The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-02-18

me parerts compared notes. ~ A.
eiord that there was only one thing I,
Oe o"ne-interTiew the four togefbe
and insist on less public devotion or :,
auli''ai ii't'uis-nt % enEa sements.
The Young Is-lpir knew az this an,
me evening The council was 10 or.r,
AZ Siiiie's home they promptly abseut
"a themselves The meeting began
ana after mueh polite Slarrlng n wa,
Decided 10 make the lleSi Of the Tom.
and-Sailie aud Roband- Mary arrange
lnenis- The old folks showed q touch.
ing resignation. All they would insist
Oh was a knowledge o. the facts.
AT this juncture Tom and SaIIie
strolled In. followed by the other two.
all showing delightful surprise at the
parental presence.
II looks like council Of war"
commented Tom. while his father glow
cred. aud then began the attack. fol
lowed by Sa!lie's father and the inter
polations OF the Others.
IF YOU are engaged" Mrs. Trevor
finished. I'VE insist on having It prop
erly announced. II you are not-well.
you ought TO be. | hope you under
stand our point Of view"
A silence followed. broken only by a
nervous little gigGle-the giggle Mrs.
Martin would not like in a daughter
in-law. Finally IL was Bob who spoke
as the four stood under the chandelier
In the usual couples.
We are sorry not for ourselves. but
for you-that we are not engaged. We
rully appreciate your assembled wishes.
But we don't see how we can be en-
gagged. 1t is, in fact. impossible" He
looked at Tom to finish. and that
young man rose to the occasion. He
was even bit dram matte as he faced
the four fathers. the four mothers. sit
ting 10 stern conclave. but visibly sof-
tened by the we'll bred. beautiful young
quartet before them. young people
charming and. after all. old enough to
know their own minds. Thomas spoke
% his own mother.
THE fact is. we all hate nonsense
We hate planned matches. and being
TO order with diamond rings
o advertise the fact, and the society
'ussies purring and fashionable wed
Lings preceded by showers of stuff
hat only a tire or some other special
of Providence can rid you
t. And then"-he took a lawyer-like
one beftting the junior partner Of the
rm Of Tracy & Tracy. I'VE cannot be
ngageG because he paused for eff
ect and got it. for "A sudden suspicion
ent the parents as one to their feet
because we are already married"
e finished leisurely. "a month ago at
e finished eisurely. "A month ago at
'axter. by Roberts uncle John, who
lso hates fuss and feathers" With
uick movement Tom moved-past Sal
e-and took Mary by the hand lead
lg her to his mother. and Bob had ,
allie by both hands. looking at her
ally. forgetting the others.
And when it finally became evident
the bewiIdered families that the
ght children were together. that sal |
, had married Robert, that Tom had '
arried Mary, the relief went far on t
e way to forgiveness for the elope- T
ent.
But why elope?" Sallie's father final
asked. Il think | may say for my
lends that these marriages will make {
ultimately happy i that they are, in G
ct. Just what we desired. What was f
e real trouble? We were all quite
Hing But a chorus of laughter /,
eeted him-happy young laughter.
That was just the trouble. You
ere too willing~ 1t was Sallie who
d spoken from the shelter of her
ung husbands arm. Then every
dy laughed.