Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1912-07-04
Reaching. a
COMPROMISE

struck all his friends as most star
Ting act of lunacy, something in the
light of touching a match to bundle
of excelsior and daring it to burn.
All his life he had SHE'D at neck
ties on the theory that If the benef-
cent powers above had lowered a
man with chin whiskers it was rank
extravaganza for him to adorn himself
with unseen fnery. Likewise he could
not understand the blind foolishness
of masculine individuals who turned
from celluloid collars which one could
wash daily and thus save unnecessary
laundry bills. AS for clothes-they
were merely required for covering.
This, then, was the problem An
toinette Weber had to wrestle with
when she came back from boarding
school and began to get the family ar
ranged for her wedding.
Being a woman, her mother was
quite amenable to new ideas, but
when Antoinette tackled jeffrey he
figuratively stood up on his hind legs
and roared a war cry.
Dress suit" he choked. me! At
my age! Cracky! Never!"
Now, father" AntoinettO began
soothingly, quite as though she held
tablespoonful Of bitter medicine in ono
hand and was prying open his teeth
with the other, II want you to look
your best when Horace and his friends
get here"
Look my best!" her father roared
again. Dressed up like monkey on
a stick!"
"And you've got to wear tie" An
toinette broke in, firmly.
They revived Antionette's father
with tender care, but he never was the
same man after that. He gloomed
around the premises, surveying with
a hostile eye the housekeeping prep
arations for the coming wedding and
he developed jumpiness at every
thing unusual and suspicious.
Antoinette was in despair. She was
marrying into rather fashionable
family and the thought Of Horace's
college friends and his family arriv-
ing to find that while her father had
a heavy bank account he had no sense
Of sartorial values was a tragedy.
Horace and his party won't get
here till the day ITSELF" Antoinette
told her mother in one Of their hope
less conferences. "They won't notice
dad 30 much then, but In the evening
at the wedding-mOther, I'll just die II
he wears that baggy old gray sacA
suit and his celluloid collar and nc
tel"
"Then I'm afraid you're due to die
daughter, said Mrs. Weber, who ha6
been married to Antoinette's fathel
long enough to know.
81 WON'T" snapped Antoinette, will
the blind faith of youth in its powers
"I'll manage it somehow. I'm not go
ing to have the only wedding I'll have
in my whole life spoiled by fathers
ridiculous stubbornness!"
She and her father eyed each othel
.warily toward the last, like gladiator
before the fight. Her father ostenta
tiously bought new celluloid collal
and fresh ten cent collar button ant
new pair of cahskin boots.
The day of the wedding Antoinettei
: father, the only incongruous spot In
refurbished, decorated house, fille'
with frills and fluff, went upstairs t.
get ready for the evenings fray. Lay
ing out his new collar and collar but
ton and simply tossing his old gra,
clothes over a chair, he stepped int
the bathroom for his additions. H
was absent 20 minutes.
When he came back to his room b
blinked. On the bed were spread som
strange black things. The coat wa
} low cut and had long tails. Paten
: leather pumps stood iendishly besid
O pair Of silk socks. There were ais
some weird stand-up linen collars an
} a box Of white ties and a larg
. bosomed shirt. There was nothing els
in the way Of clothes in the room
Nobody paid any attention to hi
! rawlings and poundings, for everybod
= was dressing the bride or was gettin
dressed. Choking, gasping, hecti
with rage, Antoinette's father dance
e in his bathrobe, poking a finger no
and then at the hated garments.
> Finally the wedding went on. Ever.
S body was present but the brides Fl
Their. After the ceremony and col
gratulations the bride herself heade
D a search party for him.
Holding her trailing satin skirt
one hand, Antoinette, accompanied b
Horace, ran him down at last in I'll
: most secluded corner Of the haymo0
o. There he sat, hunched up, smoking
. pipe fiercely. He had on the clothe
swathed, punched around him, IL
J. dress shirt and the high collar and
It but the collar button cleaned de
antly between the strands of his viii
kers, proclaiming his last stand-J
It necktie! He glared at his daught'
# and his newly achieved son-in-law.
Father" begged the bride trem
" lousy, come down, please! It's tin
l. to SO in to supper. There's scaHopt
10 oysters and"
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