"Let me explain the case to you, madame. We have been engaged to marry for some time, and we are now on our wedding journey—that is, we are to be married as soon as we reach Chicago."
The lady, still icily ignoring her daughter's suitor, exclaimed:
"Can this be true, Geraldine?"
The young girl answered again, dejectedly.
"It is true."
Standish beamed upon her gratefully, joyously, hoping from her acquiescence that he had indeed made some impression on her heart.
But the mother was wearing her most frigid air as she remarked:
"This is a rather unusual proceeding. Should not the marriage have preceded instead of following the wedding journey?"
Standish answered, quickly:
"That is the usual way, certainly, but this was an elopement."