The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-09-29
IN DEFAULT OF THE BRIDE.
Bv NELLIE CRAVEY GILMORE.

I Though fully q, young Stamford
did not look a day over 19 in his light
fannels as he ran nimbly up the
veranda steps of the: Etheredge home
and pressed the electric bell button.
The door flew open simultaneously
and stolid-Eisaged parsonage in
livery stood confronting him.
rs Miss Ethereage in? wish to
see her at once, # possible!" He
/ thrust card into the silver receiver
and sat down, somewhat out OF
| breath, in the nearest chair.
a minute passed and the butler re
turned, bearing a slip of paper
across the back of which was scrawled
| in & hasty hand: Dear Dick:
am, unfortunately, too i'll to leave my
room. Can you not, just as well, com
municate with me through Charley?
Young Stamford was in a quandary
Decidedly nothing could be done with
| out the cooperation of Miss Ether
edge in person, and time was flying
He consulted his watch and found to
his dismay that bare.y 40 minutes re
NAMED in which to act. He reflected
| moment, then turned hastily to the
butler Tell Mr.. Charley to come
down Immediately" he said.
When Charley Etheredge appeared
in response to this summons he found
Stamford pacing restlessly up and
down the long hallway.
The fact OF the matter is, Ether
edge" he began at once, my uncle
is dying. He has always had his
heart set on D on my marriage
with your sister For some unex-
planned and inexplicable reason, he
chooses to fancy at this lale day that
one of us will draw back from our
engagement because of the delay. The
bulk Of his property, as you have
heard, has been Wil1ed to me on the
specified condition of our marriage
He paused and drew from his pocket
the small, unmistakable yellow en-
veiop. And now, the worst of it is,
he pursued anxiously, he has but a
few hours to live and sends this tele-
gram at the eleventh hour: If you
are not married before the breath
leaves my body-at my very bed
side-will shall be changed
Etheredge pondered a second and
shook his head. 4 can't see what's
to be done, my dear fellow, unless
you just simply explain that my sis
ter is physically unable"
$50 much chaH In his present
weakened, fanciful condition an ex-
PLANTATION of that sort would serve adj
mirably to strengthen his unreason-
able whim, and 100000 is no trifie to
an impecunious fellow like-myself. II
of course not, returned the
other musingly.
Its what we've been looking for
ward to all our lives, too
Etheredge was dumb for several
minutes, such thing as solution,
at the present juncture, seeming more
impossible than the moving of a
mountain.
Stamford took out his watch again
and studied its face critically Half
an hour he calculated under his
breath.
Suddenly Etheredge looked up with
a daring inspiration in his eyes. Il
have it, he cried. Suppose what
if I might rig out in some of my sis
ter's toggery and go on with you?
I've done that sort of thing before,
you know, pretty successfully. Re
member those private theatricals last
SUMNER
Young Stamford started and red
dened furiously for an instant. His
eyes chung reso1utely to the carpet.
Then, after minutes hesitation, he
glanced up. "CapitaIi" he exclaimed,
enthusiastically It seems about the
only thing to do It'll simply have to
be done, that's all. Get ready as soon
as you can; we've precious little time
to squander.'
Inside Is minutes Etheredge was
rugged out in one Of his sisters
smartest gowns, with a great loose
coat to hide his figure. The daintiest
of French toques surmounted his
curling, blonde hair
Together tH0g GnteTeA d Coupe anu
drove rapidly away.
1T seems fearful sham to prac-
tice on the old codger,'' remarked
Stamford as they clattered over the
cobble stones, but that 100000 GER
tainly ought to be sufficient argument
to scatter a dying persons Illusions.
isis would never recover" laughed
Etheredge, adjusting a refractory
rosette. Luckily it's getting dark, so
that people won't have an opportunity
to observe this curious combination
of garb and yisage I'm sporting"
Five minutes rapid driving brought
them to the Grand Central depot, and
just in time to purchase tickets and
board the east-bound train.
A drizzling rain had set III by the
time they reached Springfield, and the
night was pitehy. After some diff
Guilty, Stamford succeeded in locating
his uncle's carriage, ana once COM
fortably installed, they were whirled
away to the gloomy scene of their ap-
proachelg nuptials.