Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-06-11
L
NO 1873
Gales ano Skettbes.
ADRlgNNE'S STORY.
Continued from Yesterday. }

tpthSu lttteI tNtT ufc uft-
kettle" said little Teddy. rclcctively.
Yes" said grandma, 'Iwrote letter
| to Your pa, child, hadn't any blotting
paper, but the fire answered the purpose
quite as we'll"
Al 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 ii FROM" | asked.
but the handwriting-the postmark ?"
The postmark was blurred"
Had it a foreign stampe" | 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-
pecting a foreign letter."
NO; but it is the unexpected that
| always happens, you know
Its awiully provoking" said Susette.
perhaps it was only the receipts Mrs,
| Clarke was going TO send you"
Nothing more likely; but what has
become of it. It's prolonged game of
hunt the thimble!"
And supposing it's letter notifying
YOU of the existence of first Mrs. Am
herst. put i'm Anne, 'or of legacy by
and then the door-bell rang.
Well. after that suppose | must have
accepted Mr. Amherst. Everybody be-
haved as if had. l received congratu-
lations and ring, and the parish began
repairs upon the parsonage, before could
muster courage to tell Mr.. Amherst all
about Cedric and my mistake, and how l
wasn't at all sure could ever get over il.
and care for any body else, but that !
| would do my best. And he smiled in n
sort of an absent way when l told him,
| but seemed to be content to take me as |
was, for better or worse only it did strike
me sometimes that he was the most unde-
monstrative lover in Christcndom; but
hadn't much experience in lovers. and,
perhaps they weren't rs gushing in real
| life as novels pictured. He used to kiss
| my hand when we parted that was all.
| lie was very gentle, but little sad, fam
| cied with "A look which might mean that
he was afraid of so muchl happiness, or
that to marry the woman he loved wasn't
all fancy had painted it; and sometimes
honght had perhaps done wrong TO tell
him everything about Cedric so unrcserv-
edly: yet had only meant TO be honest.
| But the day was appointed, and sudden-
ly 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 l
avoided the sight of Cedric in the inter-
val before the wedding as much as pos
slblc, but somehow l was always stum-
bling upon him; he seemed to be per-
petually at my elbow he surprised me
more than once with traces of tears upon
nv face the sound of his voice made my
heart turn and quiver within me. II had
dared to withdraw at this iuncture. I'm
afraid ! should have done so, but IL was
too late and though | felt like a hypocrite
whenever Mr.. Amherst appeared, his
look of sober satisfaction, which remind
ed me of those lines of Matthew Royden
on Sir Philip Sidney,
| "a full assurance given by looks,
| Continual comfort in u face.
| The lineaments Of gospel books"
might have taught me that all was well
with him.
You are the oddest sweethearts ever
saw" gossiped Susette. 81 wouldn't
give straw for such lover; and as for
you, Adriennc, you resemble ghost more
than bride.
In short, a thousand years of purgatory
| Woulu Ill Ttpftseui NY uuTIuS
those last weeks before my wedding.
Well. to crown the whole, Aunt Browne
said Cedric should give me away he was
the only male relative. the head Of the
family, so 20 speak, and he could do it so
admirably.
I'VE shall see." said he. "I'm afraid
shall make a poor figure at giving
Adrienne AWAY and he stroked his trisie
| i,,. xIn nd 1<.nEAA NJ v.n
lust as he looked that day when we gath
cred the laurel for Susette's fete-I could
have sworn he did didn't answer, for
tears would start.
| The wedding was to be quite private
only relatives. Aunt Browne arranged
Everything to suit herself and the propric-
i ties it didn't become clergyman IS bride
to make great parade. At the church, I
remember, my veil caught in the carriage
! from nv wreath, which Cedric picked up
/ and wore in his button-hole.
Then he drew nv half-lifeless arm
within his. and directly the Wedding
March pealed forth in great resoundinp
waves OF melody. My grandmother
India muslin blew out in abundant creamy
folds behind me, and Cedric and were
Istanding before the alter, and Mr.
Amherst was reading the marriage SER
vice.
believe that Aunt Browne tainted, or
she would have forbidden the bans.
'sYou see. it was impossible for me tt
give you away, Adrienne," said Cedric
later. when we were steaming out o
town amherst is a trump: and may
he find wife as sweet as Mrs. Browne
;If it hadn't been for him should have
been of all men the most miserable to
day.
What do you think he did |? Why, HI
wrote me all that sad little story yot
thought right to tell him and added tina
he would not deny he was making sac
rifice; that in renouncing you he re
nounced all that made life lovely to him
except his work; yet he felt it was bette
one should fail Of heaven on earth thai
that two should suffer; and that if Hove,
you, as once said, would I take hi
place at the marriage, and allow him B
solemnize it?
1t was whim of his to have 1t 80. t