The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-09-25

be the bridegroom, Theresa. Prince Or
mond will have to be the bridegroom
and Jack can be best man. Prince Or
mond is perfect for the bridegroom and
you heard Uncle Charlie say that Mary
Belle was fit to be the bride of prince.
Jack was good enough for Mary Belle
when she was battered and crippled.
but not now since she's rejuvenated."
Theresa was completely taken aback.
ooh" she cried, Jack has always eX-
pected to be Mary Bellies bridegroom
and he was just as fond of her when
she was battered and dingy as when
she first came 1 don't think it's fair
to leave poor Jack out"
Jack is only a sailor lad. said Mary
Belle obdurately, land, besides, he has
no clothes He would look very strange
in his sailor suit beside Mary Belle.
while Prince Ormond will be perfect.
/ will let Jack be best man, and even
then he will look queer, for there
aren't any more of Lord Harcourt s
clothes to dress him in
Theresa was Obliged to acknowledge
that Jack was not stylishly dressed
for a bridegroom. Nevertheless. her
heart ached for the poor sailor laddie,
and she did her best to soothe his feel
ings by brushing his suit and hair
beautifully and making him particu-
larly fine boutonniere.
Everything was perfectly arranged
for the wedding when Miss Smith and
Uncle Charlie knocked at the playroom
door. Theresa and Maud Marian were
always the recipients of all the arti-
fetal flowers discarded by their mothers
and aunts. They had whole handbook
of them which they had used to make
a lovely floral bower on one end of the
playroom table, underneath which
canopy the bride and groom were to
stand. The young brave made
swarthy and stout clergyman. for il
had been found necessary to pad him
very much before Lord Harcourt's suit
could be made into the semblance of
a fit.
The young brave was ready to re-
ceive them. So was the prince. Theresa
felt convinced that Jack was deeply
moved and was feeling very sad over
it all. But outwardly he appeared
calm and self-possessed.
AS the bride reached the bower the
prince took a step forward. to meet
her. Sailor Jack, his best man. stood
at his elbow. ready TO give him the
wedding ring at the proper moment.
The young brave also advanced toward
the couple about to begin the bridal
service. and Mary Belle. still on the
arm of her father, turned toward the
prince.
Then, suddenly. how was Il that it
fell forward-not as she should have
done. in the arms of the prince, but in
those of Sailor Jack. Had Sailor Jack
taken a step forward? He seemed to
be close to Mary Bellies side when
she fell Had Mary Belle purposely
fallen in his direction instead of toward
the prince? No one could exactly say.
All that anybody could tell about it
was that Mary Belle and Sailor Jack
were standing under the floral bower
being married and that the prince had
stepped gracefully back and was act
ing as best man.
Theresa was in charge of the groOm's
party, which was to enter from the
side and meet the bride under the
floral bower. Maud Marian was in
charge of the brides party. which
marched up the center of the aisle,
which was formed by two long pieces
of white ribbon held between books
at each end of the table. For the
guests at the wedding. who were all
paper dolls with the single exception
of the brides mother. there were seats
made of rows of books, to which the
guests were inexorablY pinned. The
brides mother had placed for her a
large armchair directly in front of the
bridal bower.
Maud Marian led IN all the paper