Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-09-05


to live with himH Don't l have to
see him waste his life? And 1t is
nothing that / have to exc out an ex-
istenee crushing down my signs, fore
ing back my tears?"
Walking across the room to where
Edna sat she put her hands on a pair
OF very unsympathetic shoulders.
'How can you Judge? You do not
know the case. Now listen. Every
breath / breathe, every prayer ut
ter, every breath of my aching heart
is for Jack Winston. I've loved him
ever since / was little girl, but you
see could not very we'll marry him
because he never asked me. Then,
too, Jack is so poor, and all my life
I've been longing for things that Tom
Grants money will buy for me.
don't deceive him. ! said l couldn't
love him; but he, still knowing this,
wants to marry me, and l accepted.
Now Judge me IL you will"
Edna strengthened up bit and the
fines about her mouth seemed to
grow deeper in an instant.
zone question, please, before I
render the verdict. You take upon
your soul the wrecking Of this mans
existence. You win suck the honey
from the flower of his life and leave
him nothing but the stem. This is
easier for you than being an old
maid Then. too, suposing that Tom
was in love with some other girl?"
II plead guilty to the charge,
Judge. and accept the sentence OF the
court. Your logic is getting stale;
80 let's go to bed that / may get my
beauty sleep and make a handsome
bride. Think of it, dear girl, to-mor-
row at this hour my visiting cards
will read, Mrs. Thomas Kemp
Grant
The next morning was colorless,
the air heavy; In fact, just the sort of
day to make a bride look out of the
window and wonder IL she really were
Buperstltlous.
1t was about 8 o'clock and Tom
was whistling one minute and singing
the next. He walked into the bed
room where his friend and best man
lay peacefully sleeping.
Get up, you lazy vagabond. We
can't keep the bride waiting, you
know. That's her privilege"
The best man rubbed his eyes,
growled bit, and finally crawled out,
Tom was practically ready. After
working about an hour on 1t, he had
managed to arrange his puff tie to his
entire satisfaction. He had buttoned
and unbuttoned his waistcoat until
his thumbs were blistered. He had
pulled 1t down in front and buckled
It at the back until the seams threat
ened to give way.
BY IL the men were ready and on
their way to the house. AS they
neared 1t Tom became more and more
nervous. There seemed to be a
weight on his heart that he could not
lift. At that moment the best man
was hanging out the cab window,
cursing the cab driver for the snail
like pace they were pursuing.
Il say, cabby, this is a wedding that
we are going to, not a funeral. I'll
give you an extra half dollar IL you'll
hurry"
IAN extra half; is it? You talk
like politician. Well, sir, you might
corrupt me, but the horse can't be
bribed and weddin's or funerals, his
gait Is all the same. Rest easy while
you can sir-the lady will drive you
fast enough, once she gets the reins. .
The best man was about 70 rail at
the Irish as a nation, when Tom said |:
"If anything should happen"
Jumping Juniper, Tom, brace up.
You look as If you had curvature of
the spine. Pull yourself together,
will you? Any girl who had such a
looking object as you on her calling
list would be ostracized by good So
ciety, and one who would marry you
would be declared mentally incom-
petent"
"All right. I'll pull up, but I've a
beastly idea that something is going
wrong. Jack, old man, i can't do it.
I'm in love with Edna Cross and not
with Eleanor. I've just begun to
realize It,"
"You old poacher, then why did you
ask Eleanor to marry you, when you
knew that l have loved her all my
life, and have been trying to forgot
her for months? Night after night
Invent over and sat with Edna, trying
to make myself think was forgetting
Eleanor"
"And every night" said Tom, a
went to see Eleanor because you were
over at Edna's, and had no right to
trespass on your preserves. A nice
mess we've made OF 1t. What are we
going to dor"
"Do? Why, that's easy enough,
assured Jack. II am going to be the
groom, and you can just slide bach
into my boots as best man. We'll
blame the whole thing on the printer
Trust me, old man, said I'd see
you through this ordeal, and I'm 60.
ing to keep my word"
AS the cab finally reached the
house the men stepped out and were
ushered into the room where the min.
lister was waiting for them.
No word of explanation was uttered
and the men took their places by the
minister who was to pronounce then
man and wife. The wedding marcel
twas played, and as Eleanor, IN heI
gorEeous robes, came forth to NEE
the man Of her choice, Jack Winston
stepped forth and offered her hi
J arm