The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-05-11


given in earnest, she returned it gayly,
touching his hand with her lips, and
saying with laugh, from which all
merriment had fled:
"For fun"
The set look stole stole about his lips
again instantly he led her back to the
dining room. After that the bride and
COON led the feast with their gayety.
A little later, in the drawing-room,
there was music and dancing. The
brides hand rested ON the bridegroom's
arm. They were conversing merrily
with those about them. The dreamy
strains of a waltz Hoated through the
room. He bent his head to hers.
"Will you waltz ?"
They had waltzed together many a
time, and did it to perfection. Now,
the girl drew back. He bent his head
still lower, and said For fun She
yielded instantly. Always before, he
had laid his hand lightly upon her
waist tonight he quite encircled her
in his arms, yet never had they seemed
so far apart, even in their quarrelling
days. The girl shivered; the man set
his lips. They were married before ever
they were lovers. OF old they were the
last to tire; now they made but one
round of the room. After that dance he
left her for a moment. When he re-
turned, she was standing by the judges
wife he came quite beside her, and said,
in o low tone:
"There is train starts for the East
in an hour. Can you be ready, Mrs.
Lloyd? 2"
She bowed assent, and instantly left
the room with Mrs. Harmon to make
preparations, whilst Park called his
younger brother Roy to one side, send
ing him home to pack his trunk, and ask
his friends to meet them at the depot
An hour later the good-byes were spoken
the engine shrieked its shrill whistle
and the train whizzed out into the
night.
Park Lloyd and his bride sat side by
side. She, with pale, still face resting
in her hand; he, with set lips and folded
arms. Yet these two had married " foI
fun"
Fate is not to be hoodwinked. She is
like weasel, you cannot catch hel
asleep. Her fats are unchangeable
They had married in fun" and found
it in " terrible earnest" The relation in
which they were, henceforth, to stand tC
each other was settled in few words
They were spoken in a tone so still, SC
bitter, so poignant, you would never
have recognized it for Park Loyds gen.
ial, heartsome voice.
May we understand each other
The farce has proved tragedy. 1t ha:
made but one change in your life. TIC
the world only, you are Mary Lloyd, in
stead of Mary Wharton"
And yet in the heart of each at that
moment the love, which was born in a
kiss meath the oak tree, grew strong
Wild wrestling. But neither under
standing the other, each sought to crush
this thing, with its Titanic proportions
and bury it deep, carving upon its seal
, ing stone" For fun"
This man said bitterly to himself
what the patriarch, Abraham of old
said of his wife-"She is my sister,
His blue eyes grew cynical and unbe-
, lieving, his fine mouth set and cold
whilst in this journeying, though this
modern Sarai grew pale and apathetic
: "the Egyptians beheld the woman, that
she was very fair" Everywhere this
man heard and saw the suppressed adj
, miration his beautiful wife elected
heard and saw, writhing with Jealousy
even of the eyes resting upon her, and
, with bitter, exultant triumph that she
, was his.
J There was no more of the old quar-.
relling; everything, antagonistic and
polemic, seemed to have forsaken theiI
, characters they treated each Other
i with studied politeness. The world
could have found nothing at which tc
cavil; would have pronounced then
elegant in their etiquette and dignity
They had travelled thus for weeks, visit.
|; ing the several watering-places, ant
every point of interest in our Eastern
, States.
One day Park Lloyd entered theil
private parlor in the hotel at Newport
A book lay open on the table. His wifi
, had evidently left it suddenly, perhaps
hearing his approach. He picked it up
, and kissed the leaves, where but q few
J minutes before her fingers had rested
then glanced at the page. 1t was on,
} of Emerson's works, open on travelling
} He read these words" Travelling is {
FOOLS paradise. We owe to our frs
journeys the discovery that place i
} nothing. At home dream that at Ma
pies, at Rome, can be intoxicated will
beauty and lose my sadness. pack my
trunk, embrace my friends, embark OIL
, the sea, and at last wake up at Naples
, and there beside me is the stern fact, tn,
| sad, self, unrelenting, identical, that
} fed from. seek the Vatican and thu
= palaces. 1 affect to be intoxicated Will
8 sights and suggestions; but l am no
, intoxicated. Ny giant goes with m
/ wherever l CO."
He smiled bitterly. He was her stern
) sad, unrelenting fact her hated, ever
present giant.
\ Through the agency of his brothe
5 Roy Park had prepared a beautiful hom
5 for his bride. All that culture and ele
gance could suggest, had been garnere,
f with lavish hand, for Park Lloyd wa
t wealthy. A splendid .fete in the new
5 home celebrated their arrival. For tn
| first week or two after their return the,
: were in a constant whirl of excitement
. The little world in which they moved
. curious to see the result of this darin
!, experiment, this infringement of an es
: tablished rule of society, were on tn
alert. Woman is more apt at a par
4 than man. Thus May succeeded in mis-
: leading them more readily. Never ha
D she been more brilliant whilst Park
: even disposition seemed to have under
( gone an entire change. Sometimes b
. | xuao ,,pDaturallu OaU hut oftanaot p,c