Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11
GROOMS TO IET

Odessy grabbed his arm. You
keep out Of this, iii man. z
But I come heah just to be 2
wen, you saint yonf'
But Il she makes me ! marry
shut upl Amt done explained
you amt got nothin. TO do with this?
An. wasn't It yo' fault In the fust
placer Had you got the license right
this thing never would Of happened"
n y
| CEPIA was quizzing the Rev'end.
Amt no chance Of gittin' that
/ license altered tonight ~
Nary chance, Miss WILSON,
"DaWg bite! ! suttiniy does hate To
1 git hitched UP with q iii, no-count
| drop Of water like Joseph Hanker.''
/ He's q nice Teller, Sepia," suggested
the happy Odessy. IT has knoWed him
TO- long time. an 4 b'lieves he'd
made you a good husban:
NO. Wouldn't shriiled Joseph.
HUH" spake the bride. II reckon
you'd only be bad one time She
surveyed the gathering. People all
heah. Supper all fixed. Honeymoon
tickets all bought. License ready.
C'mon, Joseph reckon ! an. you gifts
mailed q al
/ 'No!D
81 says vel"
But, Sepia--
Don't YOU stalnt of our mated life
arguin Joseph. Tain't gwine be
healthy"
'Nossah. Joseph" interjected odes.
sy. You got to do what that gal says
or she'll bust you one"
Il a. g.
| the triumphant Mr. Brown.
Keep yo' big mouf away fun this
Odessy. ! amt ma yin Joseph cause
want to. 1t was you / aimed toegit
wed wfth-an. I'd walt till tomorrow.
'ceptin' 1t amt polite not TO give my
comp.ny no Weddin' when they was
all sot. As TO Joseph guess him
an, can handle what we does. /.
Hot dog! Sepia--I reckon you can.
An Ise' shuah you is gwine be ter.
ribIe happy"
'Nossuh. chimed in Joseph. eve
sho' aiI1't.'
The guests were shifting uneasily.
Hungry eyes were directed to-
ward the dining room. From some.
where IN the crowd came a. voice
which sounded very much like Florian
Slappey' 81: Well--gos ahead an staht-
somethin'i',
sepia dropped firm and command.
Ing hand on Joseph's arm. Mr.
Hanker cringed. His eyes closed and,
his lips moved prayerfully.
Mr.: Hanker was in the act of
plumbing the nadir OF despair. In all
his scheme of life there had been no
thought Of matrimony--even with
woman Of his own choice. To be
plunged abruptly into marriage with
Sepia Wilson was disaster unutter-
able.
He gazed wildly about the. room.
seeking an avenue of escape hoping
to find one person whose face reflected
single ray Of sympathy
With the solitary exception Of
Joseph himself, each person in that
motley throng appeared Sto ind the
situation excruciatingly funny. Scpia
was grimly determined to become
married woman.
Ise lamb" moaned Joseph, IAN
they drags me to the slaughter"
Joseph was keenly alive to the fact
that something was happening to-
him; something drastic, permanent
ana unpleasant. He heard the argti-
ments Of others-that his dilemma
had been brought about BY his own
neglect and that no true hostess
would disapp0int guests who had as
sembled to witness 4 wedding cere.
mony and eat q wedding feast.
But Joseph sank deeper and deeper
into the slough Of despond He. was
helpless. The Reysend Plato Tubh
was waiting; Sepia was becoming
loudly insistent: Odessy Brown was
grinning like Cheshire cat Joseph
gazed at the brawny frame of his
erstwhile friend with profound dis.
taste.
AR. Tanker spared for TINS.
Leave me think, he begged.
Whaffo. you got to think !? sTain,t
gW1ne git you nowhere. =
Well The glfmmering OF an
idea struck Joseph. II Graves to talk
to, Odessy private. ,s
Sepia WAS doubtful, but Odessy
smiled reassuringly. III amt gwine
let him sit away, Sepia. Trust me. Z
They moved into the pantry; the
swaggering, happy Odessy Brown and
little. desperate. harassed figure in
SASH sword and plumed hat. There, 4
Dehind closed doors they faced each
other. Joseph's tiny eyes cleaned
.odessy you shuah i doin' me
Amt it the TRUTH" agreed Mr..
Brown genially.
Tain't decent. tha's what--mahin'
me marry yo' fiansayn
Co'se # ain,t. hut It's nice"
Not To- me-"
.'Tis 70 me. an that's all what
There mashed through Joseph,s MIND
q vision Of the drab and dreary years
ahead as thu husband or the energetic
Eepia. g3i .s n -
How come you Graves not 10 iii
mated, Odessy?'' M
& To Sepia Z"
uh-huh. Z,
tell you. answered Odessy
frankly. That gal IS pizsn. when
she gifts sot on somethin they Amt
neither man nor beast can stop her.
No matter who she males, She Rwine
make life nis,able To- him. He's libel
to have to work constant an give her
all his wages. Any time she gifts mad
she's gwine spread him all over the
place. So, Joseph, you can't llahdIy
blame me 70, escapin' away FUN such
. Weddin' when q miracle walks right
up to me an happens.
Golly. odessy. 7 hates TO be the.
''Ycu don't know how much miracle
you is. Sepia 10 bad medicine, an
lots Of It. What she Amt. Is no good. Il
Mr.. Hanker was surrounded by four
confining walls and guarded by q
strong man whose interest In the az
fair was keen1y personal Marriage
to Sepia appealed to Joseph as being
distinctly less desirable than total ex-a
tinction, and he determined upon dras-
tic measures.
You hadn't ought to speak about
my intended wife like that, Odessy.
Like which?.
''Straducements. Ev'thing YOU says
about her amt compliments
speaks truth.
'Taint gennmurly To talk about no
inxw liirA ven IN dnffl ~ .Sslsss$. CHI