Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-10-18

III
bors had invited us to attend country
wedding with them that night. Ruth
hesitated about leaving her invalid, but
he urged her to 60, assuring her there
was no danger whatever; so when we
heard the call at the gate, "Oh, Miss
Ruth, are you readyP" we threw on our
wraps and started, gloves in hand.
We found after various apologies
that the family carriage had strayed
away during the late "unpleasantnessh
and had failed to return and that the
conveyance provided for us was a two
wheeled cart. We were assured the
straw on the bottom was clean and
begged TO "Sit right down; it's all
clean" and after much laughing and
crowding, we six-grandma and baby,
mother and sister, Ruth and l, with a
bundle of hay for the horse to eat, were
packed away and jolted along right
merrily. We drove beside the levee,
but the angry rush of the river and
the rising wind seemed TO occasion no
uneasiness in our companions,
The house to which we were going
stood on a point of land which the river
had encroached upon year after year
until it was almost an island, and il
seemed that soon the whole plantation
would be washed away. l could only
wonder at the gayety of my compan-
ions, and to divert my mind from my
own fears, asked:
"IIas Miss Dora been long engagedp
Eyes. five years. The wedding day
has been fixed twice before; the guests
invited, the cake ready, and the bridal
veil waiting to be put on. The first
time Dora was sick, so very sick it
seemed impossible that she could live
through the day, but as soon as the
hour for the wedding was passed she
began to improve. The next time the
groom fell and broke his leg an hour
or two before she could have been mar
ried."
"How stranger'
"Well, Dora is the last one of an old,
old family. She had an old nurse who
saw visions and foretold coming events,
who told Dora that she never would be
a wife or mother, and she almost began
to believe it. She says if she fails this
time she will never try again"
80, here we are! Back up and dump
your load" And amid much noise
and chattering we scrambled to the
ground and shook out our crumpled
dresses.
We were received by beautiful
white-haired old lady, who kissed us
all and made us welcome. After a
glance at the bare hands about us we
slipped our gloves into our pockets and
were ushered into the parlor and Joined
one of the two lines that sat facing each
other for the ceremony to begin. The
white-haired old lady sat beside Ruth,
who had evidently taken her fancy. l
could see that the sweet-faced matron
was telling my gentle girl the story of
her own daughters misadventurous
love that was soon to be crowned with
happy fruition. Had she OWNED that
my Ruth was heart-sore and sick be-
cause of lovep / think so.
The guests waited awkwardly as
country people gathered from far and
near are wont to do. The servants
moved officiously about to save the APP
pearance of delay. AT length the host
ess. with the slightest flush of
annoyance on her fair face, left
Ruth to devote herself to 9TH
ers. Ruth came over where | was
standing by an open window, and put
ting her hand on my shoulder turned
her face from the light, and said
"Oh, Aunty, l am so miserable. Why
is it that every one else may be happy
and L"
"There, there" 1 said soothingly.
"Do not be so weak" And then /
added in bantering tone, mo doubt
Frank will come back"
100 late," she said, 81 have prom
ised to marry Major Grant"
"Why, Ruth ~
l had no time to say more.
The minister appeared; then came
the bridal party; the promises were
made, hands were shaken, congratula-
tons uttered, refreshments were eaten,
the fddlers were called in and dancing
began.
Three hours had passed. The revel
was at its height. The fair bride, her
long delayed hopes fulfilled, the gloomy
prophecy exploded, floated in and out
in the mazes of the dance, the gayest of
the gay. Ruth, her fair face flushed,
seemed to have forgotten her sorrow
in the enjoyment of this suspicious oc-
casion. BY her grace and tact l could
see that she was adding much to the
of others. The happy
mother of the bride moved among the
elder guests, dispensing smiles and
Bringing pleasure wherever she went.
Ruth came and said with
face beaming witch joy:
lob, aunty, am so glad we came.
I never knew it was such pleasure TO
make Others happy. l am not bit
Frank with composure. Hark What
is thatp" she exclaimed, turning toward
the open window, through which came
q dull, harsh murmur.
Before she had time to say more,
there was an uproar at the lower end
of the room, q cry of "Crevasse! Gre
vasser' from the affrighted servants,
and Frank Russell, rushing through n
crowd of dancers, leaped upon q chair
not three steps from us and shouted
1.-THE levee has broken; save your
selves at once, there is no time to lose"
There was an instant Of awful silence
every breath was hushed, and rosy
cheeks were blanched with terror;
then the voice of the despairing bride
rang out:
at has come true! 1t has come truer'
she cried, and as she fell into the arms
Of her husband the guests fled in every
direction. The gray-haired mother
sank upon her knees, and we could see
her lips move in prayer.
Franks eyes wandered over the hur-
rying crowd an instant, in search of
some one he evidently expected to see.
Even in that terrible moment | could
not help thinking how brave and hand
some he was. / did not wonder that
Ruth had lost her heart to him. At
length his eye rested on us. In an in
slant he was beside us. He put his
10, D,,tL thaxy hoI 81