Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-07-02
DAILY SHORT STORIES
The Wedding Day
ATale Of New Amsterdam
BY HELEN lNClEHART
Copyright. 1870 by American Press
Association
BY HELEN lNCIEHAR1


Van Gaasback. Peter had a daughter.
Katrina. whose eyes were az blue as
inc vault OF heaven. whose checks
were Ike two roses floating in a pan
or mnk and whose hair hung down her
back like lovely woven fax rope.
NOW, there were IA people not far to
the east OF New Amsterdam who were
or English extraction and OF an entire.
~ different makeup from the Dutch.
lnese were the Yankees. Whenever
the two peoples met for trade-they
never met for anything else except TO
hght-ths Dutchman invariably went
homo with nothing. while the Yankee
had twice as much as he had before
1t Is not TO be wondered that the for
mer hated the latter.
PARDON Langdon. the Yankee who
had won Kntrina's young heart. was a
long. lean. hungry looking youth who
walked with a slouchy gait, drawled
MS words and did not appear TO know
enough 10 30 under cover when It
rninod. Nevertheless he was not to
be shaken from his purpose to marry
Katrina despite the refusal Of her fa-
ther ana mother and the principal citi
zens OF New Amsterdam. These prin.
ripal citizens. including her father.
met 10 take measures to prevent the
ROBBERY or one Of the most beauteous
VI eneir iassles by a Yankee and her
transfer 10 the cabbage fields OF Con
necucut. A great deal OF schnapps
was consumed, and many pounds Of
-aI
could not deliberate without both-when
the council came to the conclusion TINT
the BEST way to prevent Katrina's mar.
ryiny Yankee was to marry her TO n
Dutchman.
NO sooner was this decision reached
than every unmarried man present put
IoTWaro a claim for the position of
hatriua's husband. whereupon her
rather announced that she should be
welded to the man among them who
could show the largest number OF pelt
1es-for that WINS the sole business of
the town-and old Dietrich Van Grin
Gle. some sixty years old, baldheaded
and with the palsy. having shown that
be owned more skins than any other.
was selected to savo Katrina to the
community.
This was too much for Katrina's
mother. who from this time sided with
her daughter. But Katrina's mother
was the stupidest woman In New Am.
sterdam Katrina told Pardon Lang
don all that had happened and that
she was to be forced TO marry old Van
Crincle on the fifteenth day of June
coming. Pardon told Katrina TO per-
suade her father TO promise her that
III she was not married TO Dietrich Van
Crincie on the 10Th of June. 1G4T, she
should not be forced to marry him nj
all, out should DO permitted to marry
whomsoever she liked. Katrina, aided
by her mother. spent a week persist
emily entreating tho old man to grant
this request. and he. worn out by their
opportunities. finally gave In. But he
told Van Crncle what ho had done
and warned him to surely be on hand
on the appointed day TO claim bis
bride.
When Katrina reported the success
or her and her mothers work done
upon her father he told her 10 tell her
mother TO meet him that night at the
base OF the tower wherein was the
town clock. The mother did so. and
Pardon. opening the door for her. told
her 10 60 up and set the clock back
twenty-four hours This was done. and
Pardon instructed her that on the 18th
OF June she should tell her husba nd
what she had done.
The result Of all this was that on
tho morning OF tho appointed wedding
Peter Van Gaasback called the council
together. told them OF his promise to
his daughter. Of his wife's turning the
clock back twenty-four hours. and that
Katrina now claimed that the day for
The wedding had passed. What should
be do,
Anthony Ten Brock. the clearest
headed man in New Amsterdam. arose
and attempted to prove that. though
the clock had been turned bnck n
day. no day mad been lost But he
beca me involved In bis own argument
and sat down IN confusion. Others
eDdeovored to set the matter right. but
met with 10 better success than Ten
Brock. Then the bridegroom expect
ant attempted to show that the day
appointed for tho nuptIals had arrived
but he only succeeded I'm proving that
day bad been lost by the turning
back OF the clock and II was now the
18th OF June. As the schnapps and
tobacco smoke mounted n the brains
OF the Dutchmen the confusion be
came greater. and the debate lasted so
long that some of them went 20 sleep
while others went home 10 dinner
After dinner the discussion continued
Till 1t began 20 grow dark, and all went
home IN supper and % bed
The next morning Katrina went TO
her father and claimed that the 18th
OF the month had passed while the
council were debating and she was
now entitled TO marry whom she
pleased
The old man wns satisfied that Il
was now at least tho 10th Of the
month. ard be was not quite sure but