The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-08-31
An Involuntary
Bridegroom
By AUSTIN FLEET
Observation-Disclosures

ever handled.
TITS 40 old Man Jones the parsons.
You know my sldc-klck. Minnie Frog.
sham. what's been wanting me 10
hitch ur with her these two years
past7 Well. I've sort of strung her
along thinking a good Side-kick's bet
ter than q wife Well, Mlnnie's been
sno1Tug round old Man Jones Yiuce.
and she's found he's got about a ton
of ancestral silver. what his srandfa.
ther brought from Wales and i>3acs
says he'll pay me a good price on IL,
because it's heirlooms
"Old Jones is an unsusplclogs sort
Of guy, and nearly blind. and be puts
Il out every night on a bureau in his
dining room. Tempting Providence.
call II.
NOW, here's your lay. skinner.
You'll be waiting with Isaacs' van
round the corner about eleven o'clock
tomorrow night Minnie knows where
the spare house key hangs. which you
can reach jest inside the scullery win
dow She'll be there and have the
back door open, and I'll see to the rest.
Are you wise. Skinner?"
Skinner said he was, and the details
Of the plan were soon arranged. The
following nlght-not too late. because
Old Man Jones believed in early to
bed-Larry the Blood found himself
outside the Jones house. on the out
skirts Of the town.
II was past Old Man Jones bedtime,
however. and Larry. lurking In the
shadows of the fowlLouse. cursed the
nipping wind, and cursed Old Man
Jones for not having gone to bed. The
windows Of the living room were bril-
liantly Illuminated behind the shades.
Larry kicked his feet until nearly mid
night. growing more and more anxious,
! and approaching closer and closer TO
the scullery door. Had Old Man Jones
gone up to bed and left the lights ONT
Suddenly he saw a slim figure fit
from the scTllery and peer anxiOusly
into the darkness.
Us that you. LarryT' came the whis-
per.
"Minnlel Say, what's the matter?"
"Matterl Nothin'. Old Man Jones
has been in bed an hour past and I've
been waiting for you. Left the lights
on reckon the old mans growin'
forgetful."
Larry entered the scullery in Min
| nle's wake.
You sure it's all right, MInn!e?" he
asked.
"Sure It is! What d you spose I'm
doing here II il amt. Come on. don't
get cold feet, Larry!"
She turned the handle Of the living
room door and Larry followed her
into blaze Of Hight, In the midst of
which Old Man Jones sat at his ances-
trail mahogany table, with an open
book before him.
Old Man Jones might have been
seventy. his beard, which was snow
white. flowed down to his waist. and
his hair was down about his ears but
he was six feet four II he was an inch,
he was built like a barrel. and his
arm, which lay upon the table, looked
like a leg Of mutton.
The little city rat five feet four,
covered before the patriarch in
speechleSS terror Larry never car
ried gat, trusting rather TO his in
stlnct, but single blow from Old
| Man Jones fist would have knocked
! him senseless
And. turning his eyes In despair
about the room Larry saw old Man
| Jones ancestral silver displayed upon
/ the bureau Ten thousand dollars. IL
II w0s worth a penny.
He glanced at Minnie with the vim
| dlctive look OF a trapped rat. But the
next moment old Man Jones had
/ arisen, strode toward Larry and
| Clasped him warmly by the hand
"Well, wen. well :" he said sQucez-
ing Larrys hand till It was like n limp
rag In my young days the young
I men didn't keep their young ladies
waiting for an hour or more-eh. Miss
| Frogsham? Never mind, never mind.
l guess You got cold feet at the last
moment, chF"
But but Larry began 10 stam.
mer; and then the fun realization of
] his awful situation came upon him,
and he grew mute and helpless.
And In another moment Larry found
| himself standing up before the payrl.
arch beside Minnie. and Old Man
Jones was reading the most dread
words that had ever fallen upon Lar.
| RVS ears Then Larry felt Minnie
/ slipping something smooth and round
/ into his hand
"Whuts thlST' he crOaked
"The ring. the ring, darling" whls.
I pered Minnie.
Come, come put II on her finger
I Ike a man !" said old Man Jones
Larry hypnotlzed into obedience.
did so, and a moment later he heard
| Old Man Jones saying Il pronounce
YOU man and wife" And an instant
later he had imprinted smacklng
kiss on Minnies lips,
Five dollars. please, Mr., LarriC0n.7
said Old Man Jones "YDu'Np uUt fla