Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1871-05-10

TIE vast cuIhCCs n.y. AuAA "Ch SAA
knew who it was and why the instru
ment seemed breathing out the agony
Ofa tortured heart.
When the services were over and tht
royal party had left the cathedral, h'
stole away as mysteriOusly as he had
come. He was not seen again by thu
sexton til the vester hour, aud then hC
appeared in the organ loft and COM
menced his task. While he played q
veiled figure glided i'm, and knelt neal
a shrine. There she remained until the
worshipers disappeared, when the sex.
ton touched her on the shoulder and
said:
Madame, every body has gone but
you and me, aud L wish to close the
door,
4 am not ready to go YET was the
reply; leave me-leave meT
The sexton drew back into a shady
niche, and watched and listened. The
mysterious organist still kept his post,
and his head was bowed upon the in
strument, and he could not see the lone
devotee. At length she arose from the
aisle, and, moving to the organ loft,
paused beside the Organist.
BERTRAND she murmured.
Quick as thought the Organist raised
his head. There with the light of a
/ lamp suspended to the arch above fall
/ ing full upon her, stood the Princess,
who had graced the royal pew that day.
The court dress of velvet with its er-
mine trimmings, the tiara, the neck
lace, the bracelets, had been exchang
ed for a gray serge robe and a long
thick veil which was now pushed back
from the fair, girIish face.
why are you here, Bertram?, asked
the Princess.
4 came to bid you farewell; and as
dared not venture into the palace, 1
gained access to the cathedral by brib-
ing the bell ringer, and having taken
the 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 NOR
row?'
Yes sobbed the girl. oh! Bert
ram, what trial it will be to stand at
yOnder altar, and take upon me the
vows which will doom me to a irving
DEATH
Think of me- reiOined the Organist.
'YOur royal father has requested me to
play at the wedding, and have prom
ised to be there. If were your equal
could be the bridegroom instead of the
Orgqnist; but poor musician must give
you up
'It is like rending my soul and body
asunder to part with yOu,' said the girl.
Tonight may tell you this-te1 you
how fOndly love you, but in few
hours it will be sin Go, go, and God
bless yOu.'
She waved him from her, as if she
would Danish him while she had the
power to do SO; and he-how was it
with himl He arose to leave her, then
came back, held her to his heart in a
long embrace, and with half smother
ed farewell, left her.
The next morning dawned in cloud
less splendOr. At an early hour the
cathedral was thrown open and the
sexton began to prepare for the we'd
ding. Flame cOlored flowers nodded by
the wayside de-fiame-cOlOred leaves came
dashingd down the trees and lay in heaps
upon the ground; and the ripe wheat
waved like a golden sea, and berries
dropped in red and purple clusters over
the rocks along the Rhine.
At length the palace gates we've OPEN
ed and the royal party appeared, escort
ing the Princess Elizabeth to the cathe-
dral, where the marriage was to be SOL
emnized.
It was bright pageant-far brighter
than the entwined foliage and blossoms
were the tufts of plumes which fioated
from stately heads and festal robes that
streamed down over the housings of the
superb steeds. But the Princess, mount
ed on a snowy palfrey, and clad: lin
snow-white velvet, looked pale and sad;
and when, on. nearing the church, she
heard gush of organ music, which,
though jubllant in sound, struck on her
ear like funeral knell-she trembled
and would have fallen to the earth, had
not page supported her. A few min
utes afterwards she entered the cathe-
dTal. There, with his retinue stood the
royal bridegroom, whom she had nev-
er before seen. But her glance rOved
from him to the organ loft, where she
had expected that mysterious organist.
He was gone, and she was obliged to re-
turn the graceful bow of the King, to
whom she had been betrothed from mo-
tives of policy. Mechanically she knelt
at his side on the altar stone; mechani-
tcaIly listened to the service and made
the responses.
Then her husband drew her to him in
a eonvulsive embrace, and whispered:
Elizabeth, my queen, my wife, look
up
Trembling in every limb she Obeyed.
Why do those eyes thrill her so? Why
did that smile bring a glow on her
cheeks?
Ah! though the King wore the royal
purple and many jeweled order gilt
tered on his breast, he seemed the hum
hle person, who had been employed to