Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1868-04-09


to the organ loft paused beside The
musician.
4 "Bertram, she murmured.
Quick as thought the organist
raised his head. There with the
light of lamp suspended to the
arch above falling 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
tor gray serge robe and long
thick veil, which was now pushed
back from the girlish face.
ooh ! Elizabeth, Elizabeth !" ex-
claimed the organist, and he sank
al her feet, and gazed wistfully into
her troubled eyes
"Why are you here, Bertram,
asked the Princess.
Il came to bid you farewell and
as | dared not venture into the pal
ace, | gained access to the cathedral
by bribing the bell-ringer, and hav-
Ing 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
morrow 2"
yes" sobbed the girl. "Oh,
Bertram, what trial it will be to
stand at yon altar, and take upon
me the vows that will doom me to a
living death p +"
think of me-" rejoined the or
ganist. "Your royal father has re.
quested me to play at a wedding.
and | have promised to be here. If
| were your equal, l could be the
bridegroom instead of the .organist;
but a poor musician must give you
up
1t 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 a sin! |
Go, go, and God bless you !"
She waived 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 arose to leave
her, then came back, held her to his
heart in one long embrace, and with
a half smothered farewell left her.
The next morning dawned inn
cloudless splendor, and at an early
hour the cathedral was thrown open,
md the sexton began to prepare for
he wedding. Flame colored flow
srs, nodded by the way-side, fame
;olored leaves came rustling down
rom the trees and lay in light heaps
lpon the ground; and the ripe wheat
waved like golden sea, and berries
lrooped in red and purple clusters
'ver the rocks along The Rhine. /
At length the palace gates were
opened, and the royaIparty appeared,
scorting the Princess Elizabeth to
he cathedral. where her marriage
vas to be solemnized. 1t was a
'rave pagent far brighter than the
ntwined foliage and blossoms were
he TUFTS OF plumes that floated from
lately heads, and the festal robes
bat streamed down over the housings
t the superb steeds. But the Prin-
ess, mounted on a snow-white pal.
'ey, and clad in snow-white velvet, !
'oked pale and sad, and when, on
caring the church, she heard
ush of organ music. which, though
lbllant in sound, struck on her ear
Ike funeral kntll, she trembled, and
ould have fallen to the earth had .
ot page supported her. A few
Inutes afterwards she entered the.
.thedral. There, with his reti.
10 stood the royal bridegroom, 1
nom she had never before seen. :
ut her glance roved from him to tt
e organ loft, where she had ex- =
scted to see the mysterious organist.
e was gone, and she was obliged |
return the graceful bow of the P
ing, to whom she had been be-
otbed from motives of policy. Me-
anicall y she kneit at the side of |
e altar stone; mechanically lis :
ned to the service and made the
sponses Then her husband drew G
II to him in convulsive embrace, I
ID whispered: =
elizabeth, my queen, my wife, r
* up" |
Trembling in every limb, she VI
eyed. Why did those dark eyes :
lill her so! Why did that smile r,
ing a glow on her cheek . Ahi- i