The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-06-05

Ing to make up my mind to forget Cedric, /.
and marry MIR. Amherst; but whenever |
began to think with some interest Of going |
to parish meetings, becoming the president !
of Dakota leagues aud sewing circles, Wis.
iting the poor, and drinking tea opposite
the Rev. Mr.. Amherst all the rest of my
days, somehow or other Cedric face would
slip into the picture uninyited, aud blot
out his rivals, as strong sunlight fades a
negative photograph.
"There is letter for you, Adrienne,"
said Aunt Browne, when entered the
house, "in the music room, on the top of
the dado, under Mozart's picture |
went into the music room, but there was
no letter to be seen.
"Perhaps one Of the girls has removed
it, she suggested, But no one had med
died with it.
"Grandma cooked letter over the tea
kettle, said little Teddy, redectively.
"lYes," said grandma, al wrote letter
to your pa, child. | hadn't any blotting
paper, but the fire answers the purpose
quite as we'll
At that time | had never heard Of
opening letters by steam. Well, we ran
sacked the house for that truaut letter,
but in vain.
"Who was it from, aunt?" | asked.
allow should | know, child?"
But the handwriting-the postmark?"
"The postmark was blurred.
"Had it foreign stamp" | asked,
with sudden eagerness. Cedric had gone
abroad some months before, and had not
heard Of his return.
"a foreign stamp No. Were you ex-
peeting foreign letter"
"N.o; but ii is the unexpected that al
ways happens, you know
'It's awfully provoking said Susette
perhaps it was only the recipes Mrs. Clark
was going to send you
"Nothing more likely; but what has be-
come of it! It's prolonged game of
hunt the thimble.'
"And supposing it's letter notifying
you of the existence of tirst Mrs. Am
hcrst, pnt in Anne, "or of legacy left
by your forty fifth cousin in Australia
And the door-bcll rang.
Well, after that | suppose / must have
accepted Mr. Amherst EVERYBODY behav-
ed as if | had. | received congratulations
and ring, and the parish began repairs
upon the parsonage, before / could muster
courage to tell MrAmherst all about Cedric
and my mistake, aud how | wasn't at oil
sure ! could ever get over it, and cared
for anybody else, but that would do my
best. And he smiled in a sort of absent
way when | told him, but seemed content
to take me as | was, for better or worse;
only il did strike me sometimes that he
was the most undemonstrative lover in
Christendom; but | hadn't much expert.
ence in lovers, aud perhaps they weren t
as gushing in real life as novels pictured.
lie used to kiss my hand when we parted
that was all, lie was very gentle, but a
little sad, fancied, with look which
might mean that he was afraid of so much
happiness, or that to marry the woman be
loved wasn't all fancy had painted it, aud
citen thought | had perhaps done wrong
TO tell him everything about Cedric so un-
reseryedly; yet had only meant to be
honest. But the day appointed, and sud
denly Cedric appeared among us, when |
thought he was at the worlds end, and he
and the girls decorated the little church
with white field daisies and grasses for the
occasion. You may believe that avoided
the sight of Cedric in the interval before
the wedding as much as possible, but some.
how was always stumbling upon him; he
seemed to be perpetually at my elbow; he
surprised me more than once with traces
Of tears upon my face; the sound of his
voice made my heart turn aud quiver with
in me. If had dared to withdraw at
this iuncture, I'm afraid | should have
done so; but 1t was to late; aud though |
felt like hypocrite whenever Mr.. Amherst
appeared, his looks Of sober satisfaction,
which reminded me Of those llnos Of Mat.
thew Royden on Sir Philip Sidney,
"a full assurance given by looks,
Continual comfort in face,
The lineaments OF gospel books
might have taught me that all was well
with him.
"You are the oldest sweethearts | ever
saw" gossiped Susette. "I wouldn' give
straw for such a lover; and as for you,
Adrienne, you resemble ghost more than
bride"
In short, thousand years Of purga tory
would i'll represent my sufierings during
those last weeks before my wedding. Well,
to crown the whole, Aunt Browne said
Cedric must give me away; he was tho
only male relative, the head of the family,
so to speak, and he could do II so admira.
bly,,
"We shall see, said he. am afraid
should make a poor figure at giving
Adrienne away" aud he stroked his trjste
moustaehe as he spoke; aud looked at me
Just as he looked that day when we gath.
cred the laurel for SuSettes fete-I could
have sworn he did. | didn't answer, for
fear my voice would be husky, aud the
tears would start
The wedding was TO be quite private
only relatives Aunt Browne arranged
everything to suit herself and the proprie-
ties; il didn't become a clergymans bride
to make great parade. At the church,
rememher, my veil caught in the chr.
rage door, aud an orange blossom tumbled
from my wreath, which Cedric picked up,
and wore 10 his button-hole. Then he
drew my lifeless arm within his, and di.
rectly the wedding march pealed forth in
great resounding waves Of melody. NV
grandmother's lndia muslin blew out in
abundant creamy folds behind me, aud
Cedric aud were standing before the al :.
ter, and Mr. Amherst was reading the
marriage seryicel
| belieye that Apnt Browne tainted, or
she would have forbidden the banns.
HYou SEQ, Il was impossible for me to
give you away, Adsienne," said Cedric,
later, when We were steaming out Of town,
"Amherst is trump, and may he ind
wife as sweet as Mrs. Brownel IL II hadn' I
been for him, | should have been Of all
men the most miserable to-day. What do
you think he did2 why, he wrote me all
that sad little stoiy you thought right to
tell him, aud added that he would not de-
ny he was making a sacrifice; that in re.