The Washington herald., 1915-12-26
DAILY SHORT STORY.
Jack Has His .way.
~ LOUISE OLIVER.

Haven't" sobbed Lura.
Don't love you! Just because I hap
pen to have an idea OF my own about q
wedding! I like thatr'
ITS such-such horrid idea. I'd rath-
er not get married at all than have II
the way you say. All my life I've DREAM
ed OF a white satin dress. and q veil.
fiuffy bridesmaides and millions OF roses '
"And all my life I've had horror OF
marching through a crowd Of people.
wearing white gloves and a hover In
my buttonhole. and learnin to keep step
to that Internal Lohensrin' music.
"You don't have to-" eagerly. THE
groom doesn't have to march in. And
after the ceremony they play Mendeis-
sohn's. That's easy! You can't help
step to IT," persuasiveiy.
Don't. Lura, dear. II makes me shiv-
er even to talk about II. Think of hav-
ing to stand on exhibition for Gn hour
afterward while a crowd Of people you
never saw before in your life weep over
your shirt front, or fall on your neck
am kiss you, When all want on earth
II you, Lura, why should have to have
the whole town aroundy
Lura got UP and faced him angriiy. Il
think you are a hateful. norrid man.
Jack Haven, II you aren't willing TO
a
rake you don't care enough for ME to
marry me-that's all. Here's your ring.
II won't wear It an instant longer! Goo
od-night!" Lura rushed out OF the
room and I'D the stairs. Then Jack
heard a door slam somewhere above.
Tho days that followed were lonely.
miserable ones for Lura. followed by
rleepless nights and hours ilied with
disturbing dreams.
fNap mi rfir
h. trying to rescue Jack from canni-
bals Lura called him on the phone.
| Jack. dear. will YOU come around to-
night? ! want to talk &c you. I'm SIM
ply wretched."
"Yes. dear, If you hsdn't called I'd
have come anyway. I've reached my
limit. too
So the flowers in the moonlit garden
witnessed an interesting little scene that
evening. and the rroonbeams caught the
light that flashed again from the dia-
mond on Lura's left hand.
Dearest" whispered Lura. let's not
talk Of a wedding any more i know
Il makes YOU wretched to think OF II. so
I've decided to get married anyway You
say"
You sweetest girl in the world! Do
you really mean it,
Yes"
amy place. anyway. and any time
YES. Jack. dear"
He caught her to him exultantly.
Then ] move that We get married this
very night Just we two! No dressing
and no fuss. Just a little walk to the
preachers and home"
I.ura drew a sharp breath. Then she
smiled bravely. "AH right. Jack. I'll do
It, Only you forget one thins-if We go
alone DR.. Luke will wonder about father
and mother not being along and he'll
want to know all about 1t. He wouldn't
marry me without their consent"
Cant we tell them first, them"
Heavens. no. They'd never allow II
that way"
We'll we can GO to another preacher.
There's no one in town who hasn't
known me from an infant. They'd want
to know all about II. too"
! Then well elope, We can go to Sharon
| in the car and be married. We can take
weeks honeymoon and let things blow
over before We come back. What do
you say. girlie?"
| I've already promised.
The compact was sealed properly. Then
as there was little time to lose, JACK
departed to arrange for the trip while
| I.ura hurried to her room TO do what sht
could toward her trouseau.
! She had promised To wait in the kitchen.
III
and come in the back way through the
garage.
| Lura groped ha- way uncertainty in the
darkness of the kitchen. intending to
watch for Jack from the window. out
side everything was as bright as day in
the moonlight
| But in a shadowy corner near the stove
she stumbled over chair. and some
| thing heavy that had been on the sea
faII 1a n
her feet II was Nora's pan Of dough
/ raising for the mornings baking. Lurs
sprany back startled, but she was too
late. The dough was sticking like chew
Ing gum to her shoes.
"Lura. Where are you? What's tha
! noise" from above.
| Lura found her voice N-nothing
mother I-came down for some Sod
and upset a pan. Go-go TO bed-its al
! right"
| But she knew that retreat to her room
WAS now impossible. She opened tn,
back door frantically and went out leav
ing n trail of the weekly baking that 4
would take Nora days to clean up.
"Oh. what shall l do: Look at m,
shoes and skirt. I can't go this way
! What shall do? Look at my shoe
and skirt. II only Jack would come!
wish I'd told him TO bring lad
der to my window. This is TERRIBLE
But Jack didn't come. Finally sh
heard. "St,-st." from the direction o
the garage. II 1t was Jack. why didn
he come for her? 1t must be cat!'
Then, "St,-st.' again. And she though
she heard "Lura" Keeping in the shad
ows as well as she could. she made he
way through the garden.
jack
Here. Lura I'm caught on an infer
nal nail can't move. The cloth won
give. Unhook me-will you? II it wa
only my coat / could slip out. bu
| its
Lura was gigglins hysterically. bu
managed to extricate her lover from hi
uncomfortable position.
i Jack near Lurs was happier. Look
dear! I can't go in these shoes. i go
into some dough, And mammals awake
| SO I can't go through the house 10
others. Do you think you could get {
! ladder and get ---e a pair out Of my cup
board. The russet onces with the low
i Heavens, Lura. Let's get out Of here
| Where's your bag?"
| won't be married in these shoes"
! "Oh-all right, Where's the ladder? !?
Here's an old one. The others in thu
cellar"
Jack got the shoes. but returned
| bumped, bruised and wild eyed. Il thini
/ your fathers calling the police. Come
on and put these on in the car. We've
got to rush.
Lura felt them over susplciously. The!
aren't mates. Oh, Jack. I can't" Bu
Ing her out into the rear alley. "Darr
L