Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-01-18
EMIGRANT WEDDING.
3 owENpoLEN ADAMS.


what Is called the barge Office. II IL
connected with the transit Of goods
and people from abroad into the Unit
ed States. 1t is a place apparently aS
bare Of romance as an ash heap. But
wherever the human heart beats there
IL romance. Painters and poets like to
picture It as far as they can from the
business world, especially eschewing
localities where people are hurrying
with their strapped and roped chattels
from the odoriferous steerage Of
ship to the smoke and dust of rail-
way train. Nevertheless there are
countless romances among immigrants
entering the United States.
els this the place where they keep
the immigrant girlsT asked a black
eyed young Armenian who came huF-
riedly into the New York barge Office.
But the mans English was not intelli-
gible. so he received no reply till after
his nationality was learned and an in.
terpreter had been called. The inter-
prefer told him that he had struck the
place he was looking for. He at once
beckoned In the direction of the door,
and several dark complexioned fellows
advanced.
'These are my witnesses" said the
young man. This Is the clerk, and
this Is the priest. Give me my girl,
and ! will marry her at once. so that
you need not be afraid that the gov
eminent will have to take care of
her."
what sort of nonsense are you CIV
ing me?" said the interpreter.
Il am an Armenian. Toshkowhi Is
an Armenian too. Why do you keep
me waiting? Didn't ! tell you that
am ready to marry herr
"See here. you crack Drained luna
tic, am employed to interpret what
You say from Armenian into English!
Talk IN your native tongue and stop
the long roll in RS"
Huh! l not speak English. been
in this country three years." Then
he commenced again in bis adopted
tongue and ratified his RS and bounced
his BIS. An officer cried, "Call the
madam"
The mother Of immigrants" made
her appearance. and to her the young
man told his story. Women are more
keenIy sensitive to romance than men,
and 1t was not long before the matron
scented a love affair under the rat
Ting RS and bouncing BIS. 1t was
this:
Three years before the young as
pirant for honors In the English
tongue had come to America from Ar
menia. His name was Vahl Krihorian.
He had left at home pretty sweet
heart. then seventeen years old. named
Toshkowhl Gobedlan. 1t seemed sim
gUlar to the investigators that a man
| with such a name able to speak en-
dearingly to a girl with such name
should after three years in America
have made so little Roadway in Eng
llsh. The upshOt Of the matter was
that Toshkowhl had come over to join
Vahi, who was abundantly able to take
care Of her, and proposed to relieve the
government from all responsibility con-
corning her by marrying her.
Then the matron took the officer to
the girl She was a small. slender
creature. with large black eyes and
hair equally black plastered down over
her temples and coiled up behind in
small braids. She was very bashful
and ready to blush at the slightest
provocation through her olive complex
ion. The clerk questioned her before
she was brought forth to her lover.
Have you got any money! be
asked.
"No, sir. have a sweetheart"
"H'm| said the clerk. "A bird in
the hand Is worth two In the bush,
How do you know he'll marry your"
Because God would strike him dead
II he did not keep his promise"
"And he would deserve 1t. Come
this way"
He led her to where her lover was
with his witnesses and the priest. AS
soon as vahl saw her standing de-
murely among the others he ran to her
and, putting his arms around her, was
about to kiss her when she drew back.
Her cheeks flecked like two roses be
hind dark lace.
"What do you mean. ToshkowhlY
asked the lover. terrified. "Have you
changedy Don't you want me afteI
the long voyage across the oceanT
"Yes. Vahl. but there are so many
princes looking at us. l am ashamed
swell, well. Then we will be mar
ried at once. told these gentlemen
that the president need not fear hav
ing to take care of you: that I an
earning good wages and win do thai
myself. See. here are the witnesses
and there is the priest. Come. let Us
be married"
The custodian Of the government:
interests would not permit the mar
riage within the barge Office. so the
party adjourned just without the
walls. The clerk. in order to make sur,
that the girl did not escape unmarried
and call upon the president for a liv
ing, kept her In sight till the ceremony
was performed. After Il was over the