Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-01-24

pone my departure, but was determ-
ined to 60 in spite of the rough wealth
er. The position had got into his
head that, by crossing a asmall river,
the banks of which were perfectly well
known to him, he should find short
er route. He missed the right cross
ing, however, and got into region to
which he was an 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 opened three sleighs
were in front of it, and I saw several
persons in the vestibule. One of them
called out, This way! this wayp I
got out and walked toward the yesti-
| bule.
"The person who had called advanc-
ed toward ME.
"'Great heavensv he said, 'how late
you come. Your intended has faint
ed, and we were on the very point Of
driving home again. .f.
"Half bewildered and half amused,
[ resolved to let the adventure take it's
course. And, indeed, I had little time
for reflection. Ny 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 chafed her tenn
lples.
"At lastv cried the latter; God be
praised that you have come! My poor
mistress like to have died.
can aged priest emerged from be-
hind the altar and asked:
"'Can we begin?'
"'Begin, reverend father I cried
unadvisedly.
"They assisted the half unconscious
girl to rise; she appeared very pretty.
In fit of objectionable, and now quite
|incomprehensible levity, readily step
ped 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. Besides, the light
in this part of the church was dim, and
my head was muffled in the hood of
my cloak.
''In a few minutes the nuptial cere-
mony was oyer, and the priest accord.
ing to custom, desired the neWly-mar-
ried 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 sud
denly she stared at me as if turned to
stone, tottered, and with the cry of 1t
is not hep fell to the floor.
Cali the furies of hell lashed me out
of the church before any 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 haveyou never discovered what
became of the poor girl::" she finally
asked.
'Never. [ know neither the name
of the village where | was married nor
do [ recollect the station where [ stop
ped. At the time my culpable, frivo-
lous pranks seemed to me a matter 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 until 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 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 his hands. The
lieutenant gazed thunderstruck into
her eyes; a dim foreboding awoke in
his breast; vail suddenly dropped
from his eyes.
"Marie! God of heaven, how could
[ have been so blind! Marie, Was it
indeed you?"
II am your wife," Was the only an
swer of the girl, who sank fainting
into his arms.