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Cymric Strain - Book 2

By Una Howell (USA - 1876-1949)

Chapter 8 - Engaged to be Married


Copyright Scott Dunbar 2010

 

Chapter 8

Engaged to be Married

The early days of June registered very little work excepting piano practice. Bill and I walked, drove, and partied. Eric took me for boat rides on the lake and to the theatre. In between times there were final recitals and dormitory farewells. The Beta Picnic had cut teeth of sophistication for me and, when the decks were covered with petting couples, Bill and I hunted up the pilot’s house and helped to steer the boat into Evanston. (Those that wanted it could take it but I was not one of them.)

Dell Eberhard had decided to make the trip to Springfield with us and we spent the day together in Chicago for last-minute shopping.

The train left at night and I had dinner with Bill by shaded candles, quite to my liking. He had left his father who had proudly come to commencement to see his son receive the Harris Hundred Dollar Prize for his political economy thesis.

When the train bell began to ring, Bill shook hands with me. When he turned to Mother she kissed him. At that moment I started forward and said, “Won’t you tell me goodbye too?” and, surprised and touched, he kissed me and hurried down the aisle.

Mama had told me to kiss him but I hadn’t wanted to until I thought of all the nice times he had given me and then my feelings changed. Mr. Thomas, who had come to see Dell off, was amused. Dell laughed and teased me and said, “Noonie, Noonie!” That was too much and I settled into my seat and cried softly.

As soon as the train had pulled out of the shed I braced up and, when Mary said, “Well, I suppose you’ll be getting married now,” I replied with a stilted superiority, “Well I guess Mother would like to see her daughters sensibly married.” After that the shaft of wisdom had found its objective and we settled down in our reclining seats (we couldn’t afford Pullman) to the click of the rails and the whistle’s siren cry. At that moment, in the darkness, my future had taken a turn for the worse. Perhaps by “dawn’s early light” it would look less forbidding.

The train trip, complete with open windows letting in dry dust and cinders, was unpleasant and our shirtwaist collars were proof that the climate of Springfield had not changed in the nine months we had been away. The locusts were wheezing as if they had not stopped since last September when we had so hopefully climbed aboard the train.

Word had reached Springfield before me that I was engaged to be married and I was surprised to find that it had lifted my stock. There was no accounting for tastes. In a few days Frances Boxer and her wedding party arrived and, to my great excitement, at the last minute Bill arrived to take the best man’s place. Bill was eager to see me. My family was eager to see Bill and I was eager for… I didn’t know what! I only knew that I was by no means indifferent to Bill.

After the usual run of parties we married Frances off, threw our old shoes at her, and riced her onto the train with her groom. Bill lingered long enough to win my family and then returned to the bank position he had taken in St. Louis.



Cymric Strain - Book 2, by Una Howell (USA - 1876-1949) Current

Chapter 1 - Evanston

Chapter 2 - The Department of Music
Chapter 3 - Northwestern University

Chapter 4 - Beaued

Chapter 5 - Late for the 1am Train!

Chapter 6 - A Visit from Home

Chapter 7 - Bill Declares Himself

Chapter 8 - Engaged to be Married

Chapter 9 - A Grand Piano for Me?

Chapter 10 - Apartment Life in Evanston

Chapter 11 - On the Train with a Pass

Chapter 12 - Eric’s Decline

Chapter 13 - The Organist

Chapter 14 - Lilly Dies

Chapter 15 - An Unprincipled Woman

Chapter 16 - Music Critic

Chapter 17 - A Rich Young Man

Chapter 18 - Helping the World

Chapter 19 - On a Bicycle Built for Two

Chapter 20 - Mendelssohn Concerto in E Major

Chapter 21 - The Meister Way

Chapter 22 - An Admirer

Chapter 23 - Gentlemen Callers

Chapter 24 - The Scotchman

Chapter 25 - Checking on Maynard

Chapter 26 - Rich Young Man - Not so Much

Chapter 27 - A Kind of Ending

Chapter 28 - Plans for a New Marriage

Chapter 29 - The Marriage

Chapter 30 - Honeymoon

Chapter 31 - Leaving for Elgin

Chapter 32 - Getting to Know Elgin -1901

Chapter 33 - Our First Mobile (Auto)

Chapter 34 - Life in Elgin

Chapter 35 - Preparing for Birth

Chapter 36 - Stillborn!

Chapter 37 - Live Leeches to Treat an Ear Ache

Chapter 38 - Winfield Illinois Sanatorium

Chapter 39 - Saugatuck

Chapter 40 - Friends and Family

Chapter 41 - Meeting George's Mother

Chapter 42 - Father Cook and David

 

 

 

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