The St. Cloud journal., 1873-07-17

~@ffSss"eS 'AAo"kn"onty euPPo0'
ing-that there were, could they break
: will after it had been signed 2"
"Not under ordinary circumstances"
said he. "But why do. you ask such
questions z Beryl, it you are thinking
that this fortune might be yours
~ am thinking that I will marry
you this moment, Ross" said, with
almost feverish esgerness. ~ am sor-
~ that have wasted 30 much time
but I did not know-I did not under
stand. 1f,t is necessary for me to mar
~ yoq before the will is signed, IL
will do it at once. Come-quiok ?"
When Uncle Kendall heard that l
had consented to the marriage, he
seemed pleased, and desired Mr.. Collins
might be summoned at once. "He is
magistrate" Ross said, i. answer to
my glance. 'The legal ceremony is
all that your uncle desires, Of course,
the religious one can be performed af. !
terward, if you desire it,
81 do not care" l answered, sincere.
ly enough. It would have been strange
it had cared, considering that at that
tune Of my life I knew no more of r.
l'gion than thstit WAS vague abstrac.
ton, Of which Aunt Kendall sometimes
predicted (most]y when she was partic-
ularly out Of sorts and ont Of temper
that it was all the comfort she had, and
which was supposed TO take people to
church on Sundays whom they had .ny
fine clothes in which to 60. 1 never
had ; 20 I stayed At home, and vas edi.
fed BY scraps ofcynieal atheism from
Uncle Kendall's bitter old lips, which
l carefully treasured and pondered up
on. .....- ~ t.. -. '~.-
MI. Collins came in With the lawyer.
MI: K Kendall had requested him to be
in readiness for such an event (as the
marriage, not the death) ten days be-
fore, l heard the latter explaining to
Ross; so he had the will drawn up in
readiness for signing, and the license
in his pocket. "The sooner it is all
over the better,'' the doctor said, as he
turned away from an observation of his
patient.
So, in that bare, ill-lighted chamber,
with the distorted face of the dying
man before our eyes, with the doctor
standing by counting his feeble pulse,
with Aunt Kendall shifting a little
(purely because it xaa the proper thing
to do) IN the background, and with the
lawyer now and theu rustling his pa
pers, Ross and I were married. Surely
aghastlier bridal never took place
Surely bride never stood more utter
y and desolately alone at such an hour
l did not think Of it then, however.
Never having known care or love, how
could I miss it =? I had Ross. That was
enough for me. o my God, that would
be enough for me, I am often tempted
to think, even within the gates of Thy
paradise
After the the marriage-after Mr..
Collins had uttered those words which
even from his lips, sounded strange
aud solemn, ~ pronounce you man
and wife''-there was no rush of con.
Egratulation and compliment, such as !
have seen since then at weddings,
where love had much smaller place
than with you and me, my poor Ross
Mr.. Collins shook hands aud muttered
"a few words, the lawyer and doctor did
the same /; I heard afterward that the
latter described the marriage all over
the countryside Is "the most mercen.
ary bargain he had ever witnessed" "
| Aunt Kendall advanced and shook her
head over US. "No good'u ever come
Of it." she said. t'What's begun insor.
row isn't likely to end in joy. I nev.
er saw tho like Of such o wedding in
| all my born dsys-never r IT,, =. (
| Then oertain inartioulate sounds from
the bed slgni6ed to all of us that Un.
ole Kendall WAS impatient even of this
dslay. t.Ths awillW We. heard him
trying To- say, !"the will" - a1a> q r:
Then the lawyer produced and read
aloud;. this important document. Il
tried 70 listen and, to grasp its meaning
l-{or, swas it. not necessary that 1
should do 80 2-but, listen as l. would,
the legal jargon. was tome unintelligi.
ble.f.I could make nothingiofit. MY
| head was in a whirl.a Did it give Ken.
! dali to Ross7- Did itprovide that he
| should never need TO 30 back to China
.ga,ul Iput up my hand and caught
! his, resting on the back Of the chair in
! which he had placed me. p " = .,
/ s"Ross," I whispered, as he bent
down, "does it give every thing to
| vou ?" ri :a$,e~. :, K 4 's.-.- e
"Every thing" he answered, quiet.
". '<,,@ ;''s'2
| Then l Was satisfied. All that I de.
sired would soon be accomplished.
when the will was signed and sealed
Lin the presence Of the witnesses there
assembled, Ill which seemed to me g
trembling IN the balance but ! little
while before, would Be secured to Ross.
| Re would be rich and free, and could
care As generously aa he pleased-fa,
more generously than that stern old
dying man would have done-for the
boy With the flushed, smiling face and
tangled, curling hair, asleep in Sylvy'a
i ~ hin Trtoaun q o;nh of4 r>l;aS and