Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-09-27
I'd RAPIDS MISREPRESENTATION SEPTEMBER ~, 1862.

court QreSS OF VeiFe6, Win lLS SOIl er-
mine trimming, the tiara, the necklace,
the bracelets, had been exchanged for
gray serge robe and long thick veil :,
which was now pushed back from the
fair girlish face. . .-.....
ooh, Elizabeth, Elizabeth" exclaim-
ed the organist, and he sunk at her feet,
and gazed wistfully into her troubled
eyes . ....
"Why are you here, Bertram ?" ask
ed the princess.
IL came to bid you farewell; and as
| dared not venture into the palace, |
gained access to the cathedral by brib-
ing the be llrincer, and having taken
the vacant seat OF the dead organist let
my music breath out the adiep ! could
not trust my lips to utter"
A low moan was the only answer, and
he continued:
"You are to be married on the NOR
row %
YES" soabed the girl. ooh, Ber-
tram, what trial it will be to stand at
yonder altar, and take upon me the
VOWS which will doom me to a living
death =
"Think of me, reioined the organist.
~ our royal father has requested me t"
play at the wedding, and have pro-
missed to be here. II | were your equal
[ could be the bridegroom instead of
the organist but poor musician must
give You up"
lit is Ike rendering soul and body
asunder, 20 part with you," SAID the
girl. 'sTo-night I may tell yon this
tell you how fondly | love You, but in
few hours it will be a sin! Go, 60,
and God bless youn'
She waved him from her, as if she
would Danish him while she had the
power to do So, and he-how was it
with him He rose to leave her, then
came back, held her to his heart with
4 long embrace, and with Il half smoth
cred farewell left her.
The next morning dawned in cloud,
less splendor, and at an early hour the
cathedral was thrown open, and the SEX
ton began to prepare for the brilliant
wedding. Flame-colored flowers nod
ded by the wayside-hame colored
leaves came rushing down from the
trees and lay in light heaps upon the
ground and the ripe wheat waved like
goden sea and berries dropped in red
and purple clusters over the rocks
along the Rhine.
Atlength the palace gates were OPEN
ed, and the royal party appeared, es-
corting the princess Elizabeth to the
cathedral, where hermarriage was to be
solemnized. 1t was brave pageant !;
far brighter than the untwined foliage
and blossoms were the tufts of plumes
which tloated from the stately heads,
and the testal robes that streamed down
over the housings Of the superb steeds.
But the princess, mounted on snow
white pa!trey, and clad in white
velvet, looked pale and sad ; and when,
on nearing the church, she heard q gush
of organ music, which, though iubiant
in sound, struck on her ear like a fimer-
al knell, she trembled, and would have
fallen to the earth had not q page sup
ported her. A few moments after ward
she entered the cathedral. There, with
his retnue, stood the royal bridegroom,
whom she had never before seen. But
her glance roved from him to the or
gan-lott, where she had expected to see
the mysterious organist. He was gone,
and she WAS Obliged to return the grace
fnI bow OF the king, to whom she had
been betrVlhed from motives Of policy.
Mechanically, she kneltat his side on the
altar stone; mechanically listened to
the service aud made the response. -
Then her husband drew hel to him in a
coEvnlsivc embrace and whispered:
"EIlzabcth, my queen, my wife, look
up."
Trembling III ever y limb, she obeyed.
Why did those dark eyes thrill her so !?
Why did that smile bring glow on her
cheek? Ah though the king wore the
royal purple, and many a .ieweIed order
glittered Oh his breast, he seem ed the
same humble person who had been
employed to teach organ music, and
1 had taught her the lore Of love.
"Etlzabeth," marmuryd the mon
arch, ''Bcrtram Huffman, tEe mysteri-
ous organi>t, and King Oscar are one
Forgive nay stratagem. | wished to
marry YOU, but | would Lot drag to
/ the altar al unwilling bride. Your
father was III tie secret"
While tears Of Joy rained from her
bIne eyes. the new made queen re-
turned her lsusb2nd's fond kiss, and for
once two hearts were made happy by
a royal marriage.