Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-05-17

a finger to slip it on If that best
man Of yourn amt daffy I'll eat my
boots. Where is he? The low-lived,
ornery cuss! Let me at him and I'll
break every bone in his thick skull"
Here I am, Dick!" cried a we'll
known voice, and Jack Stanfeld,
breathless and very red in the face,
came bursting into the police station.
Where the dickens have you been,
Dick? I've been beating the town for
you half the morning"
IT don't know" answered Jocelyn
hopelessly. 81 thought was going to
be married, but somehow l wound up
here. I might have been worse off,
though" he added more cheerfully,
thinking of what he had escaped.
Alderman Link came forward and
laid fat hand upon ST nfleld's arm.
Does this young fellsr belong to
your" he asked. ipSing Jocelyn
with his thumb.
"sure he does. Ar wered Jack. ST
left him last night uader explicit or
ders not to stir ont ct his room until
I came for him, and when 7 got there
half an hour ago he had just gone
off in a ramshackle cab driven by a
crazy driver. I only found him by the
merest accident"
"How was that, Jack?" asked Joce,
lyn listlessly.
"The drunken fool seemed to know
that he had taken you to the wrong
place, and back he came, driving his
shaky vehicle. When he saw me in
my wedding toys with the buttonaire
he seemed to guess who I was and
refined in. He was crying drunk, said
he thought he had driven you to the
wrong place and so he'd come back to
drive you over again. Said he'd do it
for nothing and wanted tip. I made
him take me to the church post
haste, and then found my way here"
''Well, never mind, Jack" said Joce-
Ign. Its too late now. Mary's gone
home, I guess, and she'll never forgive
me, anyway, SO we may as well strike
for my apartment. / think I shall go
shooting in Afghanistan, or else try
to find the South Pole. / want dis
traction, Jack, and if I can find it in
some way which will afford me an OPP
portunity of ending my wretched life,
so much the better"
"Oh, wake up" said Stanfield, shak-
ing the bridegroom violently by the
arm. MARY won't be at the church
for quarter Of an hour yet; it's barely
eleven-thirty. Come along; I've got a
taxi waiting outside. Don't stand
grinning like a fool"
"Jack! What are you talking
about?" cried Jocelyn wildly. What
time is it?"
twenty-five minutes of twelve"
said the best man, looking at his
watch.
''But left at eleven-thirty," cried
Jocelyn, "and that was long ago. I've
been through purgatory since then.
1t seems like years. Do you mean to
tell me that my clock was wrong?"
"Of course it was" said Stanfield,
with grin. Il set it on an hour and
a half ahead It's always done"
Jocelyn gripped him by the arm
frantically.
Don't stand grinning like a fool"
he screamed. Come along! Come
along or we'll be late" And he
started toward the door OF the police
station.
Easy, Dick, easy" said Stanfield.
You've forgotten something"
''What?" shouted his friend, stop
ping short in his tracks.
"The ring" said Stanfield, taking it
from the sergeant's desk. Never for
get the ring, my boy; it's an import
ant part of the ceremony"
"And when I'm more composed,
Mary, / shall tell you what / went
through this morning" said Jocelyn
to his bride. as their trim whirled
away southwark, an holt1 after the
conclusion Of the cereniony. 'T've
had quite an adventure"