The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-06

| aside from his active influence for good
 made MT. Pearson the most popular min ] ister the suburb had ever known. After ' he was all through laughing he wiped tho | tears from his eyes and said "Bless the | babiesp Then he went back toward tht
 kitchen. He had scarcely reached 1t wher | there came a ring at the door bell and | shortly afte~ward Nora ushered a young
 man and young woman into the par | Tor.
 "Why Skeeziclxs!" exclaimed the hearty l voice of the young lady. and Katie made one of her violent rushes for him What are you doing here?" she de-
 handed as she released him, limp and | breathless, from her crushing embrace. "Oh, we just came to elope. confessed Skeezicks, with whom evasion was an
 unknown art; "but we didn't cave li- | cense, so we've got to wait" Katie sat down and laughed until her face was red. Skeezicks looked from her to the young man and then he suddenly stiffened He had seen this young man | once before under peculiar circumstances. Strangely enough, he did not ask the counter-question that had been on the tip of his tongue, but when Katie was
 through laughing she took him into her
 confidence.
 You know what you asked me this
 morning about clipping, Skeezicks? ?' "Ye-e-e-s," he hesitatihgly drawled Well, this is my afternoon off and l
 had made up my mind to do that very
 thing, so it took me all of a heap. Miss
 Elizabeth is to have her wedding next
 week, you know. and as soon as she's
 gone on her trip I'm going to leave. But this is the only chance I'll have before
 then, and Jimmy here-Mr. Harter, I mean--is so anxious, so we just slipped off tosget married today and have it over with" and she beamed over at the heavy jawed Jimmy.
 Skeezicks nodded duly. He was trem. bling with painful indecision, which the minister relieved by just then coming in with the ice cream and cake. MT Harter, feeling i'll at ease in this place, stated his errand with the gruffness oc a dyspeptic ordering his breakfast. "Very we'll" said MT. Pearson cor
 dially, cleaning off the center table for
 the children. Now, if you young peo- pie will just watch" he told them, "Ili show you how 1t Is done, so that when you come back to me in 15 or 20 years you'll know just what you have to go through with" and, after a kindly ques- tion or two of Katie and the young man. he proceeded to marry them, hay ing called in Nora and his wife as wit nesses.
 Skeezicks sat in a torment of uncer ,. tainty, his face flushing and paling by turns and his small fingers spasmodic- ally clasping and unclasping them
 selves. The palms of his hands were in a nervous 'perspfration and he fre-
 quently wiped them upon his handker-
 chief But when the minister, grave and reverential enough now, had come l to that passage In the ceremony where he asked if any knew of good and suf- ficient reason why this man and this maid should not be united in matri-
 mony the little company was astounds | ed to hear Skeezicks' small voice pipe up firmly: "I do!'
 MT. Pearson turned to him in amaze .
 ment, but quickly surmounted the shock, smiling at the childish blum der.
 Why, what do you mean, my little
 man?" he inquired.
 Skeezicks was on his feet now. He was desperately pale and his hands
 were tighly grasping the lapels of his little coat.
 q don't think he is good and kind
 man." said Skeezicks, unconsciously using his Uncle Joe's formula for mar
 riage eligibility. q saw him slap a
 lady that carried baby one night, and she cried"
 MT. Harter let an oath escape him and made a stride forward. Katie grasped his arm.
 Whats the boy talking about?" he
 growled, shaking off her hand. Then he turned to MT. Pearson. Come on and get this over with" he
 demanded. T never saw that kid be :. fore in my life"
 Wait a minute," replied MT. Pearson, thoughtfully studying the clear eye of Skeezicks. "Th ere may be some mistake here, but I'm going to see what 1t Is all about Now, then, young man, tell me just how it all happened"
 Skeezicks cast glance of apprehen- sion at MT. Harter, who was scowling blackly at him, and hesitated.
 Never mind" said MT. Pearson, squaring the broad shoulders that sud- denly seemed very reassuring. That man shan't hurt you, no matter what you say"
 Well" said Skeezicks, groping slow ly for circumstantial clearness. T was out looking through the fence. when when he-and lady with a baby stop ped in front of our gate. The lady was crying and wanted him to come with her and he said that he was after some money and as soon as he got 1t they would leave town. Inen he laughed. But she told him that she knew how he was going to get the money and that she would not let him; so then he slapped her. so hard it knocked her against the fence and he made her go away and he swore"
 MT. Pearson turned with stern inquiry to the would-be groom.
 Its a lie!" blurted that young man.
 "Oh, no, 1t isn't" shrieked Katie oh hecking back the flood of hysterical tears that had threatened to overwheim her and pouring out her accusations ip one breath You have been wanting my $7OO that I've saved up all my life to help fix up a home with, and I wouldn't give it to you till we were married, and you made me go to the bank and draw 1t, and I have got it in my pocketbook now; and I'll have you Jailed If 1t takes every cent of 1t, and if there's any left I'll give 1t to your poor wife! You hear that, Mr. Harter-if that's your name" and Katie smacked her red fist in her hand while she filled her lungs. "O-o-o-o-o!'' she screamed with the fullness of that long breath, and startled MT. Pearson into immediate action.
 Never mind" said he to Katie, re- straining her from her obvious intention