Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-07-12

HI.
marry some Gay in spite OF her. ana
she dreaded the day
Toward evening Sylvia went 10 see
Alice White. though she knew perfect
ly well that the girl would be al chof
practice she fingered moment Oh
the porch. where Alce's faBer SAT
smoking. He was straight, blue eyec
old man. Sylvia sat down on the steps
TO rest.
"I been awful busy" she remarked.
Folks will get married. ana ula'
means weddin' dresses. I'm just Nh
ishin' Nelly Deans, and next II VIII De
Annie Paine's. If what hear is so,
perhaps it'll be your Allce's be'ore
long" The old man squirmed an
asked what she meant. Ee wanted u"
son-in-law, though he could not oDlec'
to John.
why. you won't believe it, but that
half blind, hobbling old Judson is MAJ
ing up to the Widow KIM. they say
She's handsome and young looHin az
well heeled, the best cook in town an
economical too. She's good tempered
except about Johns marryin Alice
and kind of hate to see her throw d =
J self away. But Judson's sly OLD
coot. Anyhow, hope she marries and
leaves John free. He and Alice have
waited long enough-it amt right!
Well. got TO be goin'. You tell Alice
! I was here" She walked off. leaviGS
! the old man with a new fear-and VIA
a new idea in his head. That JuCsoA.
He and Judson had always conflicted.
+ He grunted and lit his pipe.
! Spring passed into early summer
and in June Nelly and Harry and An
( ME and Richard were married. Alice,
sweet and grave and dark eyed, sang
/ at the weddings Her rich soprano
was indispensable. John watched her
In love and despair and began 10 won
der if, after all, prudence and caution
were not sometimes vices as well as
virtues. Would he never be free TO
take Alice to his own home? Would
she never leave her father TO come TO
him? He went to see her much Oftener
than had been his habit. and. strange
to say, of evenings her father disap-
peared, no one asked where. and left
them to themselves. John and Alice
were again almost the boy and girl
lovers of ten years ago. They took
twilight walks and long drives unmo-
Tested and unquestioned and were very
happy.
With surprise John began TO realize
that his mother no longer nagged him
about his engagement nor had fits of
weeping, during which she declared
that he was going to make her a stran-
ger and dependent In her own house.
Then one evening he took courage
and masterfully laid before Alice q
plan to brave everybody. Finally she
yielded. though she dreaded the ex-
PLANTATION that would have to follow.
One soft September evening John.
with license in his pocket. drove to
going to take her for a drive to Lynn
vile. ten miles away, and that they
would not be back till evening The
old man was used to their driving and
said nothing. In fact, he seemed al
most anxious to have Alice go.
Late in the evening they returned
man and wife. John tied the horse
and went in to have ii out with Alice's
father. But the old MAJ. strangely
enough. was not to be found. They
waited awhile, and then John left her
to go tell his mother.
When he had gone Alice sat, silent.
In the big chair on the porch. happy in
spite of the probable trouble Johns
mother would make, happy in the face
Of her fathers certain anger. At any
rate, nothing on earth could make her
anything but Johns wife. So she wait
ed for John and wondered where her
father could possibly be. In half an
hour she heard Johns quick, eager
footsteps. He swung in at the gate
and almost ran to take her in his arms
He kissed her, and he laughed-actual-
~ laughed-like a boy Then he ex-
planned:
Hes at my house-your father. II
seems they took advantage of our alb
sence to marry each other, Alice
How's that for slyf They braved me
to my face. but they were 80 afraid
that we would be angry that they were
positively relieved when | told them
what we'd done. They are coming
over here tomorrow, dearest, and then
our home will be our own"
Then John, being man, could not
just see why Alice could declare that
she was perfectly happy and still
should weep on his shoulder But
Sylvia was woman-she would have
known the reason.