Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-09-17

eaioed access to the cathedral by brih
ing the bell-ringer, and having taken
the vacant seat of the dead organlst.
let nv music breathe ont the adleu
could not trust my lips to utter.
A low moan was the only answer, and
lac continued
"You are to be married IN the NOR
row."
Yes" sobbed thu girl. "Oh. Ber-
tram. " hat trial it Will be to stand at
yonder altar and take upon me the
VOWS which will doom me 10 living
DEATH
"Tuink of me-" rejoinel the organ
list; your royal father has requested
me to play at the wedding. and 1 have
promised to be here. II | were your
equal, could be the bridegroom in
stead of the organist; but ~ poor mu-
stefan must give you up.
1T is like reniing soul and body
asunder, to part with you said the
gill. "To.nieht may tell You this
tell you how foudly | love you, but in
few hours it will be a sin. Go, go,
and God bless you!
She waved him from her, as ii she
would Danish him while she had power
to do SO; and he, how was it with him
He rose to leave her, then came back,
held her to his heart in one long EN-
brace and with a half smothered fare
we'll, left her.
The next morning dawned in cloud
less splendor, and at an early hour the
cathedral was thrown open, and the
sexton began to prepare for the bril-
liant wedding. Flame-colored flowers
waved by the way. side fame colored
leaves came rushing down from the
trees. and lay in light heaps upon the
ground; and the ripe wheat waved
like o golden sea, and berries dropped
in red and purple clusters over the rocks
along the Rhine.
AT length the palace gates were
opened, and the royal party appeared,
escorting the Princess Elizabeth to the
cathedral, where her marriage was to
be solemnized. 1t was a brave pa
geant; far brighter than the untwined
foliage, and blossoms were the tufts
Of plumes which hoated from stately
heads, and the festal robes that
streamed down over the housings of the
superb steeds. But the princess,
mounted on snow white palfrey, and
clad in snow-white velvet, looked pale
and sad; and when, on nearing the
church, she heard gush of organ mu-
sic, which. though jubilant in sound,
struck on her ear ike funeral knell,
she trembled, and would have fallen
to the earth had not page supported
her. A few moments afterwards she
entered the cathedral. There, with his
retinue, stood the bridegroom, whom
she had never before seen. But her
glance roved from him to the organ
loft, where she had expected to see the
mysterious organist. He was gone, and
she was obliged to return the graceful
bow of the king, to whom she had beNn
betrothed ffom motives of policy. Ne
chanically she knelt at his side on the
altar.stone; mechanically listened to
the service aud made the responses.
Then her husband drew her TO him in
q convulsive embrace, and whispered:
Elizabeth, my queen. my wife, look
up!"
Trembling in every limb, she obeyed.
Why did those dark eyes thrill her SO :?
Why did that smile bring glow ON her
cheek? Ali though the king wore the
purple and many jeweled order gilt
tered On his breast, he seemed the same
humble person who had been EN-
ployed to teach organ music, and had
taught her the lore of love.
Elizabeth" murmured the mon
arch, "Bertram Hoffman. the mysteri-
GUS organist, and King Oscar are one!
Forgive my stratagem. I wished to
marry you, bat 1 would not drag to the
altar an unwilling bride. Your father
was 10 tue secret" --"-r .,~ .-
While tears of joy rained from her
blue eyes, the new-made queen re-
turned her husbands fond kiss, and
for once two hearts were made happy
by a royal marriage.