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

owe your freeness from taint, not to any
self-fought battles, but to the fact that
you were born morally, as you are ply
sically, strong; so may thank your God,
and not yourself. You have imagined
yourself in love aver since you were in
pinafores, but the great passion has never
yet 'swayed you = Suddenly she
stopped, with little, low, ringing
laugh. They all drew nearer, with
breathless curiosity, exclaiming:
"Why, May, what do you see?
The girl only laughed the longer,
dropping his hand to bring her own to-
gether, habit she had. Merriment is
contagious. The whole group became
convulsed, laughing until they could
not stop, simply because she did. Park
Lloyd caught the clasped hands in his !;
and, looking up into the irresistible face,
said, with that determination and will
that she had told him was a part of his
being:
May, what do you see in my hand
to evoke such laughter Tell me, in
stantly =
At once she ooeyed, controlling her
lips, and answering comically in the
sudden silence:
"Why, Park, your hand says that you
will marry for Jun." ..
A sudden determination, sealed as
soon as conceived, flashed across his
teazing face. He sprang suddenly to
his feet, keeping her hand in his, and,
opening her small, white hand, spread it
quite before her face, demanding:
"And what will you marry for"
1t is when the castle is stormed through
| ,a1- -, Al p.l1
pected attack found her unarmed She
was surprised into reading the riddle OF
her own life:
"I-I shall marry in terrible earnest.
He retained the hand firmly, his blue
eyes full of inexplicable lights.
"Let us cheat fate into refuting her
own DEGREES, May. Dominic Bowen has
just gone into the house with Uncle
Harmon. Marry me now, for .tun, will
yo,l?" and his blue eyes, with their
strong, unbending will, looked down
into hers.
The blood rushed to her very brow,
then ebbed, leaving her pale as death
while those around, not seeing the swift
current beneath the surface, and think
ing it all a farce, laughed long and loud
The blue eyes never moved from hers,
with their subtle, fascinating will power
MAY, this is an age OF progress-you
are type of the age, brave and cour-
ageous-let us show ourselves two moral
empires, and declare all such conven-
tionalities as engagements etfete."
His tone was low, though so clear
that all heard, and the merry laughter
continued to ring round the circle at
what they deemed his perfect acting.
We have said this girl was solecism-
daring, reckless, and self sustained, hav-
ing been used to making her own de-
!, cisions from her birth. Never had the
magnetic forces existing between these
two been stronger. 1t drew them to-
gether with force utterly irresistible.
Neither loved the other, yet each de-
manded the other as his own. The
power was that of mind and will, not OF
: heart, sort of mental and nervous
magnetism. The smothered fire in he1
, dark eyes blazed and sparkled. In
stantly he caught the flash. He bowed
his head so low none other ears than hers
, caught the words:
, MAY, shall seal it Z"
Her head was neither raised MOI
, drooped. With bright, triumphant eyes
he stopped; his lips touched hers. II
, was but for an instant, but lips never
touch without hearts pulsing. A kiss
} upon brow or cheek is simply kiss, but
, the meeting of lips is the touching OF
, souls. AT that sudden, unexpected kiss
the merry circle looked at each other in
startled surprise, then greeted with a
| round of applause what they considered
} the very consummation of fine acting
while Park, Lloyd took the girls hand
and led her into the house, the Others
/ following with laughing curiosity.
Judge Harmon and Dominic Bowen
/ were in the bay-window in the drawing
J room, the judge displaying some rare
| exotics that filled the apartment with
, their exquisite perfume. They went
| quite in front of the minister, the Others
grouped about with all the graceful
effect of an impromptu tableau. The
) dominic and judge looked on in mute
; surprise. Park explained in his clear
coherent way:
} Dominic, will you please speak the
} werds that shall make May and l hus-
J band and wife?"
In an instant there was great excite.
ment, all, at length, catching the deeI
, meaning of the seeming farce. The
} dominic exclaimed, the judge laughed
heartily. Park was his nephew, and he
had long desired the match. The con,
fusion increased. Park Lloyd raised hi!
hand with all impatient gesture, his face
demanding silence, with that expression
seldom disobeyed. He said, quietly:
Dominic, there is nothing to keep u.
apart marry us at once"
The dominic, though good, was &
weak man, and Park Lloyd's will wa,
iron. He yielded instantly, drew hi
prayer book from his pocket, and pro,
ceeded with the impressive service O.
the Episcopal church. The hand tha
the bridegroom held had grown cold al
ice. At its increasing chill, his lips hat
for one moment set themselves, then re-
laxed with smile of triumph at thu
words "I pronounce thee man and wife.
When they arose from this blessing
they were met with laughing congratu
lations.
In the dining-room feast had beer
spread for the benefit of the little com
pany. Judge Harmon invited them t.
partake, and make it symposium in
deed. At the dining-room door Parl
left the wedding guests to enter alone
he, by a sudden turn, leading his brid
| away from them, out upon an adjacen
veranda. When there, he raised tn
! little cold hand to his lips; the blooC
Il