The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-10-10

uIdl, NC sIOle away ab mysterious
ly as he had como. He was not
seen again by the sexton til! tho
vesper hour, and thenghc appeared
in the organ.loft and commenced
his task. While he played, a veil,
ed figure glided in and knelt near
a shrine. There sho remained till
the worshippers dispersed, when
the sexton touched her on the
l.shoulder and said: ''
MADAM, everybody. has gone
but you and me, and | wish to close
the; doors" ~ d+5at +
II am not ready to 60 yet" was
the reply "lcave me-leaver' y
The sexton drew back into q
shady niche, and watched and lis
tened.
The mysterious organist still
kept his post, but his head was
bowed upon the instrument, and
he could not see tho lone devotee.
At length she rose from the aisle,
and moving to the organ loft, paus-
ed'beside the musician.
"Bertram," she murmured.
Quick as thought the organist
raised his head. There, with the
light of a lamp suspended 10 the
arch above falling full upon her,
stood the princess WHO had graced
the royal pew that day. The court
dress of velvet, with its soft ermine
trimmings, the tiara, the necklace.
the bracelets. had been exchanged
for a gray serge robe and long
thick veil, which was now pushed
back from the fair girlish face.
"Oh! Elizabeth, Elizabeth !" ex-
claimed the organist, and he sunk
az her feet and gazed wistfully in.
to her eyes.
why are you here, Bertram? ?"
asksd the princess.
IL came to bid you farewell; and
as I dared not venture into the
palace, gained access to the ca
lhndral by bribing the be!l.ringer,
and having taken the vacant seat
of the dead organist, let my music
breathe out tho adieu could not
trust my lips to utter.
A low moan was the only an
swer, and he continued:
"You are to be married on the
morrow
= Yes" sobbed thes girl. "Oh,
Bertram, what trial it will be to
stand at yonder altar, and take up
on me vows that which will doom
me to a living dcathl'
"Think of me-" rejoined the or
ganist, Your royal father has re.
quested me to play at the wedding,
and | have promised to be hcre.
If | were your equal, | could be the
bridegroom instead of The organist
but a poor musician must give you
up"
1T is like rending soul and body
asundcr 10 part with you" said the
girl. Tonight l may tell you
this-tell you how fondly | love
you, but in few hoursit will be a
sin Go, 80, and God bless youl i
She waved him from her, MS if
she would Danish him while yet
she had the power to do so, and he
how was it with him? He rose
to leave her, then camo. back, held
her to his heart in a long embrace,
and then with a half smothered
farewell, left her.
The next morning dawned in
cloudless splendor, and at an early
hour the cathedral was thrown
open and the sexton began to pre-
pare for the wedding. Fhmo.col
ored flowers nodded by the waysde
flame coorcd leaves came rush
ing down 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 over the
rocks along tho Rhino
At length tho palace gates were
opened, and the royal party APP
peared, escorting the Princess Eliz-
abcth to the cathedral, where her
marriage was to be solcmnized. 1t
was brave pageant; far brighter
than the untwincd foliage and
blossoms were the tufts of plumes
which foatcd from stately heads,
and the testal robes that streamed
down over the housings of the su-
perb stecds. But the princess,
mounted on q snow white paltrey
and clad in snow. white velvet, look
ed pale and sad; and when, on
nearing the church, she heard O
gush oforgan music, which, though
iubilant in sound, struck OIL her
ear like a funeral knell, she trem-
bled, and would have fallen 10 the
earth had not page supported
her. A fow minutes afterward she
entered the cathedral. There, witt
; his retinuc, stood the royal bride
groom, whom she had never before
seen. But her glance roved from
him to the organ.loft, whore, she
had expected to see the mysterious
organist. He was gone, and she wat
|, obliged to return the graceful bow
ofthe king, to whom she had beer
betrothed from motives of policy
! Mechanically she knelt at his sid'
! at tho altar. r.stone; mechapicall.
listened to the service and mad
the responses. Then her HUSBAND
. drew her to him in o convulslv
! embrace, and whispered:
elizabeth, my queen, my wife
! look up !"
:, Trembling in every limb, sh
a oheyed. Why did those dark eve