Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-11-10

I" Yes, married for four years." con
tinued the Lieutenant, land / do no
know either who my wife is, where sh
is, or whether / shall ever meet her"
Explain yourself more clearly" sale
the girl.
~ love you, Marie, and will conflde II
you. You shall know all, and you will
not judge too severely an act Of youth
full 1evity. II was in the year 1912.
happened 10 be on my way 10 wilma
with the intention of joining my regi
ment. Late in the evening reached
station, and had already ordered that thu
horses should be instantly put to again
when fierce snOwstorm suddenly arose
My landlord and the position urgently
advised me to postpone my departure
but / was determined to go in spite oi
the rough weather The position hat
got It into his head that, by crossing Z
small river, the banks of which were
perfectly well known TO him, he should
find a shorter route. He missed the
right crossing, however, and got into Q
region TO which he was an entire
stranger. The storm continued to rage
at length we deserted light in the dis
tance. We made for 1t and stopped be
fore church, from the brightly-illumi
mated windows of which the light shone
The door was open, three sleighs were
in front Of 1t, and l saw several persons
in the vestibule. One Of them called Ia
me: This wayl this wayp / got out
and walked toward the vestibule.
"The person who had called advanced
toward me.
&C. Great Heavenp he said, how late
you comet 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 its
course. And, indeed, 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 temples.
"' At lastr cried the latter. God be
praised that you have comet My poor
mistress liked to have died.
An aged priest emerged from be-
hind the altar and asked: Can we be-
ginS'
"' Begin, reverend father, cried, un.
advisedly.
They assisted the half conscious girl
to rise; she appeared to be very pretty.
In fit of objectionable, and now in.
comprehensive, 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 q
look at me. Besides, the light in this
part of the church was dim, and nv
head was muffled in the hood of my
cloak.
81 In a 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 smile, when suddenly she stared
at me as If turned into stone, tottered,
and with the cry of 1t is not her fell to
the floor.
"Then l rushed 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 on the ground
And have you never discovered what
became of the poor girl?" she finally
asked
Never. l know neither the name of
the village where was married, nor do
| recollect the station where l stopped.
AT the time my culpably frivolous prank
seemed to me matter of so little mo-
ment that as soon as there was no longer
any pursuit to fear went to sleep in the
sleigh, and did not wake 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 clew seems indeed lost by which l
might again find the scenes of that folly,
for which have now to suffer so heavi-
ly."
Marie turned her pale face toward him
and took both his hands. The Lieuten-
ant gazed, thunder-struck, into her eyes;
a dim foreboding awoke in his breast; a
veil suddenly dropped from his eyes.
"Mariel God of Heaven, how can
l have been so blind! Marie, was it in
deed your"
" I am your wifew was the only an
swer of the girl, who sank fainting into
his arms.