Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-18
seemed to beam like the light of morning

seemed to beam like the light of morning
from her beautiful eyes
sit is no matter for jesting. Maud, he
said gravey. "Whoever these enemies are,
and whatever motive they may have they
are relentless, subtle and implacable. You
say that | should not have listened. Did
you know all, you would wonder that | am
here to-day to lead You to the altar
''What, then, did they dare to say?" ex-
claimed Mr. Oyington, rising from his chair,
as if ready to denounce and defy the hidden
enemies of his beloved daughter. What
did these wretches dare to say against my
innocent child?'
"They say that which will not repeat,
answered CRANKY Dumont. 81 will not
pollute the ears of the woman | love, upon
this day above all other days, by repeating
the infamous words which heard the night
you were injured and which were reiterated
last night There is no time to be lost It
wants only ten minutes to the half hour.
My reason for anticipating the appointed
time is this: there is little doubt these peo-
ple-these secret enemies of Maud-will try
to be present at the ceremony; nay, perhaps,
will even be more daring and attempt some
indirect insult toward the bride as she enters
or leaves the church. l would prevent
this"
"And it shall be preventedr' cried Mr..
Ovington, energetically ''You are noble
fellow, CRANKY. and Heaven grant you may
be rewarded for your goodness! Come,
Maud, these people shall not enjoy the infa-
nous triumph Of making you unhappy upon
your wedding day. I will take your car
riage, CRANKY, and you can follow immedi-
ately. We shall reach the chur h in five
minutes.
"You will find all ready" said the Cen
eral. II have seen and spoken to the
clergyman, and all is arranged"
At twenty-five minutes before eleven, Mr..
Ovington and his daughter assembled the
steps of the church. The General had taken
hanson cab and had arrived before them
The clergyman was waiting to perform the
ceremony. The brides father and the SEX
ton were the only witnesses Of this strange,
hurried wedding.
The day was dark and gloomy, and there
seemed something ominous of evil to come
in this hurried ceremony. Out of place in
the almost empty church appeared the
brides magnificent costume.
1t wanted five minutes to eleven when the
service was completed and the General gave
his arm to the bride to conduct her to the
|
the equipages OF the guests who were to
have assisted at the wedding began to ar
rive, and eiegantly-dressed women and aris-
tocratic men alighted before the steps of the
sacred edifce. 1t was Mr. Ovington's task
to explain to these guests that there had
been mistake in the hour for the ceremony.
AS the bride and groom descended the
steps, Mr.. James Dalton met them. He
bowed low as he approached the bride and
stood aside, hat in hand, while she passed
him.
''Let me be the first to offer my congratu-
lations to Mrs. CRANKY Dumont," he said,
courteously.
''And let me be the second" said the
voice of one of the persons in the front row
of the crowd which had already assembled
about the steps of the church.
The person who spoke was woman
dressed in the deepest mourning that can be
worn in memory of a very near relation.
The bride turned at the sound of this voice
and looked scrutinizingly at the person who
had spoken, but the womans face was COM
pletely concealed by double veil of black
Grape.
The guests re-entered their carriages and
followed the equipage of the bride and bride
groom to Mr.. Ovington's mansion. A mag
niicent wedding breakfast awaited them in
the large dining but the party was
small, and the long table looked dreary in
its splendor under the cold light Of the De-
cember day.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon,
Mrs Dumont assembled to her own apart
ments to change her brilliant bridal costume
for one more subdued. Soon after the
guests left.
The newly-married couple were to spend
their honeymoon with the father of the
bride, at his urgent request, and were not to
leave the city for some time.