Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1910-02-25
/ WORKED WELL,
BY ANDREW c. EWING.

BY ANDREW c. EWING.
copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.I
am a bachelor. am forty. am
theorist These few words are ebun-
dance of preface to my story.
/ have TWO friends who offered to
put themselves In my hands for an
experiment in the line of my matrino-
NAL theory. John Auchincloss frankly
averred that he believed in marriage.
but had always considered 1t matter
of fate. My idea of taking it out of
the hands of fate struck him forcibly.
Besides, the plan II properly worked
by third person afforded the best
possible chance to at least avoid any
bad matrimonial blunder. Helen Eng
lander pretended to make her PROPOSE
ton In a spirit OF banter. but admitted
that to spend a week continuously
with any man would cause her to hate
him. and If she married at all 1t must
be as a plunge into a cold BATH Fol
lowing these two lines of reasoning,
both agreed to marry any person |
might select, the pair not to meet un-
til one minute before the wedding. /
| had long considered Auchincloss and
| Miss Englander as eminentiy fitted
| for each other and selected them for
matrimonial venture. One stipulation
was made by the bride. After the GER
emony she was to have month be-
! fore living with her husband. he
must leave her Immediately after the
benediction. This. she said. was nee
| essary to permit her to gather her
forces for what she considered the
great sacrifice on the altar of family
ties and affection"
There are people who do not impress
US at once, but grow on us slowly. The
| principals in this case both impressed
those who met them on sight Every
one said on meeting John Auchincloss,
what splendid man!' And Helen
Highlander called forth like encomi-
ums. Would the strong individuality
In both harmonize? This must be left
to fate, but it Is better to take one
chance than a dozen. and In this case
there was no chance whatever that
either would get an unworthy life
partner.
The wedding was in every respect
worthy of the practical couple con-
cerned in it, 1t occurred at II In the
morning and the only persons pres
ent except the bride and groom were
the brides mother and myself. At II
o'clock John and stepped up to the
Englander. front door, rang the bell
and were ushered into the drawing
room, where Mrs. and Miss Highlander
were awaiting us. OF course l watch
ed anxiously for the first look that
should come over the face of each at
beholding the other. Johns counte-
nance was perfectly serene. If there
was disappointment in it l failed to
discover it. Helen's lit up with
quick pleasure, and she drew a long
breath as if she had been freed from
a great dread But for these scarcely
to be detected features one might have
supposed the two had met for the pur-
pose of transferring piece of prop
erty. 5E
AS we entered drew out my watch
and noted the time, then went across
the hall. where a clergy man was in
waiting, brought him in, and the cere
mony began exactly forty eight Sec
onds after the principals had met
John answered the responses as me-
thodically as If he were making an
affidavit before a notary, but Helen
bungled everything. 1t was plain that
there was no small commotion beneath
her rapidly rising and falling BOSOM.
AS soon as she had been pronounced
La wife she turned to salute her moth
er. her chief object being to hide the
4 turmoil within her, Then. suddenly
4 turning about, she looked her husband
| full IN the face. For the first time in
my life wished such woman would
give me such a look.
/ John had ordered carriage to call
for him at FIVE minutes past 1 I. and
4 the first glance between husband and
4 wife was cut short by the butler an.
nouncing that it had arrived. John
! bid adieu to his other- in-la W, then to
/ his wife. The latter Kent her eyes on
the carpet till the last moment, then
4 looked UP. with a soft reproach in her
eyes.
iss NJ q DSssgs a INV ILL tSss X ILL VI
gence n, said John. 81 assumed that
our contract made it obliga tory on me.
4 to depart d tgonce.' Z
/ don't remember that the exact
time was stated, E, said the bride. with
4 q blush. II $jS
4 This was positive untruth. She
had used the word Immediately Is
4 Mrs. Highlander asked me II would
4 partake OF some refres hmeut, and. ac..
/ companied by he clerg lyman. we went
! out to another room, lea wing the newly
A married pair lone gether
A Up to this point have told that In.
4 which was IL, Important actor The,
rest Of the story can only tell BY in