Show Sort tb Daw THE BOND OF OP MATRIMONY You would never have guessed that he was a sentimentalist had you seen sitting sitting Ip the empty box soap nibbling a cabbage stalk with t fat t content jeg e the little gIrl did not know it and anc had owned her for for an infinity t me as reckoned childhoods childhood's by br calendar Hes a good guinea pig she ou uld d have told you but tn In a shamed whisper Whisper rather rather greedy Im I'm afraid d greedy you would have thought him had you seen his obvious joy over f feathery carrot and tender Brussels sprouts How could the little girl J ss 5 that these were his not all hearts heart's desires desires' For For- Forat at that time she knew thing t lag ing of his deeper feelings his chivalrous admiration of the fairer sex sex and der longing for a sprightly damsel of ot his race who race who would sit by his side and lew w the limitless lettuce with which fate had bestrewed l his path path So So when he heed ed wistful the little girl only him gave more to eat and the x poor tailless nea Inea nea pig greW ever eyer stouter and more more glutton gluttonous us a epitome of e commonplace t fAt At t last a change came in the guinea pigs pig's life and it was all through a note ch one morning morning- lay on the little girls girl's plate a a. sufficient rarity in Itself to ark arlt k a red-letter red day From Irom rom the precious document she learned of ot the offer ofer of ther guinea pig to to make a pair a al as the donor C coldly expressed it The rhe little girl said nothing and sat motionless for a moment Then she i down from rom her chair a although hough her tit bit the top of some ones one's egg as obviously Imminent and as she ran away to the kitchen they heard her herig v ig ng soft squeaks of surprise and Joy not not unlike her own guinea pig tOo O 0 she cried as she clasped the perturbed piglet O 0 0 hat do you think O 0 O. O you are going to have a little wife of your own a sweet Ittle dear clear little pet pet pet-a a teeny Pi sh she finished lna in burst hurst of inspiration I But Dul grunted crossly as he turned a- a longing eye on his breakfast little tittle girl was discouraged and thought him heartless but h he had not her Perhaps It was as well that the guinea pig did not realize his position for he days that followed proved a n wea weary waiting time even to the little girl 1 l finally nally one day a basket arrived a a. strange basket that rustled mysteriously ind emitted queer little sounds as the child undid It While she was pulling a at the Jast last knot she felt something move at her feet looking down she saw He was st standing on his hind of legs legal an un- un of accomplishment and wavIng two little forefeet wildly in the air Then n he rolled over backward which was undignified his figure was not to such lover-like lover protestations He lie was still struggling to right himself when the new was lifted Of the basket and set down beside him The little girl blamed herself after- after ard ad that he had not appeared to to more advantage at the first meeting for thel her charms the fair fall lady despised her suitors suitor's attitude or was merely confident of after a cursory sniff In hi his his' direction she vouchsafed him no further notice As for the hapless h he was too overcome to do more than gaze adoringly at the beauteous vision as it ft sc sculled Inquisitively round the room VO O O. O dear O O. O dear I hope she doesn't doesn t think him too fat for a husband moaned the little girl t However However strongly had objected it ft would not have availed her far or the little girl Was Mas Quite determined on the marriage if only to celebrate n her own particular church wandering in a wood nearby the little girl had wig day found herself herselt in a glade where the tall trunks trunk stretched up straightly tVing at the top Into branching Gothic arches while the tinted sunlight shone the delicate leaf tracery and patterned the like altar mound at the end WhY this must be where the rabbits g go to church whispered the little rI unconsciously hushing her tread In her Imagination she saw them the abbit pre preacher and the rows rows and rows of ot little bunnies sitting with their white I bobtails acock Ever after she had thought about the tha place with a religious I awe and it was here she decided that the guinea pigs must wed Only who's to marry them she I sp spose se it will have to be Humphrey Hes He's teeny and hes he's rather silly But nut still hes he's a boy And its it's a a good thing hes he's been put into knickerbockers She bhe burst like a whirlwind upon the and depositing a carpet bag that she carried she began a a wild search in hi the nursery chest of drawers Fortunately Humphrey was a stolid child and nd used to these excitements excite excite- ments so he made no comment but seized the opportunity to Investigate the contents of ot the bag Then there came a sudden surprised cry What Is It I believe belie its it's alive he said They all arrived at the glade In rather a sh shaken ken condition particularly the guinea pigs but no time was allowed for grumbling Youre a clergyman Humphrey stated the little girl throwing his nightshirt over his head Standstill Stand Standstill Standstill still and dont don't wiggle while I button th the surplice Now begin she said kneel down and say what I do and she began the marriage service holding the bewildered firmly in front of the mound I j Humphrey knelt down and began solemnly Then there was an ominous pause They cant can't be married without a ring he announced He had not been a brides bride's page without acquiring some knowledge of these matters The little girl turned scarlet with mingled annoyance annoyance and and surprise Oh yes they can silly she said Suppose any anyone one had be been n in a a. train that jumped over a bridge and got both their hands off what then They cant can't be married without a ring repeated Humphrey It w would uld be put on their toes and he began to chant solemnly I With bells on her fingers and rings on eq her toes She Spa shall have bave music wherever she goes The little girl began Degan to reason but with a growing hopelessness for for ot she Knew her Humphrey I They couldn't ta tale taKe e off their shoes and stockings in she declared They couldn't nobody does babies some times Its It's naughty Go on dear They cant can't be married a ring was all Humphreys Humphrey's reply I I 1 dont don't believe real reat people always have a a ring she said They cant can't cos when uncle went to a wedding he said the parson knot he didn't say nothing nothing- about a ring rim So I believe sometimes they do it by tying them t together gether Well We'll tie the not too tight for the pets Data ets to be nor too loose el else e they'll run round the different sides of things and then au all of or ora a a. sudden they'll be pulled back quite choky Bout So long a string Id I'd think and she held her het hands about a foot apart Then before Humphrey H had bad time to object She sIte cut a tape off oft the surplice and the pigs entered literally Into the bond of matrimony The honeymoon was spent in the garden but It was not a complete success The little girl had hoped that when was weighted down by the pon- pon respectability of her middle aged spouse she would settle to a life lite of peaceful domesticity in some retired corner But instead of this she entered upon litton a career of frivolous excitement At all hours you might have seen her tearing madly over the flo flower er beds while poor poOl panted heavily at t the theother theother theother other end of ot the strained chain if It only at the commencement he had made madea a firm stand their married life would l' l lave have ave held fewer jars jais but fo for fOt this he was too adoring So he tried to be frolicsome and young again for the young wife's sake and the result was pathetically ludicrous It was after about a a. week that the little girl went vent out one morning and to her surprise found everything Was still So she wandered about until she espied happily nibbling the young grass Then she hurried up for she marveled at the pigs pig's sudden placidity And there still linked to her lay lay poor dead quite v And the little girl crouche on the ground sobbing wildly as she saw the piti pitiful ul trails along the grass where he had dragged himself struggling to the last not nol to be a tie tic on the frisky young wife But chewed on In calm content obviously enjoying the weeds of of widowhood I r hate you you I hate you raged the little girl YOU dont don't care a bit and aZId youve you've killed him cold and cleat and broken my heart Then she got the garden shears and her little hands were shaking as she cleft the bond In the garden there still slants a small wood wooden n cross The lettering Is faint but you rou ou can make out the uneven childish characters To Ho He t love and too much running Chicago Tribune |