the women
are fairly desperate You will say that
girl took vou into church one day and
nearly married YOU before you realized
what was happening.
Il shall tell them some things about
the girls in Massachusetts but not that,
he apprised her briefly
''Where are we going now? she de
manded
ITO the real Unitarian Church this
time. That information bureau at the
station was Il misinformation bureau. But
at the same time our Sherlock Holmes
method of research is vindicated think
We Il strike it right this time Only if
they take me for baby and want to chris
ten me, will You promise to stop them :?
+ don't think anything else viii hap
pen TO us, - Fredercka prophesied grimly.
Where do you suppose the real bride and
groom are !? she queried euriously.
Search me- he permitted eheerfully
They re probably in some other of the
wonderful churches in this town, being
buried by mistake.
I'm awfulIy sorry for them, she
sighed They may never have another
chance to elope Do you know have
great deal of sympathy with runaway mar
riageS ID do anything in my power TO
help them She was quiet for a few
moments, her downoast lids and dropping
lips indicating the compassionate tenor Of
her thoughts Il hope shall tell my
stories well tonight, she said rousing
herself with sigh. Would you mind if
7 | told you one for practice -
Mind 1, would be more fun than
/ bag Of snakes. Please do.
You see, | want to he sure Of telling
{ one story that will take, story that will
make hit. story they II all repeat To
. their families when they 90 home; some
thius that original chat they eau get
/ in bsok, ANYWHERE. All my other stories
are second hand. Don't you see, that
f the way 10 get known? II tell one
+ winning story, people viii tell IL aud tell
I t. aud tell u Aud when they want
( -.,uels1sIy 70 address the women club OF
the kindergarten. they Il think Of me.
uh. yes. must be sure to have a story
I that VIII take
tell sou what yen do, Miss Gaston,
yon come out to Colorado. and when the
boys want smoke talk some night, | u
.rs them tn hire YOU See here, III
guarantee yoa hundred dollars and eS-
pen~s-s-
I F're-irrickas gay laugh rang out Ike a
chime Of bells What > delicious sug
ss~tian she said n wish you might
see Bsl, face when tell him about 1t. -
Wen if yvu ,.orn my a'd. 90 on wlh
your story.
oh. what pretty sid 90 Frrderca
exclaimed Suddenly.
Bennett stared up the mad. \ man
and rirl we're walkin. swiftly towards
them. The man was BondescFips. The
rirl was tall aud blonle She wore gray
walking skirt and pink shirt waist, She
was carrying her hat IN her hand The
level rays of the setting suu were revelIng
in ,he gold oi her hair She had clean
eus features and a decided almost naughty
expression Her cheeks mlm5eked the
pink Of the bunch Of roses at her waist
Neither her tor her escort paid the slight
,-i attention to the automobile. And even
lsSs apparently, did they notice the rapid
pounding or the hoofs oi the horses that
werp approaching from farther back.
Prelcrieka turned idly. The eaFriage had
Iusi made bend in the road In 1t were
two men. one heavily built, with thick,
white hair, bris,ling areuiy away iroin a
red, excited face.
I'm - sorry We tried To come by eiec-
tric. the pretty blonde girl was saying IN
clear. thin TONES You see We re over
half an hour late And there no knowing
how rnany engagements Mr., Wharton has
Tor the evening. He may have had to eo
somewhere and then shsre always father
70 think of.
s.Oh. stop. stop, Fredericka cried, lay
Ing her hand GA her companion arm
She leaned over the side Of the automobile.
Are YOU Miss Dorothy Stone I? she
asked earnestly,
The girl jumped why, yes, she
said. Il am. but how --what--
Your father Is behind rs in a carriage,
Frederieka interrupted Don You see
them? Get into the automobile and We u
take you 10 another minister ;. We know
an about i've We just left Mr.. Wharton.
Your father had come there to prevent the
marriage. You viii help them, won
YOU ? she appealed strenuously to Ben
nett
..Ofeourse will Bennett said prompt
Is. Here, get in, get in. Quick
They re on to Us back there Hear how
much faster they re driving Well, We
show them what We can do. I'm SORT,
for them, but | IN afraid they'll have tt
take our dust.
The race was an exciting one. But the
; automobile won, as Mr. Irwin, the prospec
tive bridegroom, said, hands down. Il
Ieaped forward and. gradually acquiring it
greatest speed, it shot straight throgngh tht
town 10 its farthest end. AT first there
! was. between the two girls some sort oi
broken conversation, confused explanations
suggestions, and advice But as their gai
waxed almost terrific and the tiny stone
of the road pelted their faces, they became
silent, bending over and buryins their head
in their arms.
I'VE win, Bennett said briefly as they
drew up in front of another church They
rushed into the parsonage and explained
, matters to the bewildered clergyman they
found there busy with his next Sunday
sermon. How he came ever to consent tC
: perform the ceremony is matter for won
dering conjecture. Perhaps it was then
evident distress and sincerity that won him,
, perhaps he was, as much as Frederieka anc
Bennett, charmed with the romance the
situation. Perhaps the suddenness of then
f onslaught upon him deprived him of any
conscious volition in the matter In any
case, the look, common to them all, OF
birth aud breeding, and their use Of Mr.
Whartons name must have helped theil
cause materially. Whatever the influences
urging him to it, however, consent he did,