The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-06-25
FLoRENCE,s BRIDEGROOM.


low, hanging clouds of hopeless gray. 4
raw east wind blowing damply, and earth
and air, and sky were full of the gloom,
presage of the coming storm.
Thursday evening, at this self-same
hour, the marriage ceremony Of Florenc,
Marion and Harvey Calender would take
place; and on this gloomy, depressins
night Florence had taken herself away
from the houseful of guests that had beer
arriving all day, and had gone away by
herself into the silence and gloom, and
loneliness of the long-deserted western
corridor, where portraits of the dead-and-
cancellations hung by scOres-where
statues of marble and bronze, and black
marble and brass, stood in defiant relief
on their pedestals.
It had ALWAYS been a favorite resort o1
hers, in times of joy and times of sorrow
She and Leon Marion used to walk there
by the hour, that one blessed summer
time when he was at The Place, off ser.
vice from his naval duties-that blessed
summertime when they learned that
cousin-ship was no barrier to lover-ship,
when he had pleaded his cause so skill
fully that it seemed to Florence there was
no further happiness left her in all the
world-no further happiness, and no pos
sible misery.
And, tomorrow she was to be married
to Harvey Callender-handsome, grave,
dignifed, of high social and financial
position, a gentleman twenty years her
senior, whom she respected thoroughly
and intended to do her duty by in every
respect.
Two years ago she had bade her hand
some cousin goodbye. He had taken her
-, l. g L II 4 J., n -
heart that it seemed he would merge
their personalities into one.
He had kissed her on lip, and brow, and
radiant hair, and fingered longest at her
quivering mouth. He had made her tell
him, over and over again, how she loved
him, that she would be ready for him
when he returned, after a years service on
his ship in foreign waters, and they had
parted.
Then, Florence lived it ali over again, as
she nestled up in little heap on the
cushioned sea- that veiled the oriel win
dow, and drew the hangings of leaf-green
satin damask around her, shutting herself
out fiom all the world.
What awful times had followed right
then, when her stately mother, whom the
girl had revered, and feared, and admired
all her life, more as one reveres and wor-
ships sovereign than as girl laves and
adores a mother-when Mrs. Marion re-
ceived letter from somewhere, from
somebody Florence never dared ask
from where or whom, and soon called her
daughter 10 her, and told her that from
that time Leon Marion's name was to be
forever unspoken between them-from
that hour, Leon Marion was to be to her
as though he never had been!
She never understood why she was
E,r 10 ~ nj TN
No letter ever reached her from the man
she loved, and would SO long as her heart
beat.
His portrait was turned, face toward the
wall, and, except for that deathless agony
of hopelessness that attended her endur-
ance of life, it was as if Leon Marion had
never crossed her path.
Then her mothers friend-her mothers
presented to her; a gentleman
whose attentions and devotions were an
honor to any woman; and, just two years
from the day when her lover had gone
away, she was to be married to Mr.. CAL
lender.
OF late days. Eorence's obedient passiv-
ity had been deserting her. Tonight, she
had rushed away from the gay com pany in
the parlor, library and billiard-room, to be
alone with her thoughts on this her we'd
ding-eve
It is not given to many young girls to
appreciate the height and depth of passion
as it was given to Florence Marion.
Usually, such capacity comes with maturer
years; but crouching there in the starless
dusk, with the heavy satin curtains shut
ting out all the world, and especially
Harvey Calender, this girl of 18 was near
ly heaat .broken, and in her yearning and
her helpless despair. as ever woman was,
over spirited handsome face she never
again would see-the passionate blue eyes
that looked such unutterable things in
her own-the low speaking, beloved voice
that had said such words as were meat
and drink to her glad heart.
Never again-never again It kept oc-
curing and recurring to her again, like
the refrain of haunting song whose per.
sistent melody hurt her to her very soul.
And just then she heard the distant thud
of horses hoofs, then, nearer, mans hur-
ried tread, and then. with bewildered,
rapturous sensation, she saw
Leon Marion coming up the walk, the gold
on his uniform shining in the pale dusk.
He stopped short at sight of her, stand
ing like spirit, in the oriel window.
"Florie, my dariing-my darling l
knew should find you. Oh, my love, how
l have wanted to see youp
She sank down, weakly. in the chair
nearest the window that had enabled her
to catch all the gusts of cold air that went
past her hot cheeks.
She could not say a word in response to
his eager salutations, but her heart was
so violently that she wondered
if hearts ever did throb themselves to
death.
"Are you not glad to see me, my dari-
ing? Tell me you are glad am come
to save you from Harvey Callenderw
AS yet, Florence had not spoken word
that horrible, physical sensation was
her. At last, with little sigh
that was mingled bewilderment and hope
lessness. she answered him:
"I don't understand you Leon. You
should not be here. You cannot save me
Calender. I am to marry him
to- morrow night"
He smiled tcnderly back in her sad,
shining eyes, bright with suggestions of
tears.
.'But can save you, Florie-that is, if
you will let me. Dear darling! if you love
me as you did
She made a touching little effort to re-
fuse him the sweet privilege of his bold
speech.
"Lleutenailt Marion, you must not say
such things to me any more"
And for answer, he reached out his arms
to take her in them-that place where. of
all places in the world, she would rather
have been-she, who in twenty -four hours