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


in his sitting room. ut must be that
brandy 1 swallowed" he murmured,
trying to induce the bride to stand on
her feet again. Il hope wake up be-
fore eleven-thirty or shall keep Mary
waiting" He thrust the bride into
the stout mans arms anG started to-
ward the door.
"Where you goin'?" shouted one of
| the group that surrounded him.
Home" said Jocelyn weakly. tive
got an engagement"
"You stay right here" the other
Kissed. eff Amatos beat it you got
to marry Elena"
'I'd like to- protested Jocelyn, 'but
I'm engaged to be married already.
Fade away, dream, and let me get to
| the church"
'T dom care" Kissed the other,
placing his hand on his hip pocket.
"You come here instead Of Amato-
well, then, you got to marry Elena.
She shall not go away without a man
and be shamed by all the folks. She
very fine girI-you come to like her,
mebbe''
Eyes, yes, marry you," sobbed the
bride, suddenly awakening and trying
to fling herself into Joselyn's arms
again. you do. I marry you"
"And it'll be worth five hundred to
you," whispered the stout man. you
got to marry her now or she never
| find no man at all"
Jocelyn stared hopelessly at the
dark faces that crowded around him.
All wore that same sinister scowl, in
each was to be read the determine
ton that only death should prevent
Elena from finding husband before
she left the. church. Adown the aisle
Jocelyn heard a commotion and saw
big man struggling toward him, but
he did not heed him.
eff this dream don't fade soon I'll
wake to find myself married in ear
nest,' he muttered "All right" he
said 'T'll marry her. But I've left
the ring in my other pocket. Let me
go into the next room and look for it.
That'll wake me-" he concluded in a
lower tone.
"You marry her, ring or no ring"
shrieked the stout father, preparing
to precipitate himself upon the unwill-
ing bridegroom. But, just as Jocelyn
prepared to make fight for life or
freedom, a huge policeman came
bursting through the gathering, scat
tering the wedding party like tenpins.
"You come along with me-" he said,
grasping Jocelyn by the shoulder.
your names Amato an l got a war
rant for your arrest for running off
with bank funds. Better come quiet"
he added. ''That crowd outside is
mostly depositors in that crazy bank
of yours, an they're dying to get at
you"
How much will get for it?"
sighed Jocelyn in relief.
"Oh, about ten years." said the po-
liceman indifferently.
Praise the Lord, I'll go like a
lamb said Jocelyn with sigh of re-
lief, and he started down the aisle
behind his savior.
At the end Of the aisle the crowd
was waiting to precipitate itself upon
him. The policeman drew his club;
already the struggle was imminent,
when Jocelyn perceived, Sinking
along the rear of the church, the
bridegroom Amato. He had come to
the tryst. And he was seen. The
crowd separated. Some set off in pur-
suit of him and halted uncertainty as
the bridegroom approached the sacred
precincts Of the altar; others, divin-
ing that Jocelyn was not their quarry,
fell back, gaping at him. But the po-
liceman saw nothing of this; conf
dent that he held the quarry, he grip
ped Jocelyn more tightly by the arm,
while he, glad enough to have escaped
his premature marriage, suffered him
self to be led gladly out of the
church and into the street.
The police station was not two
blocks away, and before a crowd had
had time to congregate outside Joce-
Ign was already before the sergeant's
desk, where a group Of men was as
sembled
'T got him." said the policeman tri-
umphantly.
Got who?' asked the sergeant,
looking up from his desk.
"Giuseppi Amato, sir" said the po-
liceman
The sergeant's eyes were bullying
out OF his head. Got who, idiot?"
he shrieked. "That amt Amato.
Amatos short and fat and dark, with
a scar running down one side of his
face"
The policeman looked at Jocelyn in
perplexity. 81 took him from the al
tar, sir" he faltered.
A boisterous outburst of laughter
interrupted the proceedings. Jocelyn
looked up. A bluff, jovial man was
standing beside him roaring with
laughter. 1t was Alderman Link.
"That amt Amato," he roared.
ffFYYT-~ ~