Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-03-06
A Social Prank
tOriginal.l


season progressed gave themselves up |
to it more and more. The shape it took |
was social pranks. A rumOr was start !
ed that Alan White had elOped with |
Susie Carr. The pair kept under cover
for a few days, then appeared at an /.
evening party together, received con-
gratulations, then laughed at their
dupes. A ball once set rolling will |
roll on till it meets some obstruction. |
No sooner had the mock elopement
succeeded in deceiving every one than
certain boys and girls decided there
must be mock marriage.
The couple selected for principals
were George Towle and Jessie Troxell
Sufficient 'spooning' had been noticed
| between the pair to give color to we'd
ding. A committee OF one was sent to
Towle TO sound him on the subject and
returned with the report that he would
not object Miss TroXell took time to
consider the matter, but when it was
| announced that goodly number of
! wedding presents might be expected
| and the donors would not be likely to
| take them back after having learned of
the "sell' she consented. Thereupon
| the details of the affair We're arranged
by self constituted committee of six
three young men and three girls.
Ned Tracy and Kate Dexter const-
! tuted themselves chairman and chair
maness of the committee and assumed
full management There was no OPP
! position to this till ii was learned that
they were mourning the expenses Of a
real wedding, but since Tracy and
Miss Dexter. who We're wealthy, offer !
ed to pay all bills they were permitted
to proceed at their own breakneck
pace. This was definitely settled be-
fore the bride and groom would con-
sent to such extravagant outlay for
mere prank and for which they might
be held accountable
Recognizing Miss TrOxell's sacrifice
and to keep her up to compliance with
the scale ON which the prank was to
be played. the committee sent her ar
ticles which formed quite respectable
trousseau. This done they ordered
thousand invitation cards. Miss Trox
ellis domiclIe being very small the
wedding was appointed to take place
in Harmony hail. where such social
functions We're held as comprised too
many people to get comfortably in
dwelling. The cards were no sooner
out than wedding presents began to
pour In. A young minister who had
been brought up with the boys and
girls interested was engaged to per-
form the ceremony OF course he was
In the secret and had declined till mott
fed that at the proper time the bride
was to say mo" instead of Yes"
Then the "sell'' was to come out, and
the festivities were to proceed with
dance. -
For weeks even before it was known
that there was to be wedding Mr..
Tracy and Mrs. Dexter were hard at
work, Miss Dexter buying the trous-
seau and Mr.. Tracy engaging the hall,
ordering fowers-in short. attending
to the details After the cards were out
a multitude Of matters were Thought OF
that had been overlooked.
i
! excite suspicion was the action OF the
bride and groom They were never
seen together and until after the cards
were out would not acknowledge their
enga cement. but from that time on
they kept in their own homes, and Miss
Troxell especially would see no one.
When the night of the mock wedding
came ON. the committee, who, except
the couple who were to be mock mar
ried and the clergyman. were the only
ones in tire secret, were on tiptoe OF
: excitement. siMr. Tracy and Miss Dex-
ter figured up the expenses and con-
cluded that the prank should be very
successful to be commensurate with
the cost. When the hall was filed with
guests Tracy sent carriages for the
groom, the bride and the clergyman.
As Miss Troxell entered Miss Dex-
ter was much pleased to hear some one
say: what an exquisite costume! /
wonder who designed IT," The en-
trance Of the couple was n signal for
, the guests to arrange themselves In
their proper space. leaving one end or
, the hall for the bridal couple. Tracy
: was bit worried because they acted,
he said, las II they were going TO get
n divorce instead Of being married"
The groom approached the clergy
man from the left, the bride from the
right The members of the committee
: pushed forward through the crowd TO
a white ribbon that had been stretched
across the end OF the hall In order to
catch every word and note the expires
sions of surprise on the faces OF the
guests when the bride should bring out
the unexpected NO"
The clergyman began the service IN
the tone usual to the solemn right OF
matrimony, and when he came TO the
words, do you take this woman to be
your welded wifeY Towle answered
In a sonorous voice, Yes" And dc
you take this man to be your welded
husband?" the clergyman asked OF the
bride.
The sensation that had been ar
ranged for the guests was experienced
by the committee. In n cleay, firm
| al