The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1914-01-16
From the State
of Utah
By F. A.

paper when a young man approached
him and said:
Monsieur. pardon me for interrupt
ing your reading. but I have a request
to make Of you. I am a citizen Of the
United States-Utah is where l hail
frcm-and l have made a fortune In
cattle, mines. observation-disclosures short,
by every means except selling liquor
over the bar. I came here to see Eu-
rope. At first everything seemed old
fashioned. but in time I got used to
your ways, and now / like them first
rate. even to the way you commit
matrmony."
De Gournay looked up at the speaker
as he would Mt a curious kind Of AMI.
NAL in a menagerie. The American
proceeded:
when we on the other side Of the
big salt lake make up u minds to do
q thing In any other way than our OWL
we never try to mix the two methods.
[ have a proposition to make. and Pm
going TO make it on the French plan.
The other night at the American en-
bassy I met n Of your daughters. |
have concluded to make you a prop
osition for her hand"
Whatever were De Gournay's feel
ings at this blunt announcement he did
not give way TO them. He stared at
the speaker III 4 sort Of wonder for
awhile. then said with French %suavity:
And you consider. monsieur. that
you have adopted our method Of open
ing a matrimonial negotiations"
~ will admit that there is an Amer
lean flavor to it, mean a Rocky
mountain aroma"
Decidedly" said the Frenchman In
well modulated tones. while he kept
his eyes fixed or his interviewer. evil
IDENTIFY studying him.
Jack Henderson's face bespoke that
free. uncultured frankness indigenous
to a new country. There was not a
diplomatic feature. not a trace Of mean
ness. in 1t. De Gournay had Ave daugh-
tiers and not or ough property to give
wen n Of them a dowry. This
brusque proposal was no more to his
taste than would have been the touch
Of the prickly cactus among which the
westerner had lived. Nevertheless he
did not propose to turn 1t down until
he had discovered what there was
in il.
He accepted Mr.. Henderson's card
and gave him permission to submit a
few Observation-Disclosures in Paris.
who knew all about him.
But the F~renchman's exterior did
not correspond with his interior. Ev-
cry American abroad is supposed to be
worth millions. and De GOurnay. as
has been said. had Eve maidens to
marry off. While looking with one eye
at his newspaper he was watching the
Americans %retreating figure with the
other, and later. when he saw Jack
leave the club. he arose from his seat.
threw OF his assumed Indifference and
started out on a still hunt to find out
all he could learn about the sutton.
Two things he learned were eminent
ly neutrality-suspicious. had made a
large fortune, and his character was
excellent. Nothing detrimental turned
up. After a lot Of red tape. as Hen
derson called it. he was permitted to
call at De Gournay's home and have
a look at the young lady he had ap-
piled for, Mile. Estelle, in presence OF
her father and mother and three Of her
sisters. Jack declared when question
ed about the visit that there was not
as much chance for spooning as if the
girl had been set up on the divide
and he given a job Of driving a mule
team in the canyon.
After a long delay. followed by a
business meeting between NJ. De Gour-
nay. Jack Henderson and two notaries.
at which Jack settled $4,000 on his
bride to be. the couple were married
at 10 o'clock in the morning by a marie.
at II in q church and at II sat down
to a wedding breakfast.
Jack was very happy beside his
bride, whom he had neve met socially
but once. when a lackey entered the
room and handed her father Z note.
De GOurnay paled. and the features Of
his face otherwise indicated that he
had received a blow. Arising from the
table. he left the room. and 500 after
the mother took the bride away also.
Jack saw that something had gone
wrong. but kept his seat till the guests
began to take their departure. when
he, too. arose and went out to learn
what had become Of his bride. A
servant informed him that she had
left the house with her neither. Jack.
astonished. asked for his father-in-law
and was informed that he would find
him in the library. Thither went the
groom. to see De Gournay pacing back
and forth 10 a fury.
whats up?" inquired Jack.
How did you dare impose upon me
as you have doneT" cried the angry
Frenchman. but I am rightly serv-
ed. to trust anything that m from
barbarous America. Go away from
this house and never come here again.
As for my daughter. she will spend
the rest Of her life in a convent. Go"