Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-09-05

to his head, that by crossing small
river, the banks of which were perfectly
we'll known to him, he should find 4
crossing, however, and got into re-
gion to- which he was entire stranger.
The storm continued to rage at length
we deserted light in the distance. 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 vestibule One of them called to
me: This way this way | got out
and walked toward the vestibule.
"The person who had called advanced
toward me.
"'Great Heavenl' he said, how
late you come Your intended has
tainted, and we were on the very point
of driving home again.
Half bewildered and half-amused,
/ resolved to let the adventure take it's
course. And, indeed, / had little time
for reflection. My friends tugged me
into the interior If the church, which
was poorly lighted by two or three
lamps. A female was sitting upon a
bench in the shadow, while another
stood beside her and chafed her tenn
Piles.
"At last cried the latter. God
be praised that you have come My
poor mistress liked to have died
"An aged priest emerged from be-
hind the altar, and asked: Can we
begin
begin, reverend father l cried,
unadvisedly.
They assisted the half unconscious
girl to rise; she appeared to be very
pretty. In tit of objectionable, and
now quite incomprehensibl levity, /
readily stepped with her to the altar.
Her maid and the three gentlemen
present were so much busted with her
as scarcely to throw a look at me. Be-
sides the light in this part Of The
church was dim, and my head was
mutiled in the hood of my cloak.
"ln few minutes the nuptial cere
mony was over, and the priest, accord
ing to custom, desired the newly mar
ried pair to embrace.
"My young wife turned her pale,
charming face toward me, and was
about to rest her head upon my shout
der with a sweet smile when sudden.
ly she stared at me as if turned into
stone, tottered, and with the cry of 1t
is not he!' fell to the floor.
"All the furies of hell dashed me out
of church. Before anyone could think
of staying me L had jumped into my
sleigh, seized the reins. and was 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 ~ she
finally asked.
"Never. | know neither the name of
the village where [ was married, nor do
/ recolect the station where | stopped.
At the time, my culpably frivolous
prank seemed to me a matter OF SO lit
tie moment, that as soon as there was
no longer any pursuit to fear, | went to
sleep in the sleigh, and did not awake
till we arrived at another station. The
servant whom had with me was killed
in battle; all my efforts to find out the
position who drove us proved unavall-
ing and so every clue seems indeed
lost by which 1 might again tind the
scene of that folly, for which have
now to suffer so heavily"
Marie turned her pale face toward
him, and took both 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
l have been SO blind Marie, was it
indeed you2"
Il am your wife !" was the only an.
swer of the girl, who sank fainting into
his arms.
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