HE PAID UP

Manawatu Herald, 7 April 1898, Page 4

HE PAID UP

A Wedding That Cost Stuart Rotoson £5,000. "I read in tho newspapers one morning, " says Nat C. Goodwin, "that Lawrence Barrett's daughtof liad been iparricd, and that among the bridal gifts waa a check for $5,000 from Stuart Kobson. 11 'That can haTdly be true,' thought L ./ 'Robson and Barret are groat friends, but .Robson would not bo likely to give so much jnonoy as ft wedding present. The newspapers must be wrong.' "A day or two later I met Robson in Broadway. " 'Look here, old man,' said L 'How about that gift of $5,000 you are said to have made .to Larry Barrett's daughter) Have the newspapers been lying about you again f " 'Nat,' said he solemnly, 'it's truetrue as gospel! Step out here one side, and I'll tell you how it happoned.' "Wo retired to a convenient corner, and Robson told me the whole story, and it amused me immensely. " 'About two years ago last summer,' said he, 'a young man called at my cottage in Cohasset, bringing a letter of introduction from a friend in New York. I was as cordial as I could be, and the fellow kept calling off and on all summer. He did not Interest me particularly, but he was harmless. One day he said to me, "Mr. Robson, that Miss Barrett is a charming girl." " ' "Ah, and so you have met the Barretts, have you?" says I." " ' "I have," says he, "and I regard Miss Barrett as one of the most oharming young ladles I ever saw." " ' "She is, my boy, she isl" saysL "Pitch in and win her, and the day you wed her I'll give you $5,000. And here's $1 to bind the bargain." " 'Nat, I pledge you my word I had no idea that anything further would ever come of the matter. My idea was to encourage the fellow to spend his time at Barrett's cottage instead of mine. But he was in earnest, it seems. I used to hear of his being with Miss Barrett a good deal, and occasionally I would see them sauntering along tho beach listening to the inusio of the sad soa wave 9. But, as -1 said, I thought nothing serious of it all, and 1 forgot all about my stipulation involving the $5,000. So you can imagine my aston% ishment, my horror, when, about two months ago, that young man turned up at my cottage again, wearing a particularly triumphant smile. " ' "Mr. Robson," said he, "I've done it." " ' "Done what?" says L " • "Proposed to her," says he. » t "Proposed to whom?" says L " ' "Why, to Miss Barrett," says he, "and I'm going to marry her I" k i "ffhe you are!" cays I, for the news fairly knocked the wind out of mo. " ' "I am, indeed," says he, and then he reminded me of the promise I had given him about the check. Yes, you may not believe it; but, Nat, the fellow had tho bad taste to recall that I had promised to give him a bridal present in case he won Larry Barrett's daughter. " ' "My boy," says I as amiably as I could, " Stuart Robson never forgets and he never violates a pledge or a promise!" " 'The morning of the wedding I was feeling too indisposed to leave my bed. I I had been sitting up too late the night before with a siok friend. So I called my daughter to me. " • "Alicia," said I, "are you going to the wedding?" " ' "Yes, father." " « "Then take this check with you," said I. "Be careful not to lose it, and after : the wedding hand it to the groom. But, f mind you, Alioia, do not give it to him : until after the minister pronounces them man and wife, for he might drop dead in the meantime." j " 'When my daughter returned that aft- ! ernoon, I said, "Alicia, is it all over?" " * "Yes, father." " ' "And did you give him the check for $5,000?" " • "Yes, father." " • "What did he do when you gave it to him?" i "' "Father, he cried." ! " 'I was gratified, I will admit, thut my trifling benefaction had touched his heart, yet I was anxious to know the full extent of his appreciation. " ' "He cried, did he?" said L "How long did he cry?" " ' "Father, I am not sure, but I should Bay about a minute." 11 • "A minute! A minute!" said I. 11 ," I cried an hour before I signed that oheokl" • "—Eugene Field in Chicago Record.