Smyrna times., 1880-05-05

SOuleHOW OF OI0ef OeUTIcS lace WOULD SIlb
into the picture uninvited, and blot out his
rivals as strong sunlight fades negative
photograph.
"There's letter for you, Adrienns," said
Aunt Browne, when | entered the house,
g in the music room, on 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 removedit,"
she suggested. But no one had meddled
with it.
Grandma cooked a letter over the tea.
kettle" said Teddy refectively.
Yes, said grandma, 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 open.
ing letters by steam. Well we ransacked
the house for that truant letter, but in
vain.
Who was it from, aunt?" l asked.
How should know, child ?"
' But the handwriting-the pestmark ?"
The postmark was blurred"
Had it foreign stamp2" l inquired,
with sudden eagerness. Cedric had gone
abroad some months before, and had not
heard of his return.
4" A foreign stamp! No. Were you ex.
pecting foreign etter?"
"N0; but ii is the unexpected that ALWAYS
happens, you know"
Its awfully provoking" said Susette.
Perhaps il was only the rocipies Mrs. Clark
was going to send YOU"
Nothing more Likely; but what has
become Of it? It's prolonged game ofhunt
the thsblr.'
AHd surprising it is a letter notifying
you of the existence Of first Mrs, Amherst,
put III A"nc, ""r Of Il legacy left by your
forty iilti cousin in Australia" And then
the door bril rang.
We'll, after that | suppose | must have
accepted Mr.. Amherst. Every body behaved
as il had. received congratulations and
Il ring, and ll.e parish began repairs upon
the parsonage. before | could muster cOur
age to tell Mr.. Amherst about Cedric and
my mistake, aud how | wasn't at all sure
! could ever get over it and care for any.
body else, tut that | would do my best.
And he smiled in a sort es absent way when
| told him, hat seemed content to take me
as | was, for better or worse only it did
strike me sometimes that he WAS the most
undemonstrative lover in Chrstendom but
hadn't much experience in lovers, and
perhaps they wern't as gushing in real life
as novels pictured. He used to kiss my
hand when we parted; that was all. He
was very generous, but a little sad,
thought, with lock that might mean that
he was afraid OF SO much happiness, or that
to marry the woman he loved wasn't all
fancy had painted it, and sometimes
thought perhaps l had done wreng to tell
hl:Ea all about Cedric so unreservedly yet
had only meant to he honest. But the day
was appointed, and suddenly Cedric ap
peared among US, when | thought he was
at the worlds end, and he and the girl,
decorated the little church with white field
daisies and grasses for the occasion. You
may believe that | avoided the sight o.
Cedric in the interval before the wedding
as much as possible, but somehow | wa.
always stumbling upon him he seemed t
be perpetually at my elbow; he surprised
, me more than once with traces of tear
upon my face; the sound of his voice mad,
my heart turn and quiVer withiR me.
had dared to withdraw at this juncture
, I'm afraid | sheuld have done so but i
t was too late and thought l felt like
hypocrite whenever Mr.. Amherst appeared
: his look Of sober satisfaction, which remin
. dsd me Of those lines of Matthew RoydeI
! on Sir Phillip Sidney,
!. "A full assurance given by looks,
Continual comfort in q face.
The lineaments of gospel books"
might have taught me that all was well witt
. him.
! "You are the oldest sweethearts eve
: saw" goSsiped Susette. " wouldn't Civ
straw for such lover and as for you
!. Adrienne, you resemble ghost more tina
: bride"
= In short, thousand years of purgator
. | would i'll represent my sufferings durin
y those last weeks before my wedding. Vel
= to crown the whole, Aunt Browne sal
: Cedric must give nae away he was the onl
:, male relative, the head of the family, SO I
i speak, and he could do it so admirably.
# awe shall see," said he. "Ip, afraid
e should make poor figure at giving Adr
r enRe away y and he stroked his triste nu
tsche as he spoke, and looked at me ju,
d as he looked that day when we gathere
O the laurel for Susette's fste-I could hay
d sworn he did. didn't answer, for fear m
!; voice would be husky, and the tears woul
>. start.
10 The weddingwa to be quite private-onl
o relatives. Aunt Browne arranged ever
| thing to suit herself and the proprietes
a. didn't become clergynan's bride to max
It a great parade. AT the church, l remen
n Der, my veil caught in the carriage doc
and an grange blossom tumbled from NJ
20 wreath, which Cedric picked up and wol
10 in his button. hole. Then he drew nay hal
lfeless arm within his, and directly Ii
4. Wedding March pealed forth in great r
e. sounding waves Of melody. Ny gran,
le mothers India muslin blew cut in abundal
creamy folds behind me, and Cedric and
to were standing before the alter, and IL
$, Amherst was reading the marriage service
re believe that Aunt Browne tainted or 81
;? would have forbidden the banns.
a "You see, it was impossible for me
give you away, Adrienne," said Cedric, late
id when we were steaming out Of tow
IN Amherst is q trump; and may hs find
wife as sweet as Mrs. BrowRel If hadn
er been for him, ! should have been of all me
ne the most miserable to-day. What do yc
a think he did? Why he wrote me all th
IN sad little story you thought right to te
In him, and added that he would not deny
ay was making a sacrifice that in rsnouncir
lie you he reneunced all that made life lovs
'r to him, except bis work yet he felt it W
Ve better one should fail of a heaven en- ear
ad than that two should suffer; and if | love
ad you, as had once said, would l take b
l place at the marriage, and allow him
ly solsmnize it2 II was whim of his to ha'
ty it so, ito avoid explanations he said.
Rt could net believe in my luck, you kno
ne Adrienns. We banded letters to and fl
= canvassing the subject. feared he h,
sft made mistake, as had renewed nay off
sr some little while before, but had receiv,
he ne reply still dozen things happen
he letters every day.n
*, ayes, and something happened to yours
ad said.
m Years after, when Susette and Anne we
es- married, when Adeles husband had TAX
nd the children home TO a new mamma, al
sg. Aunt Browne had gene to "ths land
at this hereafter" when Cedric was repair
in the old house for a Summer residence,
to. ripping away the ancient dado in /
lit music.room, which had always warped aw
err from the wall in warm weather, leaving
, ! little crack, the carpenters unearthed l
ssi- lost letter. Had it slipped down there,
had Aunt Browne given it push Wa gi