Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-10-06
HIS FASTIDIOUS FIANCE
By LOUIS CARL STEIN
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Literary Press.)

I'm not at all romantic, but ! want
something different from Just calling
In the minister"
But how am | going to fix for a
balloon?" he asked.
II don't know. but that's what you'll
have to do. No balloon, no marriage"
Moses went riding through all the
villages for twenty miles around ask
ing questions about balloons, and 1t
was two weeks before he returned to
the widow to say:
Pm willing to obleege, but we can't
get no balloon here short of a thou
sand dollars. and mebbe not for that.
Even II we could. no preacher would
go up to marry u.s."
We'll, Moses. 1 don't want to seem
over-particular." replied the woman
after a little thought. III we cant be
married up in n balloon how about
down in a coal miner"
That might do. If | can find one"
Moses went inquiring again. and by
and by ascerta1ned that the nearest
coal mine was $50 miles away. and a
very wet place at that. Besides, q
minister told him that he wouldn't
descend into a coal mine and marry a
couple for less than a hundred dollars
When the widow Durham had been In
formed of how the matter stood she
replied:
Il had rather set my heart on 1t,
but | have always been a woman to
sacrifice. Why can't we be married n
a circus ring before all he people?'
Why never heard OF such a
thing! We'd be almost took for a
couple Of camels or something! No.
no."
Moses, we must be married IN a
circus ring or not at all.
Moses made his rounds again. 1t
was now September. and no circus
could be expected within ten miles OF
the village until the mex summer.
When he spoke to his minister about
performing the ceremony the good
mar exclaimed:
"No-never! should be put on
trial for doing such a thing!"
You don't seem to be a man OF
much energy" remarked the widow
when she had heard his third c
81 guess we had better drop the mat
ter"
Moses begged for another chance.
and after taking three days to con
slider it the woman said:
well. perhaps I'm a little too par
ticular to want balloons and coal
mines and so I'll be content with a
flying machine. You can surely get
one of those. l read in the papers
every day Of their carrying passen-
gers at the rate of a mile a minute.
Why can't We be married at the rate
of a mile a minute?"
Lands, woman, 1t would cost every
dollar we are both WORTH" groaned
went up 1t would be the preacher
again We couldn't hire one to go
with US. Preachers amt taking
chances. l don't see why we can't
go to a preachers house or have one
come here"
I'VE must look at the sentiment OF
the thing. It's for a woman to have
her way about such things. Moses, Is
there a tall tree anywhere around
here?"
Yes, there's a big elm about q
mile beyond the bridge"
Can you build a platform In the
top and then run ladders uPT
Lands, but do you want to be mar
ried In a tree-top!"
II do. You have disappointed me
about tn. other things. but o mustn't
about this.
Moses went out to survey the tree
at close range and to talk to carpen-
ters and the ministers. The carpen-
ters said it could be done, but when
the minister was approached he re-
piled with a SILVER:
What? Climb a tree to marry a
couple! You can have little respect
for The cloth to propose such a thing"
The good man consented. however,
to call on the widow as a mediator,
and he did call, and after arguments
lasting two hours a compromise was
effected. The marriage was to take
place from a platform on top OF a
haystack. and two weeks later 1t came
or with the whole village as spec
tators. Later on. when the bride was
asked why she was SO bent on the
unusual she smiled and replied:
why, ! suppose l was put out to
think ! had been a widow for eight
years before any man asked me to
marry him!"