The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-03-22
beg Pardon" And Half An Hour
Later They Were Married

The accidental jostling of young wo-
man by man the other day led to wed :
ding almost on the spot.
This delightful romance illustrates the
value of good manners and cheerfulness.
The two young people who collided were
SO impressed with one anothers happy
way of treating the incident that they were
convinced that they would be happy part
ners for life.
Miss Beatrice Kennedy, very pretty
and popular young society woman of Ala
media, Cal, was returning home from San
Francisco in one of the crowded local
trains. She was laden with all sorts of
little bundles, mostly articles of wearing
apparel and finery. As she was hurrying
forward to look for her seat in the crowded
train young mana perfect stranger to
her-jostled against her accidentally and
caused her to drop several of her little
bundles on the floor. She was highly en-
barrassed, for she still had so many bundles
in her arms that she could hardly stoop
down to pick anything up. The young
man, however, proved very polite and
cheerful
II beg your pardon, Miss he ex-
claimed, II m an awkward brute!'
But he did not stop at polite words He
Immediately set to work to pick up the bun
dies, and while he did so he very dexterously
kept back the crowding people from step
ping on the fragile articles.
There were many other people who jos
tied against one another in that car, but in
no case was the meeting attended with
anything like such pleasant results as this.
With all her bundles restored, Miss
Kennedy found her way to seat. For
tunately it happened that another seat was
vacant beside. The polite stranger occu-
pied it.
He inquired if any of the bundles con-
tained breakables, and offered in the kind
est and most unaffected manner to replace
them if they had been damaged through
his carelessness. Miss Kennedy replied
quickly that they were not breakable and
there was no damage done to them. At the
same time she blushingly sought to cover
up bundle which was bursting open and
revealing something decorated with pink
ribbon and lace. The gallant stranger ap-
parently did not notice it at all.
"The woman who meets the little an
noyances of life with an even temper is
race" he reflected to himself, ''and yet
that is the quality which is most needed in
freside companion. [ have found a
pearl among women. y
Miss Kennedy and the stranger naturally
glided into a pleasant and friendly CONVEX
sation. They talked about the progress
that was being made in rebuilding San
Francisco and agreed that there was u
splendid opportunity for young man to
begin business there, and to enjoy health
and fortune in the glorious climate of Cal
ifornia.
'The stores in Frisco are simply de-
lightful, )" said Miss Kennedy. Il be-
lieve they are better now than ever L
can hardly tear myself away from them,
they are so fascinating
''Then how troublesome it must be for
you to go shopping without anybody to
help to carry the things. You could give
your undivided attention to examining those
delightful bargains if you had somebody to
look after all the bothersome details of
paying for them and so on.
"Oh, but understand that man would
rather go to prison than help girl shop. :"
sMen are not all such brutes. [ should
enjoy helping you more than anything in
the world
"You seem to be nice kind OF man.
'sThank you. Now, don't you find
shopping all alone very tiresome?'
'sSometimes it is rather hard, - Miss
Kennedy admitted.
"Well, why don't you get married, and
then you would have somebody who would
think it heavenly to relieve you of these
troublesome little parcels.
why, think of the pockets man has
in his coat, where he could put any num-
Der of these" and the stranger, suiting
the action to the word, put package after
package into his cavernous pockets, while
Miss Kennedy looked on in wonder.
sThey are convenient, aren't they P
she said.
eyes, indeed, and it is convenient to
have husband, too. 1t seems strange to
me that young and lovely woman like
YOU (pardon me, I do not mean to be i'm
pertinent) should not already be mar
ried''
"Perhaps I am,' laughed Miss Ken
uedy.
ooh, no, I no, I mean think you
are not. Are you?'' and the stranger
looked straight into her eye, and waited
for the answer.
1t came, finally, after Miss Kennedy
had returned his direct glance. 81 am
not" she said.
"You are not?'' Can you imagine,
Miss Miss"
"Kennedy, the young woman prompted.
"Miss Kennedy, can you imagine how
happy that answer makes me, and will you
forgive me if tell you what is in my
heart p
'sBut, sir, I do not even know your
name, nor who you are, nor what you
are
"Miss Kennedy, my name is Lynd Ag-
new. I am twenty-five years old and a
native of Louisville, Kentucky. l am a
marine engineer by occupation, and grad
uate in medicine. I am receiving an ex-
cellent salary and 1 am fairly we'll to do.
Miss Kennedy, 1 want you to marry ME. y
Miss Kennedy opened her beautiful eyes
wide with surprise. She might truly have
uttered that old, familiar phrase, "This is
so sudden but she did not, for she is not
a conventional young woman and the stu
alton was not conventional. The man s
expression was so frank, sincere and heart
felt that she was carried away by it. She
felt here was the one man who had been
intended for her from all time. She was