Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1914-03-05
From the State
of Utah
By F. A. Mitchell

Monsieur. pardon me for interrupt
ing your reading. but / have request
to make Of you. am citizen Of the
United States-Utah Is where ] hall
from-and | have made fortune In
cattle. mines. merchandising-in short
by every means except selling liquor
over the bar came here to see Eu.
rope. At first everything seemed old
fashioned. but In time got used to
your ways. and now like them first
rate. even to the way you commit
matrimony."
De Gournay looked up at the speaker
as he would at curious kind of anl
NAL In menagerie. The American
proceeded:
"When we on the other side of the
big salt lake make up our minds to do
a thing in any other way than our own
we never try to mix the two methods
have q proposition to make. and I'm
going to make it on the French plan.
The other night at the American EN-.
bassy | met one Of your daughters.
have concluded to make you prop
osition for her hand"
Whatever were De Gournay's feel
ings at this blunt announcement he did
| not give way to them. He stirred nj
the speaker in a sort Of wonder for
! awhile. then said with French suavity:
And you consider. monsieur. thhi
you have adopted our method OF open
ing matrimonial negotiationT
~ will admit that there Is an Amer
lean flavor to it, mean a ROCKY
mountnin aroma"
Decidedly" said the Frenchman In
well modulated tones. while he kept
his eyes fixed on his interviewer. evil
dently studying him.
Jack Henderson's face bespoke that
free, uncultured frankness indigenous
to q new country. There was not a
diplomatic feature. not trace Of mean.
ness. In 1t. De Gournay had FIVE dnugh.
ters and not enough property to give
yeyau., one of them sE.AssryE This,
brusque proposal was H0 (bSse to bis
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 It.
; He accepted Mr.. Henderson's card
and gave him permission to submit
| few references-Americans In Paris.
who knew all about him.
But the Frenchman'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 FIVE 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 be saw Jack
leave the club. he arose from his seat.
threw of his assumed Indifference and
started out on still hunt to find out
| all he could learn about the suitor.
Two things he learned were eminent
" satisfactory Fl Henderson had made
large fortune. and his character was
excellent Nothing detrimental turned
up. After lot Of red tape. IA Hen
derson called 1t. he was permitted to
call at De GOurnay's home and have
n look Mt 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.
cd almnt the visit that there was not
aS much chance for spooning as II the
girl had been set up on the divide
and ne given job Of driving mule
team in the canyon.
After II long delay. followed by II
business meeting hetween Nj. De GOur.
nay. Jack Henderson and two notaries
ut which Jack settled S500.00O on his
bride To be. the couple were married
nj 10 o'clock I'm the morning by maire
ut II in Il church and ut II sat down
to Il wedding breakfast
Jack waS very happy beside his
bride. whom he had never met socially
but once. when lackey entered the
room and handed her father a note.
De Gournay paed. and the features Of
his face otherwise indicated that he
had received blow. Arising from the
table. hp left the room. and soon 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
Ishe. too arose and went out to learn