Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-09-20

length we deserted light at distan ce
We made for it, and stopped before a
church, from the brightly illuminated
windows Of which the light shone. The
door was open, three sleighs were in front
of it, and saw several persons in the
vestibuIe. One of them called to me !:
This way this wayl" / got out and
walked toward the vestibule.
The person who had called advanced
toward me.
"Great Heavens he said, how
late you come! Your intended has faint
ed, and we were on the very point of
driving home again."
Halfbewildered and half-amused,
resolved to let the adventure take its
course. And, indeed, had little tune
for reflection. My friends tugged me
into the interior of the church, which
was poorly lighted by two or three lamps
A female was sitting upon bench in
the shadow, while another stood beside
her and chsfed her temples.
"' AT last cried the latter. God
be praised that you have come' Ny
poor mistress liked to have died.
AN aged priest emerged from behind
the altar, and asked: Can we begin ? ;
Begin, reverend father F" / cried,
unadvisedly.
"They assisted the halfunconscious
girl to rise; she appeared to be very
pretty. In a fit of objectionable, and
now quite incomprehensible, levity. l
readily stepped with her to the altar.
Her maid and the three gentlemen pres
ent were SO much busted with her as
scarcely to throw look at me. Besides,
the light in this part of the church was
dim, and my head was muffled in the
hood of my cloak.
:" In few minutes the nuptial cere-
mony was over, and the priest, according
to custom, desired the newly married
pair to embrace.
"My young wife turned her pale,
charming little face toward me, and was
about to rest her head upon my shoulder
with sweet smile-when, suddenly, she
stared at me as if tnrned into stone, tot
tered, and with the cry of 1t is not he ?
fell to the floor.
All the furies Of hell lashed me out
of the church. Before anyone could
think of staying me had jumped into
my sleigh, seized the reins, and was soon
beyond the reach of pursuit."
The lieutenant was silent. Marie,
also, gazed in silence to the ground.
"And have you never discovered
what became of the poor girl 2" she
finally asked.
i Never. | know neither the name OF
the village where / was married, nor do
L recollect the station where / stopped.
At the time, my culpably frivolous act
seemed to me of SO little moment that as
soon as there was no longer any pursuit
to fear, l went to sleep in the sleigh, and
did not awake till we arrived at another
station. The servant whom 1 had with
me was killed in battle; all my efforts
to find out the position who drove us
proved unavailing; and SO every clue
seems indeed lost by which might again
{ find the scene of that folly, for which ]
have now to suffer SO heavily"
Marie turned her pale face toward
, him, and took both of his hands. The
lieutenant gazed thunder-struck into her
eyes dim foreboding awoke in his
breast, veil suddenly dropped from his
eyes.
Marie! God of Heaven, how can
have been so blind ! Marie, was it in.
deed your"
81 am your wife!" was the only an.
T swer of the girl, who sank fainting into
his arms.-From the Aldine for Augstst