The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-01-09
The Wedding
Knives
H ~ 81.
By q. q.
1918. by Mcclure Newspapss
~Syndicate.)
By Q. a. HAcKLEY

ueIlCdte trlHeS OF the ancient WeQQlHg
toilet of the seventeenth century bride
the wedding knives Of Mistress Anne
Hogarth.
Margery Byers took them r~everently
from their faded green brocade sheaths
and running her fingers over the elab-
orately chased blades, and the quaint
pearl set handles, handed them to
Stephen Palmer. The young physician
turned them over c%uriously.
$50 these pretty trirkets were nee
essary to the bridal toilet away book
in the days of your grandmother ances-
tress, M~argie" he remarked. II don't
remember Of ever reading of them"
Margery's brown eyes sparkled with
interest and admiration.
"Why, don't you remember, SteveT'
she cried. "Juliet wore them at her
girdle when she was in the Friar's cell,
and she had them on when she vas
about to take the sleeping potion"
"What did they symbolize?" asked
Palmer.
"They had something to do with sew
ering the knot of love, I believe" an
swered Margery vaguely, anyway,
whatever they meant, they were beau
tiful things to wear"
"And you, Margie, I suppose you1l
wear these when you're married."
Palmer hesitated a little over his work.
When a girl has a well-defined, rela-
tive implanted idea Of engaging herself
when she gets to the seashore summer
resort to a rich man she doesn't care
for, but who Is going to ask her to
the eyes Of the man she'd like to IA
~, ever though d1sapproved Of by the
relatives, is ~disconcerting. Margery
turned away and replaced the trinkets
in their places before she answered a
bit TREMENDOUSLY:
"My-mv wedding day is a long time
off. most likely. Stephen. I'm not quite
twenty, you know"
"1-listen, Margie," Stephen tried to
keep his voice steady, II want to tell
you something"
Hurry. Margie," an impatient voice
called from the next room. "Are you
forgetting we have an engagement this
EVENING""
"T'm coming, mother" the girl an
swered. 'Come down to the station to-
morrow. Steve" she said in hasty good
by, ,"early. I'll 60 down a half hour be-
fore mother does, and we-w can talk
before the train leaves"
But a man in a factory got himself
cut up badly the next day an hour be-
fore Margery's train was to leave. and
Palmer was called to hold life in him.
There was not ven time for telephon-
ing Margery, and the letter of explana-
ton ne sent her was returned to him
unopened
When three weeks later Margery's
engagement to Elmer Troxell was an
nOunced Stephen worked so many
ira hours at the hospital that the head
surgeon proteSted.~
Tn September the Byers family re-
turned. and Palmer could not escape
the accounts of the wedding that was
to be one of the city'S social events. A
few days before the wedding, unable
to deny himself the uncertain unhappi-
ness of trying to catch a glimpse of
the bride-tO-be. he found himself pass
ing the Byers house. As he went by,
driving at h snail's pace, he heard
frightened screams from within. He
leaped from his car. As he ran up the
walk a terrified maid thrust open the
door. .''
ooh. Doctor Palmer" she cried, rec
OgniZing him. "cOme in, quickw
Another one Of the maids had fallen,
carrying a tray of glasses, and had cut
her wrist. She was shrieking in fear
and clinging to Margery, who with a
pencil and a handkerchief was twisting
a tourniquet about the wounded arm,
while the blood spattered her lovely
white dress.
"Come away. Margery." frowned a
heavy browed man in a white serge
costume, standing at a safe distance
from the maid, as Palmer came. for
ward. "and let the man attend to her.
It's his business-hesides, you're get
ting your frock spoiled, and We were
ready for cur drive"
Margery shook OF. his hand, "Go
away, Elmer !"--Pallner detected q
note Of DISLIKE in her toae-you are
In Doctor Palner's way Never. mind
the drive. I shall stay with sophie"
As Troxell sulkily lsft the room his
foot Touched sOneettix9 tvin& ~ tSS