HER WEDDING OUTFIT.

Manawatu Herald, 19 April 1904, Page 4

HER WEDDING OUTFIT.

Win I Oitl Stan Boggs Thought SheOagW to Have. I standing in front of the Pine yiivr-it Lumber store, situiho upper, waters of tho Cumber* In ' ;, jn oltl man Boggs came up from tiv -vnilll on tho bank of tho river and npprowhod mo with Romo degree of doubt, I 1 bought, from his manner. Seeing no oiv • < 1 !;■(: around, ho bccarao easier and greet* cd mo pleasantly. “Uiw aru you, Mr. Boggs?” I said in return for his salutation. “Fine day. Any Bows up the mountain?” “I’m tumble like, I reckon,” he responded. “Nothin happenin our way—much. But that ain’t what I want to talk to you about, colonel,” bo added, relapsing into tho manner of doubt I thought I hart observed at first. “Well, what is it? Any shooting going on or.liable to?” “Beckon not. Host uv the boys OM gone to Loolsvillo for witnesses agin them moonshiners, and things is rcstin some.” “Then what troubles you?” Ho crane up Quito close to mo ancE looked over his shoulder to be sure there was no cue iu hearing distance, except myself*. ‘Mir you a married man, colonel?” ho aslccd in a whisper. “1 am not so fortunate,” I admitted, •with os much gallantry of manner and aa pretty a candor ns if a dozen women had boon there. , “Then I reckon you ain’t much knowm on sich things ns bavin yer gals gettin married'!'” “Hardly,” I confessed, with a smile. “Anyhow,” he said resignedly, “you air old enough to bo, and I want you to gimmo a lift. ” “How do you mean?” I inquired in sur-

prise. “Don’t git skeert,” he grinned. "Its only my gal Susan.” “Oh,” I said in n tone of relief. "She's going to pet married, is she?” “Kinder that away. I want to git Some wedding flxin’a and don’t want to git ’em I'vuiu the young feller in the store. Won’t you fix ’em up for me?” ‘ 1 (Jeii ; d n ly, ’ ’ and we went in. "By tho way,” I inquired, “Is Susan youx oldest daughter?” ■ “No; she is tho voungest.” “Isn’t that rather cutting tho other* out?”

‘ l l reckon not, ’’ he laughed. “ You see. they take af termo, and I didn't git spliced till I was past 40. Susan takes atter he* mammy. She got mafore she was 20.’* Ho laughed agalfPmd I laughed with him and throw out Several pieces of dress goods on tho counter. “I suppose you want something white," I said, spreading the goods out so he could boo Iho effect. “That will be very nice for a bride." “Y/hat’s tho tax on ItP” he asked, without torching it, showing that he was not versed iu dry goods, “Two'bits a yard.” “Gccmcntly gosh, colonel!” he exclaimsi aiding back, “I can’t affofd no such goods as that. Silks and eatings ain’t fer we uns. Hain’t you got some calico?” “Plenty of it,” I said, and I dumped an ai . nil ; d down on tho counter. jia t’s this wuthf” he asked, picking out a brlY'lit yellow piece with a red vine trailing thn. lu Sh it- “ That’s 10 w Qnts a y aTC h and it will or>y take ton yards pattern. ’ “ That’s sl, it?” he Inquired, aftera moment’s mental ca. oulation.

“(1 b umo that, oolong Susan allua had a weakness for yallor. It matches her freckles, shosays.” I cut off tho amount called fot and laid It aside. ~ “Now, ” ho said, “show me some shoes, “What kind?’’ I asked, not caring to hazard my judgment again. “How do they run in price?”

“From *1.50 up.” “That’s pretty steop fer a gal that« been usotor goiu har’footed, I reckon,” he mused, “but a gal don’t git hitched every day, and I s’poso I kin stand it. Jim 11 have to buy ’em for her anyhow atter this. Lon uiro have ono uv thorn pa’r at a dollar fifty.”

“What size?” “About sevens, I reckon,” he said. “Six is her size In summer time, but gittin married is makin her kinder proud and she says sho’s goln to wear stocking so you see, colonel, we’d better git em a size bigger to Tow fer the entry. ” I picked out a pair of No. Te, neat, but not gaudy, and laid them beside the calico. “Now,” I said, getting ready to show him a few other articles for a trousseau, “what else?” “What else is thar to git?” he asked in guileless astonishment. “Ain’t that enough weddin fixln’s fer any gal? Them cost *2.50, didn’t they?” “Yes, but I thought she might want somctihng else perhaps.” That remark didn’t begin to express all that was in my mind, but it was the best I could do under tho circumstances; “Likely she docs,” he replied, “but it’s Jim’s turn to do the buyin now. I*V« done my sheer.” “When is the wedding?” I inquired «2 wrapped up the trousseau I had aold him. “It’s done tuck,” he answered as though surprised at my question. I was puzzled to the full extent. “I don’t understand what you mean,” 1 said. “Tho weddln’a over,” he explained. “It track place yistlddy.” “But what are you getting these things for now?” I asked, more astonished than ever. “Cazo, now’s the time,” bo said, with ft short li>Ugh. “You don’t reckon I was goln to git all those yer weddin flxln’s aforehand and run the resk uv havin the whole shootjn match flash in the pan, do yon? Jim’s stlddy and shore footed, but Susan gits to stoppln mighty high and aotln frisky when she’s got good olo’e on to her back. She takes atter her mother, Susan does.” I hadn’t a word to say, of course, hut as Mr. Boggs started out I handed him a bolt of blue ribbon and told him to give It to tho bride, with my compliments, without 'knowing exactly whether blue ribbon matched yellow calico with a jed vine trailing through it or not. r— ___

A Strategic More, “I was in the theater when your play was brought out for the first time.” “You were there, were you?" “Yes, and I saw you there too. Everybody was yawning, and to my astonishment you yawned, too, with the rest,” “I had to yawn. If 1 hadn’t, somebody would have suspected me of being the author.”-

Must Have a Subject Anyway. The Mob (in chorus)—We’re after that man, and we’re going to lynch him. Tho Jailor—But he’s left town. The Mob—Well, then jive us some oth-