The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-10-05

| SiAtOh fSiA, "HiSA was NOW 9uSuet
back from the fair, girlish face.
"Why are you here, Bertramg
asked the princess.
81 came to bid you farwell. and
as I dare not venture into the pal
ace, 1 gained access to to the cathe.
dral by bribing the beIl-ringer, and
| having taken the seat of the dead
organist, let my music breathe oui
the adieu I could not trust my lips
to utter.'
A low moan was the only answer
and he continued:
''You are to be married on the
morroww
"Yes," sobbed the girl. "Ohl
Bertram, what a trial it will lie to
staad at yonder altar, and take up-
on me the VOWS which will doom
me to a living death"
Think of me-" rejoined the or
ganist "your royal father has re-
questedme to play at the wedding,
and 1 have promised to be here. If
were your equal 1 could be the
bridegroom instead of the organ
ist. but a poor musician must give
you up"
ut is like rending my soul and
body asunder to part with you,"
said the girl. Tonight I may tell
you this-tell you how fondly I
love you, but in a few hours it will
viii 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; and he
how was it with him? He arose to
leave her, then came back, held her
to his heart in long embrace, with
half smothered farewell, left her.
The next morning dawned in
cloudless splendor. At an early
hour the cathedral was thrown open
and the sexton began to prepare
for the wedding. Flame colored
flowers nodded by the way side
fame colored leaves came dashing
down the trees and lay in heaps up
on the ground; and the ripc wheat
waved like a golden sea, and ber-
ries dropped in red and purple
clusters over the rocks along the
Rhine.
At length the palace gates were
thrown open and the royal party
appeared, escorting the Princess
Elizabeth to the cathedral, where
the marriage was to be solemnized.
It was a bright pageant-far
brighter than the entwined foliage
and blossoms were the tufts Of
plumes which foated from stately
heads and festal robes that stream
ed down over the housings of the
superb steeds. But the Princess,
mounted on a snowy palfry, and
clad in snow white velvet, looked
pale and sad; and when on nearing
the church, she heard a gush of or
gan music, which, though jubilant
in sound, struck on her ear like
funeral knell-she trem bled and
would have fallen to the earth, had
not a page supported her. A few
moments afterwards she entered
the cathedral. There with his reti-
nue. stood the royal bridegroom,
whom she had never before seen.
But her glance royed from him to
the organ loft, where she had ex-
pected that mysterious organist.-
He was gone, and she was obliged
to return the graceful bow of the
King. to whom she had been be-
trothed from motives f policy
Mechanically she knelt at his side
on the altar stone; mechanically
listened to the service and made the
Then her husband drew her to
him in a convulsiye embrace, and
whispered:
elizabeth, my queen, my wife,
look up"
Trembling in every limb, she
obeyed. Why did those eyes thrill
her so? Why did that smile bring
a glow on her cheeks?
Elizabeth" murmured the mon
arch, "Bertram Hoffman, the mys-
terious organist, and King Oscar
(the Royal Free Mason) are one.
Forgive my strategem. 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 rained from
her blue eyes, the new made queen
returned her husbands fond kisses,
and for once two hearts were made
happy by royal marriage.