Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-09-04

, simply say that the bride was lovely
! and like floating dream. cloud OF
. pearly purity; that her elderly pat
roness and protector looked hand
| some, stately and gratifed that the
, trademarks seemed 10 be far.off imi-
tations OF her in whose wake they fol.
: lowed /; that the bridegroom, albeit
. somewhat strange of aspect stood
expectant in his proper place, the
clergy and other necessary actors in
, the scene in theirs, while every
{ available space within the sacred
walls was filed by throng of well
dressed lockers on. Foremost among
, these, we may be sure, is Mark Beck.
wink, Esq, eagerly watching the
proceedings, and ever and anon turn.
ing to comment on them in whisper
to Hernehill. This gentleman re.
spends with less than usual of his
nonchalant manner aud as if i'm.
pressed by unexpected and curious
possibilities.
All is going smoothly and in proper
sequence, the appropriate silence
reigns, yet the approaches to the al
tar are so crowded that, save to those
in front rank, none OF the MINOR acts
and details Of the ceremony are val.
BILE, and, therefore, by the progress
OF the solemn words alone, as they
fall from priestly lips, can the masses
OF spectators tell what stage in the
simple service has been reached.
Presently there is pause and the
whisper, take your glove off, is
plainly audible. The pause contin.
ues; an eagerness to press a little
forward is shown by certain knot
of the congregation nearest to the
bride. The whisper is repeated, and
as doubtless the request is being
nervously complied with, the clergy.
man slowly. and with impressive So
lemnlty, put the crucial question,
'Wilt thou, Jasper, have this woman
to be thy welded wife p
Again pause; and then suddenly
amid amazement and surprise, ring
ing sharp, metallic No = is heard
heard to the uttermost corners of the
church.
| The bridegroom has taken the
hand timidly and reluctantly held
forth. He has looked at it keenly,
eagerly; stepped back a pace, re.
peated for one second his examina-
ton of the delicate finger-tips, then
flung it from him as the fatal No 2
was uttered.
i Above aud through the buzz of
CONSERVATION here ensuing can be
distinguished such angry and hurried
words as, Never, if / know it! 1
guess | don't make match like that!
| had no notion such thing could
be! And when all the men standing
near the bridegroom crowd him, and
with eager questions and ill.sup-
pressed expressions of angry denun-
citation hurry him awav to the vestry,
the women rush forward to the bride,
who stands pale and trembling by
the altar rail.
The scene which follows, again
like tie dresses and decorations of
the drama, can be better imagined
than described,at least by me. What
does it mean? What is the cause !?
What can have happened What
did he see in her hand? These and
the like CALCULATIONS are dominant
among the multitude, as, hustling
and busting, excited, curious and
amused, gradually dispensing, it
leaves the church.
Not, however, until some time
after the bride has been hurried off
IN her carriage by her women friends,
does the excitement begin to subside.
Groups of people linger about the
doors, curious to learn the reason
for this unexpected termination to
marriage. One of the little knots,
standing near the vestry entrance in
a quiet by-lane, is rewarded by wit
Messing another striking episode in
the play.
AS the tall, thin, angular figure Of
the chief actor energies after a while
from the door, accompanied still by
several men with perplexed faces, he
is met on the threshold by 3 stalwart
young swell, who has come round
from the main entrance with the lit
tie crowd.
your name is Ruse, l believe he
says, angrily; mine is Hampden. |
have no authority at present from
the friends of the young lady whom
you have so grossly insulted to take
up her cause but if the day ever
does come when | have, you shall
answer TO me for this outrage
The American, with his set sheer.
looks slowly up and down the speak
er, as it were, and then said -
Yes, sir;' / will answer YOU. sir.
or any man living, anywhere, any
how you like. guess / am not
ashamed of what | have done. /
should be everlastingly ashamed if
had done otherwise, hard and cruel
as the disappointment is to me-
harder, reckon, than to anybody
else
This is no place for explanation
but-Hampden is going Oh, when he
is interrupted by Major Hernehil,
who at that moment comes out of
the vestry door with Beckwink.
Selling Hampden by the arm, he
cries, with look of amazement.
Good God, Charlie, you here! l
thought You were on the other side
of the world But come out of this,
come with me, come away at once.
We will tell you all about it." and
hurrying him off, the friends disap.
pear round the corner of the short
passage, leaving the few witnesses of
the scene more open mouthed than
ever.
Beckwith's rooms were not a
stones throw from the church, and
thither we will follow the three
friends, for not until they had hur-
riedly settled in retirement there was
anything like clear explanation of
this strange affair entered upon.
Imagining once more the confusion
of incoherent questions and answers,
we will take up the talk only when
it becomes little consequent and
ineligible.
Hampden is saying excitedly,