The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-07-07
I.ide Ann
Potter's Wedding
By GRACE McELROY IURS
copyright, by ]. b. Lippincott COS

| liDDNIlBHli Dy - ID i.IPI''AANN'N f
The roadway seemed a mere bed o.
| mud into which the wheels sank tc
ominous depths as Lide Ann drove
down the Hill road, but for once she
gave no heed to old Dolly's struggles
| Only when she came TO Trimmer
| gate did she sit up with something o.
her wonted yigor. and grasping the
| lines systematically in her hand, she
| drove to the door with an energy born
| OF grim determination.
There was grimness too in the 81
| lence in which she followed her hos
pitabe hostess into the presence OF
the assembled family circle. She
looked around at the welcoming faces
a moment before speaking, then, still
standing rigidly in the middle of the
floor, she spoke her lesson without
answering the chorus of greetings.
81 come to give you a bid" she said
"A parity cried Ella, delightedly
but Lide Ann answered without look
ing at her:
Tain't a party. It's weddn'."
MY soul" calculated Mrs. Trim
mer in amazement. Il never thought
to see a weddin' at your house"
It's my own wcddin'," said Lide Ann
stolidly, the words bringing a new
gasp from her listeners. She waited
moment, her brown hands clonchine
themselves desperately, then she sat
down and her voice deepencd a little
from its hard tense tone
you all know the store Sarah Belle
sets by weddin's," she said she
cares more for EN- than for any Twin
thing, and has ever since she could
walk. She's always marrying he.
dolls and she's got a whole boXful O
woddin notices that she got me to
cut out Of different papers for her
Awhile back her Uncle Joseph sent
her some magazines, and in one OF
them was picture Of a girl standin
beside grave, with a minister holdin'
out his hand over her head. Well
was all about a girl that was engaged
to marry soldier out in India some.
where's, only he died while she was
on her way over to him. When she
found out he was dead she insisted on
standin' beside his grave and goin
over the marriage service so't she
could call herself his widow. That
story took such holt o. Sarah Belle
that she amt thought of another
thing since, and dwellin' on It put il
in her head that ! had to get Marie
so't we could have a weddin' in our
house. She's that set on it don't
dare back out, for DR.. Wall told me
this winter that Sarah Bellies heart is
gcttin' weaker all the time and that
any sudden shock, like a fright or a
disappointment, might kill her right
off. a trcmOr crept into the hard
voice, but she choked it back and
went on without stopping:
"So't I've concluded to do Just s she
wants me to. 'Taint much, anyhow
with sudden defiance, "for me as has
health and strength, to play a little
game for Sarah Belle, that hasn't any
thing or anybody in the world but
me-"
But hOW-what man are you goin
to marry?' cried Jenny, and Lide Ann
swallowed hard before replying:
'Tain't a real man at all.
wouldn't want a man around clutterin
up Sarah Bellies dolls and flowers
She don't care anvtbino about tbo,
part Of if II wos Tho nict,ra tha,
took her eve an'-Tm to no ,,,orriot
beside a grave. same's the Girl in thf
story"
"Ob nv, bo,,, ,,,.c.,,. ,,
Ella but Lidc Ann turned on no,
fcrcely:
o'TaiD4 awful NJ ali Fuo Twin,
mcr." she said OF 7 pot IN ho mon
riod nj M ia boon rothar toI,a
man that's dead and dome for tbo,
one that's Iivin' and uncertain ~,
chose my own cousin" she wont q,
after a pause, "Mattha Miller Potter
that was killed in the war foo
that I've some right to hin, bocous,
he was pas fulI cousin ana INV rnotho
nurspd him fin Ina ala ,rtl, ~ 49,
wounded He never went after an,
girl that I heard Of. so I won't feel n
if | was takin' somebody eIse's DIace
I'd hate TO marry = man that u,on+o,
some other girl Besides it's III,
same name"