Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-09-02
How They Met.
lOriginal.l

[Originall
Edward Pemberton was scanning
newspaper at his club when his ey
lit upon the following death notice:
Observation-Disclosures c. Fairweather
Funeral from his late residence. IA D,
Pont avenue, at II a. m Thursday Apri
16.
Singular" unused Pemberton. "tha
there is no age put in. l suppose
must go. His mother would never
forgive me If l stayed away"
He looked at his watch and. seeing
that he had just time to reach the
house before the ceremony. left the
club and proceeded thither, arriving as
the obsequies We're beginning Direct
~ opposite him sat very pretty young
woman, on whom his eyes were riveted
all through the services. When they
were over and the family and intimate
friends were entering the carriages to
follow the dead to the cemetery Penn
berton saw the lady who had caught
his fancy handed into the last carriage
In the train. He stepped to the car
riage, was ushered in by the attend
ant, the door was closed and the car
riage driven away. There was no one
inside except the lady and Mr.. Pember-
ton.
1t is not to be supposed that a lady
and gentleman will drive several miles
alone together without word. In
inn, A.
lady to speak first, and she did so.
II noticed" she said, that the age
OF the deceased was omitted from the
death notice. Do you know how old
he was?"
Il noticed that myself" replied Penn
berton, bit flustered "Gus was al
ways sensitive about his age, and
dare say he left it out ON purpose"
The lady looked at him wonderingly.
II mean," added Pemberton hastily
Il suppose that the family, knowing
OF his preference in the matter, omit
ted it."
Zone of the Fairweathers wrote a
delightful novel, / believe, Her Con-
quest"
Martin Fairweather. He had great
talents. It's a pity he was cut off
while entering on brilliant career"
"Was Her Conquest a posthumous
work."
NO." replied Pemberton; ''he was
forming plans how to follow up the
situation. Il think he wrote it before
he died"
Again the lady looked up suddenly,
and Pemberton explained that he
meant the book was published while
the author was yet living.
Are you an intimate friend of the
familyY' she asked
mo, Gus mother and mine are very
dear friends. l have known Gus fairly
well, but not intimately. And you, I
suppose you are close to himr
"A very distant relative, though /
confess ! scarcely know them"
On the way home Pemberton ven
tured to ask permission to call upon
the lady, which was granted. She in
troduced him to her family as an inti-
mate friend of the Fairweathers whom
she had met at Augustus Fairweath-
er's funeral. 1t happened that several
friends who saw her with her new
devotee asked her where she had met
him. Stories grow by telling, and at
last she explained that he was friend
OF her cousin, poor Gus Fairweather,
who had recently died.
But few months had passed be-
fore there was an engagement between
Pemberton and Miss Anita Brown, the
lady he had met at the Fairweather
funeral. The courtship beine short
and Mr.. Pemberton being yn to
very few of Miss Browns friends, the
engagement occasioned great surprise
among them. The first question al
ways was Where did she meet him?"
and the reply always was: HE was a
bosom friend of Gus Fairweather, and
the Fairweathers, you know, are close
kin to the Browns. They first saw
each other while poor Gus was being
lowered in the grave. Wasn't it a
melancholy meeting to result In such a
happy event"
One day some months later Pember- /,
ton and his wife were walking tOgeth- |
er when suddenly the former stopped |
and stood stock still. He was white as |
sheet and trembled all over, looking
straight before him.
Edward gasped his bride. What !
is it?'
Pemberton put his hand to his brow.
"Am all right? Do dreamW
"Oh, Edward"
Meanwhile young man approached
and called: Hello, Pemberton! How
are you? This is the lady, suppose.
I've heard all about ii. Met at my I'M
cle's funeral. Am glad the old duffer
brought some happiness before he died.
He never did while he lived"
"W-where were you when-your un-
stammered Pemberton.
In Europe. Didn't know anything
about 1t till got home. And how do
you suppose I first heard it? Why, at
being told Of the romantic attachment !
that had been started between Ned
Pemberton and Miss Anita Brown
while weeping over the old fellows G
gravev
There was no age mentioned In the