Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-07-09

Iudl nS SlOulu hoNS bNSA -
much trouble on her account, ne
had recited a foolish speceh-ne had
read it in a French novel-to the et-
feet that any man should consider IL
an honor to be her slave.
He had certainly not gone out OF MS
way to met her, nor tried to extena
the acquaintance beyond the hrst
meeting. And as for his foolish
speech, 1t was preposterous to torture
it into an offer of marriage. But there
was her letter, and there was no mis-
taking it's meaning.
"A mistake Of the postman, OF
course" he thought at first, but the
address on the envelope, Mr.. R1chard
Broadhurst, "a George street." settled
that point against him.
No; it's intended for me. Now,
this is a pretty situation. Has a man
no protection against marriageable
girls? ?"
The letter made it clear, provokingly
clear, that Miss Virginia Hamilton
looked upon him as a sutton, and that
she was graciously yielding to his en-
treaties.
why one would think from this, he
said, that | had thrown myself at her
feet and begged her to be my wife,
when, c~onfound her, / wouldn't-Dut
what's the use of storming around
about it? I must get this matter
Strengthened out"
For Richard Broadhurst was the last
man on earth who was thinking OF
marriage.
But, after all, why not? The bold
ness of the thought both startled and
amused him. 1t came back. Why not!
He could not answer the question, al
though he called up all his old-time
preiudices and all the arguments
which to him had seemed to prove
conclusively that he should never
marry.
He remembered that Miss Virginia
was not bad to look upon, that she
gave evidences Of refinement, and that
her manner was pleasing. True, nc
had noticed a certain h%aughtiness II
her bearing, but that, he thought
would be for the world and not for the
man she loved. His old ideas about
marriage might be all right so far a.
the rest of the women in the worlt
was concerned, but Miss Virginia
we'll, that was another matter. A wife
after all-if Miss Virginia were thu
wife-might not be the worst thing II
q the world.
v After accepting his offer of marriage
which he had not made-Miss Vii
a ginia had written that she would re
I main with her aunt in New York till
! week before the wedding, the date o
n which, he learned from her letter, wa
three months hence.
I suppose" she had written, "tha
v you will call upon your old friend MI
Gay to act as groomsman. MIR. Ga
was the friend who had introduce
IF them.
Evidently" B%roadhurst laughe'
there isn't much for the moder
"a groom to do but to appear at the rigl
~ time and put his neck into the yok
The bride-to-be picks out the groor
hints at whom she would like to |
II best man. names the place and dat
of the wedding, and looks after thin
"a generally. But for the fact that the
=, couldn't very we'll be a wedding wit
out a groom, / suppose they won
~ eliminate him. But I'll let Miss v
ginia manage this little affair"
Then he notified his friend Gay thu
!" being inexperienced in such matter
ne he was going to put himself into Gay
ut hands, and asked him to look aft
TO such little details as his bride-to-
80 had not thought to arrange.
os He was in a fever Of excitement
or Gays answer came, but it reassur
do him. 1t was as follows:
10 "Old hand at the business, and "
cd see you through it. Congratulate y
NJ on the bride you are to get. Now,
~ man. keep cool and don't get excit
FOR Above all, don't do foolish things. j,
buy your wedding clothes, be sure
.,v get here on time, and don't wo
,re about anything else. will attend
,ya all little details.
not He then gave minute instructions
,ov to the clothes the groom should we
Really, he's an accommodating
,re low" Broadhurst thought, but
should like to have something to
ON In this matter. The groom seems
he almost as ~unimportant a factor |
, n wedding as an unpreferred cred.
where the acsets are ten cents on
dollar"
~ Then followed three months of
,' stasy, intermixed at times, it is t
70 with the fear that something mi
70 dash the cup If newly-found bliss f
Il his lips.
The weeks passed without Br
hurst hearing again from Gay or I
my Miss Virginia. A week before the
of the wedding, he thought that
~ haps he ought to go over and see u
ne but feared to intrude. They '
lays busy, no doubt, with the arrangeme
'oiu and would not care to be bothered
,ity, 49, ~ uas n NAV the minor ma,
oh' groom. So, impatient though he
pIo. he concluded to await his u be
ie' appearing on the scene. Then, t
were his arrangements to
after. For the fftieth time he rece
the solemn assurance of his t
that his wedding clothes were per
fort Finally, his wedding day arr
the and he was at the railroad station