The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-04-30
S~tagecoach
Wedding
By DONALD CHAMBERLAIN


with men and women in evening dress
when I heard a CHEEKY feminine voice
near me exclaim:
"Why. Tom"
"Wha luck" responded a young
man, with blond hair, parted in the
middle, and bis chin held up by a very
high collar.
81 don't know a person here" said
the girl, who had spoken first.
"Nor l. would rather have met you
than W a gold NINE"
"Isn't it nice to meet some one you
don't expect, but whom you Wish to
meet?"
Happy smiles Illuminated the faces
of these two youngsters, whom it made
me happy to look at. Indeed, there
was one especial reason for my enjoy
ment Of this pleasant surprise, for 1t
reminded me Of n that had occurred
In my own family yearo before.
In the s%ixties-I refer to the last cen
tury-my father, then a young man.
went out to Denver to grow up
with a new town. Albert Reeder had
gone there a few years before with his
family for the purpose of building a
stamp mill on Clear creek. up In the
mountains, and had become interested
In the extraction Of gold from ore. My
father, who was as poor as q church
mouse. found work in the service of
MI. Reeder and was sent up to one of
his stamp mills, where he o became
superintendent.
Mr.. Reeder thought my father one
of the brightest young men in the
world and was ready to do anything
for him till he discovered that his EN-.
pIoyee had a love affair with his daugh-
ter, Agnes. Then he suddenly turned
against him. The trouble was that
Reeder had a prospect Of Dol becom-
ing very rich and had begun to cherish
expectations of Agnes marrying either
a duke or a prince or something Of that
order.
The young couple were In a peck of
trouble in consequence Of the old mans
refusal to consent to their union. OF
course the matter rested with Agnes
My father couldn't do anything with
out her concurrence, and she was in,
disposed to break with her father.
But her father must have been uncer-
tain Of her. for be ordered her to get
ready to 60 back east to stay awhile
with an aunt Agnes seemed disposed
to yield to bis commands. She wrote
my father that he might come down
from the mill and say gOOdby to her.
He did so and there was q very affect,
ing scene between the lovers.
lnaSmuch AZ Agnes was making her
preparations to 60 east and it was
supposed that she was bidding her
lover a last farewell. no opposition was
made to the two youngsters seeing as
much of each other as they liked.
They spent a whole evening together.
during which Agnes told my father
that If she married him her father
would disinherit her and that she
would lose a very large fortune. Her
mother was bitterly opposed to her
marriage with my father. for it "a
she who was determined to exchange
the wealth she would inherit for one
Of those rundown titled foreigners who
are In the market for American heir
esses.
My father was the more a down
because. while Agnes talked about her
mothers wishes In this matter. be was
not quite sure that Agnes herself was
not inclined to the plan Of marrying
a title and was accustomed to do pref.
ty much as she pleased.
However. there was nothing for my
father to do but submit, and he said
goOdby to Agnes lugubriously. One
thing he knew-if she was disposed to
obedience he could not move her. and
If she was not disposed to obedience
her parents could not hold her.
My father. Notwithstanding his en-
ployers opposition to his marriage.
was continued in bis position and the
morning after his farewell left for the
mill. He always rode on the outside
of the coach and climbed on top.
where he resigned himself to brooding
Over the severest blow n can receive,
whether young OF old-separation from
a mate.
From Denver the road westward ex-
tends for fifteen miles to the base of
the mountains. then rises abruptly.
The morning vas bright to every one
on the coach except my father. and
those inside seemed to be having a
hilarious time. My father thought
nothing Of this. for stagecoach travel.
ers always become acquainted. and he
supposed they were enjoying each 9th
er's c0mpaniOnship
They we're approaching the base Of
the mountains when a voice from be-
low called out that Jim Harka way
that was my ~father-was wanted in.
side. Nothing was further from his
inclination. and he refused to descend.
But the request wa> repeated. and at
last he climbed down and entered the
coach. All looked at him e~xpectantly.
and one Of the men said smilingly:
Every n loves a lover. Cheer up.
young man: II you must have a girl
here's n for you"