Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-23

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the time and only sought her to secure
that?
1t looked like it, certainly, this sudden
assumption of indifference to her pleas
ure-this open exultation at the terms of
her uncle's will. Pen, the beautiful, the
bewltching, the tantalizing, was nom
plussed. If she really thought, if she
were positively certain that he wasn't
doing this to plague her, that he did not
care for anything but the money, she
wouldn't have him to save his life; she'd
go off and be governess, or take in sew
ing for living before she would marry
him.
No, she wouldn't either; in that case
she'd have him out of spite.
In short, besides having natural tim
Id shrinking from sewing for living,
Pen, consciously or otherwise, did not
dislike her future spouse quite to the ex-
tent she pretended.
Somewhere In her capricious heart
there was soft spot for Give Soulard
all the time.
He was so handsome, so graceful, all
the other girls were in love with him, if
she were not.
And so the weeks wore away till the
wedding day. Give, Eght-hearted care
less, laughing, banteringly sympathetic,
ten times as handsome and agreeable as
he had been, but not in the least lover
like-anything but that. Pen, sulky
and saucy by turns, but really miserable,
and secretly, for reason she could not
confess to herself, but much less so to
Give Soulard.
Pen, the invincible. was in love at
last, and, of all men, with Give Soul
ard. IfClive suspected IL he kept his
suspicious to himself, and never by any
chance dropped word or look that could
be constructed as symtomatic of the ten
der passion
The change on Pen Bradshawe since
the reading of her uncle's will was too
marked not to be apparent. People com
mented variously upon it. Some pitled
her for being compelled to a marriage
so distastefu.; others thought, with Give
Soulard, that if it was distasteful she
alone was to blame if she did not choose
the Interest poverty in preference to it.
Pen, meanwhile meditating and spec
ulating constantly upon Gives changed
demeanor, concluded at last that he
was as Indifferent to her as he pretended
to be; and she resolved, ii nothing
occurred before the wedding day, to
refuse then to marry him, whether or
no.
She had made the usual preparations.
Her dressing-room was strewn with snowy
lace, silk and muslins; the bridesmaids
for the occasion were being duly drilled
and otherwise got ready for their part in
the approaching ceremony.
The wedding morning came.
Forth from her chamber foated the
bride, clad in flowing snow, and sur
rounded by her bridesmaids; like the
queen-rose in garden of blossoms, forth
stepped the bridegroom. handsome, grace
full, light of heart and exultant. Penelope
let him take her hand and lead her for
ward. without lifting her eyes till they
stood at the very altar-steps. Then sud-
denly she looked up, first at him, then at
the assembled guests, and, drawing her
hand from him, she said, with slow, de-
! liberate enunciation:
IT cannot do 1t. Better poverty, better
wretchedness, better anything than such
a marriage as this. I have changed my
mind Good friends, 1t is pity to DIS
appoint you, but there will be no we'd
ding today
So saying, she glided through the as
tonished groups, and left them staring
breathlessly after her.
The luckless bridegroom knew not
what to say or do, or where to turn. He
was taken at a disadvantage; wounded
full sore at point, where, being tender,
but unsuspicious, he had not sufficiently
guarded himself.
Was it the modification, the spite, the
being SO publicly rejected by so lovely a
girl as Pen Bradshawe9
Or did his very inmost heart quail with
fear at the thought of losing, after all,
| woman who, with all her coquett1sh
frivolousness, was worth more 10 him
than all other women together-than ten
fortunes like the one she forfeited to him
by refusing to become his wife?
Certainly Give Soulard's handsome
face had suddenly taken the hue of death,
and his voice was unsteady as he tried to
murmur something that sounded like a
confused apology or explanation of this
strange contretemps.
The guests fell into little whispering
knots, the clergyman who was to have
oficiated looked COMPOUNDED, and the
bridal attendants stole half-frightened,
curious glances at Give Soulard, who
with his eyes cast down, his whole ap-
pearance expressive of the agitated con-
f1ict going on within him, stood strug-
Cling vainly to recall his wonted self-pos-
! session.
| Presently he drew nearer the clergy
man, said something inaudible to others,
and with half deprecatory glance, left
the room.
In a stupetaction Penelope had man.
aged to reach her own chamber again,
and was sitting amid chaotic array Of
bridal gear that strewed the room, when
a tipnid knock sounded at her door.
1t was Soulard himself stood there,
pall1d, yet resolute, agitated, but deter
mined.
Fire seemed to flash from his hand
some eyes as they met hers. His nos
+r;1c o,1iuorod ond 1i1etpd