Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1911-03-16

ton of the term, or, rather, till IL
o'clock noon on the day we were to be
married. At first | was so hungry for
a smoke chat kept few cigars In
bureau drawer where l could smell
them. but | found it was like drunk
ard smelling liquor | had to give il
up kept record Of the days to be
passed before the wedding day and
scratched OFF each day as 1t passed.
And when they began to dwlndle ev-
cIy day seemed a month-not before
the wedding but before | could smoke.
at last the day of my emancipation
came ! had received my orders to
20 west. and we were 10 take a-train
leaving AT p. IN. The ceremony was
to take place at 3. | bought n thou
sand Of the best cigars could find TO
have them ready and to take with me
where such cigars were not TO be pro
cured. On my wedding day I had my
luncheon served in my room, and aft
or | had eaten aud drunliT opened a
box The odor was delicious,
"TheE The thought came to me that
the time Of my pledge had expired at
10 O'Clock IN uncomfortable desire
seized rue to smoke just one OF those
cigars took one out OF the box,
put Il hnck. took il out again. smelled
OF II and 0a III luck would have II,
saw II boN IT matches within reach.
| scratched the match bit off the end
Of the cigar. resisted temptation till
the match wus nearly consumed, then,
touching the flame TO the cigar drew
In long breath OF delicious smoke.
II hadn't got the thing fairly going
before that old villain Jones opened
the door and came into the room"
The colonel grew so red in the face
NJ the mc@ory OF this second wreck
Ing Of his hopes by tobacco that fear
cd he would have n stroke Of apoplexy
Finally bis ire subsidized. and he con
tinued:
1.-THE old foot had come to my quar-
tiers to ask me to sign a paper con
nected with the settlement At the
sight of his offended son-in-law putting
clouds of smoke, the odor of which
made him sick, he turned and left the
room, banging the door behind him.
For half an hour acted like~1-1nad-
man Then. having quoted down a
bit, went Oyer to the house where
the Jones family were found a
commotion As soon as | was shown
into the room where Amelia was and
the door was closed behind me she
stood looking at me, furious.
Fool" she exclaimed. You have
spoiled everything.
"What's the upshot?' | asked.
"Father says that we can proceed
with the wedding If we like. but there
is to be no settlement
Father is an old dragon, and I'd
rather not have a dragon for father
in-law snapped anglily
"'And I'd rather have a man for a
husband who is not an IDIOT she re-
torted
"'An IDIOT | replied, West Point
doesn't graduate idiots
"Win you obiige me by leaving
me-?
81 said something mor"-l don't re
member what. though | do know that
it was under the influence Of anger Of
the most painful kind-iTitation With
oneself | only succeeded in draw
ing more bitter retorts from the girl
was To have married. and | finally left
her"
The colonel was so worked upon by
the Renaissance that | was glad to
see him pause again for breath and
composure. Finally lie went Oh:
There was no wedding. The old
fool was obdurate, the bride to be was
Disguised with my weakness in yield
ing to temptation and | was mad as
a March hare | went to my western
post alone, but before going | swore
a great oath that would never again
yield to the temptation Of tobacco. |
would drink, gamble dissipate in any
and every form but never again would
| yield to the weed.
Il know what you wish TO say to
me-" he continued "and you have my
consent, but You couldn't please me
better than by smoking yourself into
your grave As for me, a cigar Is an
excitant Of a kind of madness, To
DdCtO COST me pIOlloliou III tic dtlll}J
and it deprived me Of a fortune do
not mean that | would exchange the
woman l love, the mother Of my chill
dren, for Amelia Jones, but do mean
that l have never recovered having
lost a fortune by yielding to tempta-
ton.
'Now you understand why I would
not for the world stand toward you in
the position that ola heather Jones
stood toward me Smoke, smoke,
smoke, smoke TO your hearts contentp'
Tie pushed The button again and or
dered another cigar for me protest
Ell that l never smoked two cigars, the
one following close upon fac other, but
dreaded to oppose him lest he ay into
passion,
My application for Isis daughters
hand was perfunctory Indeed. il was
ou auticlimaN was accepted on the
condition That never should stop
smoking.
My fathcl-iu-law stood In a very sin
gular position He loved tobacco, but
could not use it without the past com
Ing I'm I'm such force ne To ..fsL his very