The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-11-08
A DELAYED Wedding


should have lecn rctrr Mclancthon.
hut il wasn't had called on the morn
lnE of hls Wedding tor finai word
with hla na iaee la order to make sure
that nothing had been forgotten They
were 10 bc married At high noon. and
Il was now II O'clock Hut the groom
wss In costume. even TO the bouton'
Mere and the bride needed only so pot
few finishing touches 70 her toilet
After giving and rccelying few
fnal reminders Mr.. Peter, accompanied
hy Miss blossom. his bride to be. went
Into the hall and through the front
door, backing himself out IN order "a
keep up his Instructions and his eycs
ON his fiancee tn the last moment, lie
descended the steps In this reverse or
der, then turned. and the door closed
nj the same moment
Now, In anticipation OF coal strike
Miss blossoms father was getting In
his annual supply OF fuel, A coal wag'
ON had just driven away, and the
HEAVIER had forgotten TO replace the lid
on the coal hole. The consequence was
that us Mr.. Peter turned and took a
sten forward he felt himself sink. and
IN another moment he was knee deep
In coal heap.
The only injury he suffered was
scraping the skin OF his left arm. Hs
looked up and saw that be could al
most reach the round opening above
him, but TO. do 30 would require q
jump. To jump on a heap OF coal IL
like jumping on a quicksand.
When he was thinking what TO do
suddenly the lid was cl0pped on the
coal hole. Some one passing had seen
the opening In the sidewalk and, sup
posing he was doing kindly act. put
on the lid. Mr.. Peter cried out. but too
late. The benefactor-to some one else
than Mr.. Peter-passed on.
From an anticipated wedding cers
mony In n fashionable church, In the
presence OF fashionable assembly,
10 coal hole even with the lid on and
sunlight Is not pleasant transition,
but with closure and darkness Mr.
Peter found II narrowing, especially
as he might not get out In time Tor
the wedding II Is singular what
thoughts will pass through the brain
at such time. Many person upon
learning OF some calamity has had an
absurdity thrust itself into Ills brain
Mr.. Peter was college bred man
and, being impressed with the readi'
ness with which he had reached his
present position, remembered an adage
| of the ancients, EASY is the descent
TO hell" This he kept repeating
rather II kept repeating Itself without
asking hts permission be was re-
minded that he had better be devlslna
some method Of escape.
| BUT there was no escape. The. only
egress was shute for the coal, bu'
this was not practicable for Mr.. Pc
ter. because It must be opened from
the outside. In fifty minutes his wed
ding would be due He saw the peo'
pie assembling, the bride and her at
tendants going to tho church, then
waiting for him In the yesdbule; ush'
ers going TO the doors and looking ur
the street for him, anxious faces; the
bride troubled and finally In tears.
This Is what Nr. Petcr saw In the
coal hole. and It was what occurred
He took no note OF time till clock IN
church tower near by struck the
hour Of r. Then he knew that the
wedding party was waiting that pc
Rod OF suspense which must lead to
he knew not what had begun.
At tho last stroke Of the clock hs
heard a step In the adjoining apart
ment-doubtless the cellar. Only q
board partition separated him from t.
He cried out. There was an interval
OF silence, then a voice:
"what.is II? Who Is itY'
Mr.. Peter, dreading lest the person
would take to flight, cried Justify fo'
help. After some delay the coal shute
which fortunately was above the par
tally filled bin. was opened by serv'
ant, and Mr.. Peter stepped out.
The first thing he did was TO look NJ
his watch. II was five minutes past IL
pashing up the stairs. he gained the
bathroom. and glance In a mirror
showed him a drsky face. Plunging II
and his hands Into basin OF wnter. NJ
buttoned his coat as high as possible
over his smudged collar and, descend
Ing with lightning speed to the street
ran toward the church. On the way
he passed an empty cab. which he
hailed, and few minutes later dashed
up to the church.
Three ushers were strainlng fheif
eyes up and down for him, Mr.. Pc
ter was hustled inside, where he was
greeted by the bride TO be with min
Cling OF anger. tears and sighs OF re-
lief. There was no time for cxplana
tions. since the guests had ALREADY
been kept too long waiting. Mr.. Peter
took his proper position, with bis sup
ports, on the opposite side OF the vesti
bule, there was o creaking OF the organ
bellows. and the divided wedding par
| ~. uniting Ia the center aisle, ad
yanced 10 the strains OF n wedding
march
Mr.. Peters coat being black and biz
trousers dark gray, his shirt collar be
4 49,, iar,oiv cnvered and his sleeves