Osage Valley banner., 1880-04-22

lations and ring, and the parish began |
repairs upon the parsonage, before I
could muster, courage TO tell Mr.. AM !
horst all about Cedric and my mistake,
and how ! wasn't at al sure / could ever
get over It, and care for any body else,
but that ! would do my best. Aud he
smiled in . sort Of absent way when
told him, but seemed content 20 take me
as WAS, Tor better or worse; only IL
did strike re sometimes that he was the
most undtmanstrative lover in Chfisten-
dOms bal hadn't much experience In !
lovelr larhaps they NereBt ns
gushing 10 reai life as novels pictured.
He used 10 kiss my hand when we part
ed that was all He was very gentle,
but a little sad, ] fanCied, with q look
which might mean that he was afraid of
so much happiness, or that 10 marry the
woman he loved wasn't all fancy had
painted IL; and sometimes thought |
had perhaps done wrong 10 tell him ev-
cry thing about Cedric 50 unreservedly;
yet I had only meant TO be honest. But
the day was appointed, and suddenly
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 oscasion. You may be-
lieve that / avoided the sight of Cedric
in the interval before tho wedding as
much as possible, but somehow | was
always stumbling upon him; he seemed
to be perpetually at my elbow he sur
prised me more than once with traces
OF tears upon my face; the sound of his
voice made my heart turn and quiyer
within me. II had dared to withdraw
at this juncture, I'm. afraid | should
have done so; but It was too late; and
though / felt like hypocrite whenever
Mr.. amherst appeared, his look of
sober satisfaction. which reminded me
Of those lines Of Matthew Royden on Sir
Philip Sidney,
AfulI assurance given by looks
Continual comfort Ia face,
/ The lincaSnents OF gospel books,
might have taught me that all was well
with him.
"You are the oldest sweethearts I
ever saw gossiped Susette. "I
I wouldn't give straw for such lover;
and as for you, Adrienne, you resemble
/ a ghost more than = BRIDE
| In short, thousand years OF purga-
/ tory would m represQnt my snsssr'',its
uuffng tnOse last Nttks before my Wett-
1 ding. Wen, to crown the whole, Aunt
Browne said Cedricmust give me away !;
he was the only male relative, the head
of the family, so to speak, and he could
do it so admirably.
We shall see, said he, "I'm afraid
4 ! should make poor figure at giving
1 Adrienne away and he stroked his
( friSfe mustache Is he spoke, and looked
/ At me just rs lac looked that day when
we gathered the laurel for Susette's
! fete--I could have sworn he did. | didn't
answer, for fear my voice would be
/ husky, and the tears would start
The wedding was to be quite private
= only relatives, Aunt Browne ar
ranged every thing 10 suit herself and
the proprieties; II didn't become a cler-
/ gyman's bride TO make n great parade.
/ AT the church, / remember, my veil
/ caught in the carriage door, and an or
ange blossom tumbled from my wreath,
which Cedric picked up, and wore in
4 his button-hole. Then he drew my half
! lifeless arm within his, and directly the
Wedding March pealed forth in great
4 Tesounding waves of melody. My
/ grandmother India muslin blew out in
abundant creamy folds behind me, and
( Cedric and | were standing before the
/ altar, and Mr.. Amherst was reading the
marriage service!
| believe that Aunt Browne tainted,
or she would have forbidden the banns.
| " You see, it was impossible for me
| TO give you away, Adrienne,n said Ced-
I ric, later, when We were steaming out
] Of town. "Amherst is q trump; and
may he find a wife rs sweet MS Mrs
Brownei II it hadn't been for him,
/ should have been of all men the most
miserable to-day. What do YOU think
! he didP Why, he wrote me all that sad
! little story you thought right 10 tell him,
and added that he would not deny he
was making sacrifice that in renounc-
ing You he renounced all that made life
lovely to him, except his work yet he
felt il was better one should fail of II
heaven ON earth than that two should
suffer; and that il loved you, as had
once said, would / take his place at the
marriage, and allow him 20 solemnize
itP Ii was whim Of his TO have ii so, 4,
to avoid explanations he said.
couldn't believe IA my luck, you know,
Adrieune. We banded letters 10 and
fro, canyassing the subject / feared
he had made mistake, as | had re-
newed my offer some little while before,
but had received no reply; still, doz-
en- things happen to letters every day -
"Yes, and something happened to
| yours ] said
Years attor, when Susette and Anne
We're married, when AdeIe's husband
had taken the children home TO q new
niamma, and Aunt Browne had gone %
- the land OF the hereafter,n when
1 Tndl.in -ura.a l-nr,nilirlr fhn l.ld hl,nrn lnr