Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1910-04-08


meeting should be calculated in ac-
cordance with the impulsive natures
OF the young couple. especially the
girls. Not only this. they sent Cupid
to shoot few more arrows into their
hearts.
Mr.. witridge and Miss Anderson,
three years older than they were at
lne husking. came together for the sec
end time at straw sleigh ride, and 1
the managers OF their destinies ar
ranged that they should sit side by |
side. Witridge began by apologizine |
for having ever asked girl so young |
as she had been at the time to marry |
him and ended by saying that he was
very sorry she had not been of the re-
quired age.
Something. she knew not what, NOV
ed the girl to discover whether or no
he was blufing- giving taffy-in short,
that to express which no correct Eng
lish word has ever been coined. She
dropped her lids, and he felt for her
hand. He found ii, and 1t was not
withdrawn. When they separated she
had intimated to him that II he would
call on her the next afternoon she
would complete what had been intend
ed after the husking party.
The next morning Mr.. Witridge took
out the marriage license for the sec
ond time and in the afternoon called
upon Miss Anderson. He found her
arrayed for the bridal In a plain
walking suit and they started at once
for the clergyman who had declined
! to marry them before. Miss Ander-
son went to the very door. but when
she saw Mr.. Witridge's thumb about
to press the button she turned and
fed. She had discovered that he was
not bluffing, and he had discovered
that she was doing that very thing.
For the second time the marriage
license was returned. The clock OF
destiny for those concerned struck 2.
When the couple met for the third
time IL would not have availed the
fates TO bring them together that they
might act ON impulse. for their i'm
pulses had faded before maturity. IL
was twelve years before they met the
third time. 1t is singular that. really
loving each other. they should have
been separated for so long period.
The reason was that Witridge sup
posed Miss Anderson had acted from
bluff" alone and pursued the matter
no further. Miss Anderson. being now
woman passed out of childhood
would not marry, so to speak. ION n
lark" She must be properly wood
and won. The consequence was that
they passed NIL these years under n
misunderstanding.
Meanwhile Witridge had become an
active business man. He grew wealthy.
or was considered so, belonged to
a number of select clubs and went
somewhat in society. One evening at
Il social function he met Miss Ander-
son, now q woman of thirty, not yet
past the line between youth and mid
die age. The moment the two got to-
gether the smouldcring FIRE within be-
gan TO show flame. Something the
lady said induced her lover TO believe
that he had made a mistake. The
next day he called. and the next week
they were engaged TO be married.
1t was about this time that finan-
cial panic occurred, and while ii was
coming on arrangements were being
made for the wedding.
One day, two months after the en-
gagement had been announced, Wit
ridge went to the Office where mar
riage licenses are procured and called
for the license that had been twice re-
turned. The clock of fate struck 3.
The wedding day was bright and
beautiful. and IL seemed that the long
unused marriage license would serve
its purpose. But the fates had not yet
finished their work. On entering his
carriage to go TO the church Mr.. Wit
ridge was arrested on n criminal charge
OF misrepresentation OF funds. He had
for some time, like many Others been
struggling against n want Of ready
money in business and was considered
rather ''shaky" by some OF his credit
ors. one of them. fearing that he was
about to fail. took this method on the
eve of the debtors marriage TO force
an immediate payment OF his claim.
Witridge was unable 10 meet his de-
mands and instead Of going 20 the
bridal went to Jail The act Of
this creditor brought about Witrldgcs
failure and as soon rs the former
found that his attempt to force his
debtor had failed he withdrew the
charge, and Witridge went forth n free
but ruined man.
Miss Anderson IS now a woman, and
it is time, If ever, that she shall
show whether she IS the same i'm
pulsive creature as ever or has grown
cold with increasing years. She sent
n note to the man who had been so
ruthlesSly torn away from her saying