Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-12-31

e liked any ether well-looking girl, just a
much as my pearl, my darling, the Onl,
: woman in the whole world 10 me!
have won her at last-at last-after al
: these years Only this one. night NOR,
/ to be lived through, and to-morrow--tO
morrow !r 49,
An early hour had been fixed for tn,
!, marriage, in order that it might be q,
quiet as possible; it was hardly min,
) clock, when Mrs. Carter, almost tn.
! only invited guest, arrived at the church
and took her place in the vicarage pew.
Ii was a raw black morning, with a bit
ing wind, threatening snow. The vicar.
wife was shivering under all her wraps
and half sobbing besides, for she had 4
J keen feeling that the eternal fitness O
things, and, above all, the dignity Ol
womanhood, were outraged by the pur'
: pose for which she had come there; and
that Elsie Clavering, by all the rules ol
feminine propriety, was bound rather to
have died Of a broken heart.
"Ohl If John were to die, would ever,
ever forget him?' thought the warm
hearted little woman. She was in the
/ midst of u doleful, and yet rather sooth-
ing, vision of her own inconsOlabie con-
/ duct at Johns funeral, when a sound in
the porch made her turn her head, and
she saw the bridegroom entering But
such bridegroom Philip Denbigh was
at ali times pale; but the white, set,
/ ghastly face OF the man then entering
the porch was as unlike the Philip Den
blgh OF yesterday as stiffened corpse Is
unlike the living creature
Mrs. Carter was absolutely terror-strick-
en-.
"Good God, this man is going madv'
was the thought which flashed across
her. Next moment she smiled at her
own fears, when she SAW that the doc
tors manner Was quite collected. But
old lsott, who, in her cherry -colored
merlno, and white ribbons, was standing
close by, never took her eyes of her
master. And she observed what Mrs.
Carter did not.-that, when he tried TO
pass the time in turning over the leaves
OF prayer-book, his hand so shook that
he was obliged to put it down, and that
ali the while he stood with folded arms
awaiting his bride, he was gnawing his
under lip. But he was ready IN a mo-
ment to take his place before the altar
when Elsie arrived, leaning Oh tie arm
of a kind old gentleman of the neighbor-
hood, whohad undertaken to act as father
for the occasion. She had chosen a very
quiet dowaser garb: dress of silver
gray silk, which fell about her i'm soft
rich folds, under the long white burnous;
and a few green orange leaves in her
small white bonnet prevented her dress
from being half mourning. But she
could not have chosen any dress which
would have set off to greater advantage
her childish feminine beauty.
Surely thought Mrs Carter, "she
must be startled if shelooksat his face"
And sentence which she had not read
for years came back to her mind: ''For
as brent as your brow is, there is that i'm
it that is near akin to death as to we'd
lockn
But Elsie saw nothing; during the
whole service she did not once raise her
eyes. Only once she shrank, When
Philip seized her hand with grasp as
hot as fire, squeezing her soft little fin
gers with positively painful force
And once again she started when the |
wears impressive voice pronounced the |
solemn words: what God hath Joined, |
let no man put asunder." For then the |
hot hand holding hers suddenly became
as chill as DEATH.
1t was over. Mr.. Denbigh had only |
to draw his wife's arm through his, and /
take her down the short path to the /
cottage, where she was to /
change her sober bridal dress for some
dark travelling gear more suited to a i
wintry journey. The seaside place to
which they were bound was barley ten
miles distant. and the post-chaise which
was to convey them thither was ready
packed at the door, when they left the
church, so Mrs. Denbigh did not won
der that her husband hurried her away /
from the congratulating crowd at the
church door, muttering something
about making haste lest they should be
caught in the snow-storm, so evidently |,
Il
When she came down stairs from her
hasty toilet, she found her husband |,
by the lire, his face buried IN L
his folded arms, which rested on the
His attitude was so exsl,
pressive of suffering, mental or bodily, 4
that she FASTENED to him, asking if he
We're ill,
"Ill? No. he answered.; but with such
a face that she exclaimed
"You are, am sure. What is the
matter, Philip"
az was in the clouds,-or in the fire.
he answered with laugh. "Are you
ready?"
"In one moment; but look, Philip; 1 !
to show you my finger. You see i
1t has only your ring on it now. Last 9
night, the other was as tightly fixed as
ever, but In the morning it had slipped I
off of its own accord. Is it not stranger" C
Her husband made no answer; indeed,
he hardly seemed to hear her, so
intent was he on folding her wraps G
about her and hurrying her into the
He leaned back in total silence while
they drove up the village street, lined
with gazers. His wife saw from the inn I
patient movement of his foot that he
was suffering under some annoyance,
and thought that he was vexed for her
sake by the number of people, who ]
showed their interest, in their rough /
country fashion, by staring with all their ,
eyes. ,
"I don't mind, Philip" she said, q
turning to him. Again the look on his t
face startled her. I
Next moment, as they left the village I
behind them, and emerged into the quiet !
country road, he clasped her in his arms. q
heaven or earth, my Elsie, that can part
us now" Z
81 had no idea, " said Mrs. Carter to
her husband, when they talked over the |
that evening, "that Mr.. Dem
bigh could be so nervous and queer
always thought him disagreeabie, but c
never knew him so perfectly odious as
be Yves this morning,-rushing off with
Elsie without letting her even say,
''Thank you" when we we're all wish
ing her joy; and glaring at everybody as
if he defied them to look at her Such !
horrid, bad mannersl And all the time !
did you ever see such face? am sure
he looked more as if he were going to be /
hanged than married" =
" A man always does look fool on
these occasions, f." said the vicar. e
Hsme Politeness.