The Red Cloud chief., 1881-11-03

favor she shall see I. before any one
else. Mine ho., Of the Red Lon ha,
prepared n nice little luncheon. even 70
some dry Pommcry. which 1.-THE great
yosiah'-as ! have been accustomed 10
call him, possibly from the magnitude
% his waisicoats-says he do,.s u,on.
| make a malicious and unkind but per-
fectly Just mental suggestion that IN
early life 1.-The great Josiah was bet
ter acquainted with the merit Of 80 al
aud alt > than dry champagne. Nine
host has done his best; and now / wait
my guests. feel nervous and excited;
why. l can hardly tell. but ! confess 10
myself that | shall be glad when my
little symposium Is over.
Here At last They troop upstairs
into the largc room where my luncheon
il spread. Mr.. Josiah is looking very
large to-day. There il m air Of juoilaut
triumph about him rs he bnstles about
Nelly, assisting her in taking of her
wraps and saving "nothings' which are
expresses them. To me, his air i simply
patronizing. Mrs. spa!ding is gracious
"a usual; and Mr.. SpaIding seems 10 re-
gard the ncar prospect OF lunch with
more evident satisfaction than he does
the prospect oi m artistic treat Mr.
Blagdcn suggests we had better step in
10 see the pi eturc-!un-h has evidently
its attractions for 1.-the great Josiah.
But | tell him / wait DIR. Brooke, II
which announcement he subsidies
Then / suggest TO Miss Nelly that, with
her mother permission. she NAV now
lave the picture all To herself for a
momentary peep. Mrs. Spalding, who
Is deep with Miss BlagdeD in the mys-
terics OF the manufacture OF rhubarb-
jam. readily consents
Nelly follows me into the room where
my picture stands covered with a Grim
son cloth on my easel. Iclose the door
and unyeil il. Nelly chances at il for a
moment; then, growing deadly pale.
sinks half-fainting-not into my arms,
but into those of DIR. James Brooke.
who has most opportunely come upon
the scene. In speechless astDnlsbment
he gazes at me, but he too seems a. II
he were going 10 repeat Neliy's pro-
cedure as he glances at the picture.
For heaven sake, Regy," says Jim
in a hoarse voice. "cover that picture
up
Nelly opened her eyes in a moment
or two. which seemed to me like an
age. Jim had employed the interval
in a fashion not unfamiliar TO lovers. l
believe. And when she did open her
ewes, il was TO clasp Jim round the
neck, and her words were few bu, de-
cidei: Jim, dear, ! can never, never
marry that man, 1 will do whatever
You wish me to. But oh, they have
tried me sou
What is it in my picture that has SO
pcrturbcd the lovers, and brought Nelly
Spalding to her senses? Simply The
interior of the old church once again.
Array of sunlight streaming through a
chink in the stained window falls on
the sad. pale, fearful face of a newly
made bride. The brides face is Mel
ly's own; and the pompous bridegroom
is Josiah Blaghcn, the artistic treatment
of whose white waistcoat and chain has
cost me no end of pains. Behind bride
and bridegroom come the figures OF Mr..
and Mrs. Spalding; and in the dim dis
lance the vicar is see still standing
within the altar rails. But the central
fi"ure after the bride herself is the
young man, pale, motionless as "a statue,
who stands in "a pew and whose ashy
gaze is fixed on the bride. The faceof
the man in the pew is that of James
Brooke. The picture tells its own story
to- Nelly Spalding. IT places the posi-
bility of the future before her eyes rs
she has never dared 10 picture it TO her
self. II reflects in all its naked truth
the fate TO whiah through her indecis-
ion she may commit herself and Jim.
And it tells its story SO well that art
conguers diplomacy in dec sion. and
aids love in its triumph over the great
Josiah himself.
Footsteps on the stairs. | cover the
picture again. Nelly stands beside DIR.
Brooke; her cheek is pale. and there
are tears like de ydrops g~listening in
her eyes. The iron-master looms in
the doorway. He takes in the matter
at a glance and frowns darkly ut Jim
and ME.
As soon rs Mr.. and Mrs. Spaldins.
who closely followed Josiah, have en-
tered the room. Nelly. TO my surprise.
walks quickly TAP to her father aud
takes his hand. Father" said she.
with atremulous yet decisive tone, '.you
know the message YOU brought me
from Mr.. Blagden this morning? Give
him my answe now. Tell him that l
am going TO marry DR.. Brooke"
Now, it is my opinion that, had the
discarded Josiah at this moment held
his tongue. he might have got both Mr..
and Mrs. Spalding to speak a word for
him with Nelly. But as it was he de-
stroyed his own case at a blow.
Message from me?-and this is nv
answer he said, in m angry voice.
''Why, | care nowt-nOut," he repeat
ed, bitterly, ''about the matter. l
guess it was the lass's father and moth
er that wanted to marry Josiah Blay-
denis money-perhaps they wanted
some of it for themselves"
The rudeness and vulgarity which
marked the man came u unmistak-
ably as he said these words; and, tax
ing his sisters arm in his. and casting
a look of vindictive scorr at the doctor
and myself, he walked out at the door
with an ungainly strut which was
meant for dignity; and we saw the
great Josiah no more.
Mrs. Spalding was especially cut up
by the parting Hing of Josiah, as it was
she who had maneuvered the matter
thus far. Mr.. Spalding. on the other
hand, burst into a JOYFUL laugh, and
taking his daughters hand, placed ii
in that of the doctor.
After all had left the studio but Mr..
Spalding. the latter asked me to tell
him in plain terms how l had brought
this about-for he had no doubt | was
at the bottom of it. / uncovered the
picture. which Mr.. Spaldtng-simple.
easy-minded gentleman that he was
scrutinized with his double eye-glasS,
remarking 70 me that he did not quite
understand it at all, but that It was
wonderfully clever. and that Josiah's
..weskit was as like rs life"
In six weeks thereafter l o(iiciated as
"best man. at Jim's marriage. As the
organist pealed forth the jubilant
strains of Mendelssohn. after the VIC
ar's benediction had been given, and
Nelly, radiant and beautiful, passed
down the aisle on her husbands arm. l
could not help rejoicing in the success
of what is now mo. 329-A Wedding
March, though the faces in the picture