Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-12-19

tae princess who had graced the roy
81 pew that day. The court dress O
velvet, with its soft ermine trim
mings, the tiara, the necklace, tn,
bracelets, had been exchanged for
green serge robe and a long thicl
veii. which was now pushed bacl
from the fair girlish face.
| oh! Elizabeth, Elizabeth ex
claimed the organist, and he sunk a
her feet and gazed wishfully into be-
eyes.
why are you here, Bertrand
asked the princess.
4 came to bid you farewell; and a.
l dared not to venture into the pal
ace, I gained access to the cathedra
by bribing the bell ringer, and hav
ing taken the vacant seat of th,
dead organist, let my music breath,
out the adieu l could not trust my
lips to utter
Allow moan was the only answer
and he continued:
You are to be married on the NOR
rew2'
Yes sobbed the girl. oh, Ber.
tram, what trial it will be TO stand
at yonder altar, and take upon me
vows which will doom me to living
DEATH
Think Of me- rejoined the organ.
ist. Your royal father requested me
to play at the wedding, and l have
promised to be here. If were your
equal, / could be the bridegroom IN
stead Of the organist; but poor
musician must give you up
1T is like rending soul and body
asunder to part with you,' said the
girl; ''To-night / may tell you this
tell you how fondly love you, but
in . few hours it will be a SIM
Go, 60, and God bless you!'
She waived him from her, as if
she would Danish him while yet she
had the power to do so, and he
how was it with him2 He rose to
leave her, then came back, held her
to his heart In a long embrace, and
then With = half smothered farewell,
left her.
The next morning dawned in cloud
less splendor, and at an early hour
the cathedral was thrown open and
the sexton began to prepare for the
wedding. Flame colored flowers
nodded by the wayside-fame col
ored leaves came rushing down from
the trees, and lay in light heaps upon
the ground; and the ripe wheat
waived like o golden sea, and berries
dropped in red and purple clusters
over the rocks along the Rhine.
At length the palace gates were
opened and the royal party appeared,
escorting the Princess Elizabeth to
the cathedral, where her marriage
was to be solemnized. 1t was to be
a brave pageant; far brighter than
the -entwined foliage and blossoms
were the tufts of plumes floating
from stately heads, and the Sstal
robes that streamed down over
housings Of the superb steeds. But
the princess, mounted on a snow
white palfrey, and clad in snow white
velvet, looking pale and sad, and
when, on nearing the church she
heard q gush of organ music. which,
though jubilant in sound, struck on
her ear like a funeral knell, she
trembled, and would have fallen to
the earth had not page supported
her. A few minutes afterward she
entered the cathedral. There, with
his retinue, stood the royal bride
groom, whom she had never before
seen. But her glance roved from
him to the organ. loft, where she had
expected to see the mysterious or
ganist. He was gone. and she was
obliged to return the graceful bow of
the king, to whom she had been be-
trethed from motives Of policy. Me
chanically she knelt by his side at
the altar stone; mechanically listened
to the service and made the respons-
es. Then her husband drew her to
him in convulsive embrace, and
whispered:
Elizabeth, my queen, my wife,
look upn
Trembling in every limb, she
obeyed. Why did these dark eyes
thrill her 90? Why did that smile
bring glow ON her cheek? Ah!
though the king wore the royal pur.
pie, and many jeweled order gilt
tered on his breast, he seemed the
humble person who had been en-
ployed to teach organ music, and
had taught her the lore of love.
Elizabeth murmured the mon
arch, 'Bertram Hoffman, the mystic
rious organist, and King Oscar are
one. Forgive my stratagem. 1
wished to marry you, but l would not
drag you to the altar an unwilling
bride. Your father was in the Sc
cret.'
While tears Of joy rained from her
blue eyes, the new made queen re-
turned her husbands fond kiss, and
for once. two hearts were made hap.
py by royal marriage.