Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-06-23


The sexton drew back in a shady niche,
and watched and listened. The mysterious or,
gauist still kept his post, and his head was
bowed upon the instrument, and he could
not the lone dcvotcc. At length she rose
from the AISLE and moving to the organ loft
paused beside the organst
"l}crtram u she murmurct.
Quick us thought the organist raised his
head. There, with the light Of the lamp
suspended to the arch above falling full upon
her, stood the Princess, who had gtaccd the
royal pew that day. I've court dress of vel.
vet, with its crminc trimmings, the tiara, the
necklace, the bracelets, had been exchanged
for gray serge robe and long thick veil,
which wus now pushed back from the fair,
girlish face.
"Why arc you here, l'ertram 2" asked the
Princess
"l came to bid you farewell; and as I
dared not venture into the palace, | gained
access to the cathedral by bribing the bell.
finger, and taking the scat of the dead organ.
lst, let my music breathe out the adicu could
not trust my lips to utter"
"A low moan was the only answer, and he
continued:
"fou arc to be married on the morrow %
eyes" sobbcd the girl ooh ! Bcrtram,
what a trial it will be to stand ut yondcr al.
tar, and take upon me the vows which will
doom me to living DEATH"
''Think of me-" reioiucd the rrcanist-
"Your royal father has requested II Q to play
at the wedding, aud | have promis cd to be
here If | were your equal could DC the
bridegroom instead of the organist but a
poor musician must give you up"
ut is like rcnding my soul and body asun-
der to part with you,",. said the girl. "To-
night may tell you tiis-tcl you how fond
ly love you-but in few hours it will be
a sin Go, go, God bless you"
She waved him from her, as if she would
Danish him while she had the power to do SO
aud he-how was it with him lie arose to
leave her, then came back held her to his
heart in long embrace, with a half smother
ed FAREWELL left her
The next morning dawncd in coudlcss
splendor At an carly hour the cathedral
was thrown open aud the sexton began to
prepare for the wedding. Flame colored
flowers nodded by the waysdc-hamc colorcd
leaves came dashing down the trees and lay
in heaps upon the or, und and the ripe
wheat waved like 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, escorti,s the
princess Elizabeth to tho cathedral, where
the marriage was to be solcmnized
1t was bright pagcant-far brighter than
tho cntwined foliage aud blossoms were the
tufts of plumrs which hoatcd from stately
heads and trstal robes that strcamcd down
over the housings of the superb stccls But
the Princess, mounted on Il snowy palfrey,
anG clad in snow white velvet, looked pale
and sad; and when, on nearing the church,
he herd gush Of organ music, which,
though jubilant in sound, struck on her car
like a funeral kncl-she remblcd and would
nave fallen to the earth, had not page sup.
ported her. ~ few minutes afterwards she
entered the cathedral. There with his reti
nue stood the royal bridegroom, whom she
had never before seen. But her glance roved
from him to the organ loft, where she had
expected that mysterious organist lie was
gone, aud sho was obliged to return the
graceful bow Of the King, to whom she had
been bctrothed from motives of policy Nc
chanically she knclt at his side OH the altar
stone; mechanically listened to the service
and made the response
Then her husband drew her to him in
conyulsivc embrace, and whispered
"liliAbeth, my queen, my wife, look up"
Trembling in every limb, she obcyed.-.s
Why did those eyes thrill her so? Why did
that smile bring glow on her checks
All though the King wore tic royal pur.
pie and many jcweled order glittered on his
breast, he seemed the humble person who
been employed to teach her organ musio, aud
had taught her the lore of love.
"Elizabeth," murlnurcd the monarch,
"Bertram Ilolrmer, tho mysterious organist,
and King Oscar (thc Royal Free Mason) arc
one. Forgive my stratagcm. I wished to
marry you, but would not drag to the altar
an unwilling bride. Your father was in the
secret"
While tears Of joy raincd from her blue
eyes, the new.made queen returned her hus.
bands fond kisses, and for once two hearts
wero made happy by royal marriage.
nens An ingenious author asserts that the
length of a mans life may be estimated by
tho number of pulsations he has the strength
to perform. Thus, allowing seventy for tho
common age Of man, and sixty pulses in
minute for the common measure of pulses In
a temperate person, tho number of pulsations
in his whole life would amount to 12,207,.
100000; but if, by intempcrance, ho forces
his blood into more rapid motion, SO as to
give scventy.fvo pulses in a'minute, the samo
number of pulses would be completed in fifty.
six years; consequently, his lifo would be re.
duccd fourteen wears