The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-01-11
FREMONT. SANDUSKY COUNTY. OHIO; FRIDAY. JAI
"Why are you here, Bertram ." ask

"Why are you here, Bertrams" ask
ed the princess.
81 came to bid you farewell, and as
dared not venture into the palace, gain
ed access to the cathedral BY bribing the
bell-ringer, and having taken the vacant
seat of the dead organist, let my music
! breathe out the adieu | 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," sobbed the girl 'sOh, Ber.
tram, what trial it will be to stand al
yonder altar, and take upon me the
VOWS which will doom me to a living
death"
"Think of me-" rejoined the organist
"your royal father has requested me tc
| play at the wedding, and | have prom.
ised to be here. If were your equa
| could be the bridegroom instead O
organist; but poor musician mus
give you up" =
at is like rending soul and body
asunder to part with you," said the girl
Tonight | may tell you this--tell you
how fondly / love you, but in few
hours it will be sinl Go, go, and God
bless you'll" sssr
She waved him from her as if she
would Danish him while she had power
to do so, and he-how was it with him
He rose to leave her, then came back,
held her to his heart in long embrace,
and with half smothered farewell, left
The morning arose in cloudiess splen-
dor, and at an early hour the cathedral
was thrown open, and the sexton began
to prepare for the brilliant Wedding
Flame-colored leaves came rushing dowr
from the trees and lay in light heaps
upon the ground; and the ripe wheat
waved like a golden sea, and berries
dropped in red and purple clusters ovel
rocks and along the Rhine.
At length the palace gates were open
| ed, and the royal party appeared, es
corting the Princess Elizabeth to the
cathedral, where her marriage was to bt
solemnized. 1t was a brave pageant
far brighter than the untwined foliage
and blossoms were the turft of plumes
which fioated from stately heads, and
the festal robes that streamed dowl
over the housings of the superb steeds
But the Princess, mounted on snow
white palfry, and clad in snow-whitt
velvet, looked pale and sad; and when
on nearing the church, she heard gusl
of music, which, though jubilant il
sound, struck on her ear like funera
knell, she trembled, and would have
fallen to the ground had not page sup
ported her. A few moments afterwards
she entered the cathedral. There, will
his retinue, stood the bridegroom, whom
she had never seen before. But he
glances royed from him to the organ
loft, where she had expected to see the
mysterious organist. He was gone, ant
she was obliged to return the graceful
bow of the king, to whom she had beer
betrothed from motives of policy. Me
chanically, she knelt at his side on the
altar-stone; mechanically listened to the
service and made the requisite respon
ses. Then her husband drew her to hin
| in conyulsive embrace, and whispered
elizabeth, my queen, my wife, looE
up"
Trembling in every limb she obeyed
Why did those black eyes thrill her so
Why did that smile bring a glow on hei
cheek All! though the king wore The
royal purple, and many a jewelled orde
glittered on his breast, he seemed tn,
same humble person who had been EN-
ployed to teach organ music, and haG
taught her the lore of love.
"Elizabeth," murmured the monarch
'Bertram Hoffman, the mysterious or
ganist and King OSCAR are onel For
give my strategem. | wished to marry
you, but | would not drag you to tht
altar an unwilling bride. Your fathe
was in the secret.
While tears of joy rained from he
blue eyes, the new-made queen return
ed her husbands fond kiss, and for one.
two hearts were made glad by roya
marriage.