Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-05-03
The Eleventh
Hour
BY II. LOUIS RAYBoLD

"VoU'LL be late at your own we'd
ding, Janey" prophesled her
Aunt Margaret.
"Who said | was ever going to have
a weddingr" retorted her niece flip
PANTY.
Yet Janet was only waiting for
certain young man 70 ask her to be
his before saying Eyes" promptly.
What Janey did not know was that
Shepley Barker had come to the house
last night firmly determined to pop
the hoped-for question when they
should have returned from the play
to which he was taking her. After,
however, being obliged to wait so long
for Janey to put the finishing touches
to the gown she wanted to wear that
the curtain had been raised half an
hour when they got there, Shep was
In no mood to be sentimental. It was
one thing to love Janey, quite another
to be amiable toward her pet falling.
Yet Shep did ask her to marry him
few evenings later He had spent
the afternoon playing tennis with her
and had been asked by Aunt Margaret
TO dinner. Saying good-by to her out
on the porch In the moonlight, sud
den realization smote him OF what an
enhancing little witch she was.
Darling" he burst forth impulslve-
ly, 81 love you more than can tell.
Marry me, fancy. Say yes"
And Janey shyly uttered the little
word that had been lowering on her
lips so long
The wedding day was set six months
ahead because Janey wanted to be
married In the fall. Furthermore, she
wanted to be married in the little
country church ut Sandersvllle where
she had spent 80 many happy sum
mers and where she had first met
Shep. 1t meant a long drive down
from the city home, but what was
that, according to Jdney, when com
pared with the romance of the thlng2
Their engagement period was one
OF mingled pleasure and pain. Pleas
ure, when they were together, plcnlck-
Ing, shopping, or attending play, con
cert or dance. Pain, when Janey had
left something until the eleventh hour
and, as result, was worn out, mex
cusably late, or, as In one sad case,
failed to show up at all, leaving Shep
to cool his heels indefinitely at the
door OF the concert hall whittier he
had hurried from an important busl-
ness meeting
As an aftermath Of that occasion
Shep had assured Janey that II she
was late to the wedding he would
walk out of the church with the maid
or honor and never go back.
Spoken in jest, the threat brought
Janey close to tears. ut was the old
cleaners faultp she protested
"I'll warrant you didn't take your
suit there until yesterday afternoon ~
retorted Shep.
81 took 1t this mOrnIngl" dlmpled
Janey. "And how could wear my
coat on such summary day."
Argument or protest were OF little
avail. Shep to whom an appointment
to meet a man was as sacred as his
u hOltg NOuiu iOIklNG Junty
but not understand her.
Unfortunately, one Of the eleventh
hour delays of his fancee concerned
the sending out Of the Invitations. An
aunt of the brides received her notice
Of the impending wedding Of her niece
three days after the event.
Shep, who had turned over to Janey
a metlculous list of his own friends
and relatives, gave no more thought
to the matter.
The wedding day proved one OF
those delectable gifts of autumn when
crisp and heavy tang colors all ex-
istence.
Shep was staying with his cousins
but Janey was to drive down from the
city with Aunt Margaret and Uncle
John, who was to give her away. The
hour was purposely early-eleven
o'clock-that the bride and groom
might catch the one midday train that
stopped at Sandersvllle.
Shep and his best man were early
at the church and while Shep was In
no way the nervous bridegroom of
comic fiction the moments seemed to
drag unbearably as he waited In the
minister's study.
Ten minutes to eleven--iive minutes
tot A terrible premonltion struck
Shep. Janey was going to live up to
prediction and be late.
A rap startled him. Cousin Fred,
no hau 10
the station masters boy leaning be-
side his bicycle with yellow en-
velope in his hand For Mr.. Barker"
he said. "They told me he was here"
Shep ripped the envelope open, drew
out the enclosure, read 1t with face
that grew white, crumpIed II into
wad and reached for his hat.
Cousin Fred picked It up and, at
Shops savage assent, read 1t.
Terribly sorry. Can't make the
wedding In time. Jane"
Like man In a dream Shep strobe
out the side door and down the path
as the church clock started TO chime
eleven. He did not see the automobile
draw up In front OF the church or
hear Cousin Fred running behind him,
but he turned at touch on his shoul
der
"There's mlstake" said Cousin
Fred hoarsely. "Janey Is heTeW
A letter forwarded to Shep on his
honeymoon from Shops great.aunt
Jane made things clear. "Your Inyl
tatlon must have been delayed In the
mail II came In time for me to wire
I could not be present. am sending
gift"
1T ought to cure me-" said James
contrltely. But one doubts II 1t did
THE DOCTORS DEMING.