The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-17
The Epening Story
Luella'S Wedding.
(By Virginia. Clark.O

|
you-not if you marry Len Temple.
Lens all right as far as he goes, but
1 never expected my family to marry
with the Temples. OF course, I know
that they're good people-none better
| in the county, unless, maybe, it's the
Hinkleys-but the Temples are shift
less. L don't want you to marry a
shiftless man, and Len won't ever get
any further than clerking in my gro
! Gerry store"
Besides" put in Mrs. Hinkley, with
a peevish note in her voice, you've
had better chances, Luelly. There
was George Ames-why, he's a brok-
er in the city and makes sometimes
two hundred dollars week You
might have lived like lady the rest
| of your days.
"It was a grand chance" added the
deacon regretfully.
Luella looked wonderingly at them.
But 1 didn't care for him. 1 love
Len Temple"
"Oh, pshaw!" cried her mother. 81
don't think it's very modest to speak
that way about love-
Luella's lips compressed in a
straight line. 81 was explaining why
I preferred to marry Len Temple even
if he does earn only fifteen dollars a
week"
You wouldn't marry him without
a wedding?" asked the deacon quietly.
What do you mean, father" Luel-
las voice hard.
II mean this-of course if you mar
ry Len Temple against our wishes, |
why, you can be married here in the
parlor, but we won't invite any folks. |
dare say your ma would make a
cake, but 1 Shan't invite all of Bra
boro to witness my daughter marry
ing a pauper!, He stamped out of
thrust his head through the doorway.
IF you married George Ames, or
somebody else we approved of, Luel-
time we'd make for you! We'd have
a florist from town to decorate the
house and caterer and black wait
ers and an orchestry of music-and
you could have a white satin wedding
dress and everything you wanted"
cit would be a wedding that would
be talked about for years." added Mrs. |
Hinl<1ey wistfully.
with shining eyes and pale cheeks.
George Ames is kind-hearted fell |
low" defended Mrs. Hinkley. "Girls !
don't know what they want nova
days."
Then. it is all settled ?" asked
Lucia in a queer voice. You will
without all the fuss, of course-even if
1 do marry Len Temple?"
"Yes-we can't refuse that, mother"
said the deacon testify.
"Of course not" wept Mrs. Hinkley;
though 1 shall be ashamed to show
my face in the village. Luella here, |
that We're so proud of, to marry
cvlerk in her pas store!"
Luella contributed one last retort
over her shoulder.
"Father worked for your father.
didn't he ?" she asked. Are you sorry
you married him?" She did not wait
for an answer.
Luella's wedding day was set and
she went about her preparations for
the event with sad patience that
struck to the hearts of her ambitious
parents. Secretly they were ashamed
of what they had said to Luella, but
both were obstinate and hated to give
in. Mrs. Hinkley even helped her re-
be1lious daughter make her wedding
gown of simple white batiste.
Len Temple had rented small cot
tage near the deacon's store and
Luella spent many days there getting
it in readiness for their occupancy.
She swept and cleaned it herself, made
the simple draperies and helped Len
choose some furniture. Len had
some old-fashioned pieces of mahog-
any which he had inherited from his
mother, and when everything was in
place it was a charming and cosy lit
tie home.
Meantime, Deacon Hinkley had
troubles of his own that dwarfed the
Importance of his daughters wedding.
A large wholesale grocery house was
about to establish one of its chain of
stores in Barboro. With its cut prices
it would easily hurt the deacon's trade.
A suitable store had been leased near
the deacon's place of business, and it
was spick and span with white paint
inside and out. Now every day was
bringing great van loads of packing
cases. Len Temples brother, Dick, |
had a job receiving the goods, and he
told about such innovations in the
grocery business that his tales only
added to the deacon's troubles
Len Temple, always busy, always
cheerful, showed no resentment to-
ward his future father-in-law.
Never mind, grille said Len to
Luella. when she told him about the
simple wedding. That suits us--eh* |
We're not getting married to suit any |
one but ourselves. I'm sorry your
folks take it that way, but I can't |
help being a Temple and more than I |
can help loving you'll You're not |
sorry about missing the grand we'd |
ding?"
Luella assured him that she did not
care, but there was wistful look in |
her blue eyes that maddened him IN |
a mans vague way he endeavored TO |
understand how girl must feel on the |
occasion Of her marriage. 1t meant |
more to Luella than it did to Len |
that there should be flowers md an |
elaborate supper-an those things |
were part of a woman's life. But if |
vide them Len would do what ne |
could.
At last came the day of the we'd
ding and, finally, the hour. Taere |
| TRANS going toward the IIinkley
| house on the hin, for the deacon mad |
| relented at the eleventh hour, and, I'M
| known to his wife and daughter had
and an elaborate wedding supper.
And Mrs Hinkley, who had money of
| her own, maintained unusual secrecy
and she, too, ordered flowers and
music and supper from the city, SO
that the whole place was bower Of