Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-08-18

,THEL0vER's 'WRAITHs

THE LOVERS WRAITHs
Nov. girls, if you want any beauty
sleep. you hail better so to bed" said
Mrs. Conway.
Mrs. Conway's house was decorated
with iestoOns of evergreen studded with
scarlet berries.
The great wedding-cake, with its col
umns OF spun sugar and wreaths OF frost
ed roses, was already set in its place OF
honor in the middle of the table, and the
chandelier, an old-fashiOned affair, with
gl,stening silver chains and pendants OF
cut glass, was wreathed with princcsse-
pine and velvet run" for Katie Conway
was to be married the next day.
She stood before the fire tall. sweet
faced girl of 10, her golden brown hair
coiled i'm ripping waves around her bead,
and her large blue eyes shining like
aznre jewels, while the three brides
maids, old schOolmates, who, in accord
ance with an ancient compact. had been
summoned to this first wedding in their
ranks, clustered around her like maids OF
honor about their queen.
"Dear me-" said Rosa rii,lay, sits past
H." IL
''And my hair not crimpled yet" said
Josey Dale.
''And I've got the blue bows to sew on
my white muslin dress" added Lucilla
Wharton. Good night. everybody"
And so the merry little group scattered
to their various rooms.
Katie Conway herself went last of all,
but she did not go Immediately TO bed.
Was there not Robert FalcOncr's last let
ter TO read over, once again, in the glow
of the fire, while Bessie, the maid. who
WAS waiting to brush out her young
lady's hair, glarecd askance at Katie's
face, and thought how nice it must be TO
have Il lover"
Suddenly Kate started mp.
How selfish ann she said. apolOget-
ically. IL forgot that Bessie was wait
ing.'
And ia five minutes the maid was dis
missed, and Katie was all alone, with the
lamp burning softly on the table and the
freight CHANGING on the gilded ara-
besques OF the Chinese folding screen.
that shut all draugits away from the
hearth.
Almost ut the same time Robert Fall
cOner. just arrived in the late train. Was
standing out in the frosty moonlight by
the staple-yard of the Bolton Arms"
and close to him stood "a tall, handsome
man. leaning against the gate post, and
smoking IL cigar.
WELL he said. airly, "this is sur
prise."
II don't see why it should be-" re,
turned Falconer. Il am to be married
to Miss Conway tomorrow, and l de-
cided 10 come OIL to night inste. I'll of wait
ing for the morning train. L shall give
them an agreeable surprise" and his
face frightened at the thought. 1.-The
wonder is that you should be here, KARL
Porter"
sI?''
The young mans eyes turned erasive-
ly away from the others frank glance.
ssOh, we lawyers are here and there and
everywhere. I've had libel case i'm the
town, and it has brought me down ocea-
sionally. gs III sss6er. =
sWho was that woman. you were talk
ing TO when first came in ?" carelessly
questioned Falconer. "She seemed an
noyed or angry"
Porter laughed again, this time more
constrainedly than before.
Its only woman from the other end
of the town." said he. '.Fve paid her
pretty daughter few passing attentions,
aid she wants to take the matter du SER
icur. These country people are desper-
ately in earnest. Here comes the hOsller;
now you'll be off,
But fate had ordained otherwise.
The only horse left in the stables was
hopelessly lame.
but If the gentleman could wait an
hour Or" a7i5
wait an hour!" echoed Mr.. Falconer,
ssand it's after ii already. No, thanks,
my good fellow. It's an easy two
miles. l could walk it i'm less than
that"
But it's bitter night sir, for all the
moon shines so bright" urged the man,
"and you'll be famished with the
cold.r
mo matter. My friend here will lend
me his fnr-trimmed Ulster-e Porter ~
laughingly demanded Falconer.
with all the pleasure in life" KARL
Porter languidly made answer; shat is,
: IL you are actually determined to commit
such an eccentricity."
swat until your wedding-eve comes,
and see how you will feel about it, re-
fOrted the bridegroOm-elect, as he but
toned the long wrap about him, and
turned up the fur collar to protect his
neck from the cold. .sWeil. au revoir.
i shall expect to see Won at the wedding
breakfast Tomorrow. remember. And
with the long,swinging stride of a practic-
ed walker,he disappeared down the road.
All this transpired about ll:3O. and The
little alabaster clock on Miss Corway's
mantle pointed to 10 precisely. when.
still br0oding over Mr.. Faleoner,s letter
something like trtmulons nniver Of
- across her made her start in
sl,lcsively and look up. The lamn illn-
minated only small portion Of the
room, but the silver radiance of the full
!. moon, shining in through the easement
across which Katie had forgotten to (lra wv
the crimson draperies, made all as Iiobt
as day. And there, standing leanino
against the long French easement, Katie
Conway saw her lover, wrapped in a
long fur-trimmed coat, seal-skin.cap on
his head, and face as pale as marble,
save one scarlet spot on the lett temple.
She started up with low cry, and at the
same instant be seemed to beckon her to
come to him. And even as he beckoned
the bell In the old church tower
struck II.
hatie ran to the easement, but when
sne reached it the moonlight and glisten-
ing snow of the untrodden lawn, and the