The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-12
A Stagecoach
Wedding
B. DONALD CHAMBERLlN

was standing IN a room crowded
With men and women In evening dress
when | heard u CHEEKY feminine voice
near me exclaim:
"Why. Tom
what luck. responded young
man. with blond hair. parted 10 the
middle. and bis chin held up BY very
high collar.
Il don't know u person here" said
The giri. whO had spoken 6rst.
~Nor /. ! would rather have met you
than own q gold mine"
Isn't 1t nice to meet some one you
don't expect but whom you wish TO
meetr'
Happy smiles Illuminated the faces
Of these two youngsters. whom 1t made
NE happy to look at Indeed. there
was one especial reason for my enjoy.
ment Of this pleasant surprise. for it
reminded tue Of one that had occurred
In my own family years before.
In the sixt,ey-I refer TO the last cen
fury 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 bis
family for the purpose of building
stamp mill on Clear creek. up In the
and had become interested
in the extraction Of gold from ore. My
father. who was as poor as church
mouse. found work In the service Of
Mr. Reeder and was sent up to one OF
his stamp mills. where he soon became
Mr. Reeder thought my father one
Of the brightest young mep in the
world and was ready to do anything
for him till be discovered that his EN-
ployee had love affair with his daugh
ter, Agnes. Then he suddenly turned
against him The trouble was that
Reeder had prospect Of soon becom
ing very rich and had begun to cherish
expectations of Agnes marrying either
a duke or u prince or something Of that
order.
The young couple were In peck Of
trouble In consequence Of'the old mans
refusal to consent to their union. or
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
tsin of her. for he ordered her TO get
ready to 70 back east to stay awhile
with an aunt Agnes seemed disposed
to yield to his commands. She wrote
my father that he might come down
from the mill und say gOOdby to her
He did 20 and there was very affect
ing scene between the lOver1
lnasmuch a. Agnes was making her
prepare lions to gO east and It was
supposed that she was bidding her
lover last farewell. no opposition was
made to the two youngsters seeing "a
much Of each other a. they liked.
They spent a whole evening together
during which Agnes told my father
that u she married him Ter 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 1t was
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 cast down
because. while Agnes talked about heT
mothers wishes In this matter, he val
not quite sure that Agnes herself was
not inclined to the plan Of marrying
q titie and was accustomed to do pref
ty much as she pleased.
However. there was nothing for my
father to do but submit, and he sale
goOdby to Agnes lugubri0usiy. Ons
thing he knew-if she was disposed Il
obedience he could not move her. anC
II she was not disposed to 0bediencs
her parents could not hold her.
My father. Notwithstanding his EN-
ployers opposition to his marriage
was continued In his position and tn
morning after his farewell left for tn,
mill. he always rode on the outsid
Of the coach and climbed on tor
where ~ resigned himself to broodinI
over the severest blow one can receive
whether young o. Olo-separatiou fror
q mate.
From Denver the road westward q
tends for ofteea miles to The base Q
ths meantntns. than rtses abruptly
Ths mesning vas bright b every ON
on the 'eOach except my father. an
those inside seemed TO b having
hilarious time Ny father though
nothing q thu. for staeecoach trave
ere always become acquainted. and b
supposed they were enjoying each Otl
er's c00paniOnship.
! They were approaching the base q
the mosntains when q voice from b
low called out that Jim Harkavay-
that Was my father-was wanted b
side. Nothing was further from b
inclination. and be refused to descen,
But the request was repeated. and I
last be climbed down and entered a
coach An looked at him expectanti.
and one Of the men said smilin9iy:
Every one ioves lover. Cheer o.
young man! II you must have . q
here's one for you"
He pointed to an old lady on the box
seat Ny father looked at her wonds
ingly, and suddenly abe threw back
veil and exposed the smiling featur
Of Agnes-
This meeting between my father n
nother came back 10 me a. look
upon the young couple and saw tn
expression Of pleased surprise. only