Year: 1873

! had brought about this consummation, it
sometimes seemed to her as if she must
retract that "yes," the one little word
destined to change the whole current of
/ her whole existence. "Ah if it were only
l who was to be benefited by this mar
riage, how ePsily 1 could revoke my
promise she mused.


The wedding was to take place in the
latter part of November. Conway would
wait no longer for his bride, and she made
no objection, seeming to be in kind of
apathy concerning everything connected
with the wedding. Could her aunt and
uncle have known how little love existed
in her heart for her intended husband,
they would have been willing to endure
almost any phase of poverty rather than
have her bestow her hand where her
heart refuse to follow: But they, good
simple souls had rarely. in their narrow
sphere of existence, heard of marriage
without love, and little thought that
their niece was about to make such an
one. Now that he was-'freed from debt,
the farmer was able to give Kate a mod
crate sum to purchase trousseau, which
was greatly improved by many handsome
presents from her famce.


Chapter XVII.


Aunt Betty, Kate, and Bertram, were
seated before the fire one morning dis
cussing the coming wedding. The old
lady was admiring Hates bridal robe, of
heavy white satin, which had just been
sent home from the dreesmakers.


Kate'll look like an angel in it," she
said, lifting for closer inspection the rich
lace that formed part of the sleeve.


"That dressmaker in town understands
her business for sartin, but it's no wonder,
as she's from the city, and has made up
so many fol-de-rols. But 1 don't see" ;"
turning to the groom elect, "why you
ordered. sich an expensive gown when
there's so few to be here. DR.. and Mrs
Glen and the preacher are the only ones
outside of the family thatH see her"


"But my dear madam, shall see her"
returned Conway, smiling.


"Wel1 1 s'pose you will, as she couldn't
very we'll git married if you staid away;
but seems to me she'd orter look as well
to you in caliker gown, as in this white
sating. / don't see though why we can t
have big weddin'. People don't often
git married but once in their lives, though
did know man once who had his fifth
wife. He was like that feller in Mr..
Shakspeare's book that you read to me
about t'other day Kate, who said the
Victuals that had been cooked for the
funeral could been put on the table
cold for the weddin' or somethin' of that
kind. Come to think of it 'tWasn't man
that married so soon. but queen.) AsI
was a sayin, taint likely that you and
Kate'H git married four and five times
apiece, and it may be the last time for
both of you; so for that reason we ought
to make grand time of it. Now when l
was young, people used to go to weddin's
and infairs to enjoy themselves. They
understood how to have fun then. La!
Lean remember Jerry Andrews weddin's
as well as if it had happened Yesterday,
though was only about sixteen when it
went of"


Tell us about it aunt Betty" said Con-
way. Perhaps we may conclude to have
ours something like it." And he threw
mischievous glance at Kate.


'Do you think so? Well, I'll tell you
about it then In the first place, the
couple was liked by everybody, which
made the people all the more anxious to
go. Squire Jenkins, the brides father
was considered we'll off for them days,
and owned the biggest house in the
neighborhood. For weeks there never
was sich scourin' and bakin' as went on
there. You'd a thought to a seen 'em
that nobody ever got married afore
Everybody fur and near got an invite
and there was lots of folks there you may
be sure. Well, after good deal of fiut-
term, the young couple stood up to be
everlastingly jined together They was
powerfully skeered too, for their faces
looked like couple of billed beets."


"How were they dressed" interrupted
Conway. 1T may not yet be too late to
change our attire.


"Good Lands don't s'pose you d copy
0iCCA Gil III tAldG
wore white dress, short in the skirt,
and in the waist too. Why, the tail of
this white sating would made her whole
gown. 1t didn't take thousand yards
to make frocl1 in them days. Her hair
was fastened on the TOP of her head with
a high top comb, and to complete her
twilight-as the novel folks say-she
wore pair of high-heeled slippers with
silver buckles on EN-. Jerry wore a suit
of home-spun jeans. His mother put on
her specks when she wove the cloth, and
so it was mighty fine His coat had lots
Of brass buttons on it, and was made in
the style we-used to call swallow-tails


'I have copied him in that respect at
least, for that is the exact shape of the
black cloth one now in the hands of my
tailor" laughed Conway.


"Lor' what could you have been think
ing of to get such u fashion; it's the ugli-
est coat in the world"


Perhaps you are right, but it's tie coat
for Il dress suit"


why l never saw dress made that
way; it must be a new style"


at is, said he, not wishing to take the.
trouble to explain. go on with your
story"