Smyrna times., 1882-08-16
"You are to be married ON the NOR

row."
"Yes,'' sobbed the girl. ooh, Ber-
tram, what a trial it will be to stand at
yonder altar and take upon me the vow
which will doom me to living death"
"Think of me !" rejoined the organ
ist. "Your royal father has requested
me to play at the wedding, and have
promised to be here. If | were your
equal l could be the bridegroom in
stead of the organist; but the poor
organist must give you up"
at Is like rending body and soul as
sunder to part with you," walled the
girl Tonight 1 tell you this-tell
you how fOndly love, but in a few
hours it will be sin. Go, go; and
God bless YOU"
She waved him from her as if she
would Danish him while she had the
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 embrace, and with a half
smothered farewell, left her.
The next morning dawned in cloud
less splendor. 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
wayside; flame cOlOred leaves came
rushing down from the trees and lay in
light heaps upon the ground, and the
ripe wheat waved like a golden sea,
and the berries dropped in red and yell
low clusters over the rocks and along
the Rhine.
At length the palace gates were
opened, and the royal party entered,
escorting the Princess Elizabeth to the
cathedral, where her marriage was to
be solemnized. Itwas brave pageant;
far brighter than the entwined foliage
and blossoms, and tufts and plumes
which floated from the stately heads
and festal robes which streamed down
5 over the trappings of the superb steeds
4 But the Princess, mounted on snow
: white palfry, and clad in snow-white
e velvet, looked pale and sad; and, wher
/ nearing the church, she heard gust o
C organ music, which, though very bril-
i liant in sound, struck on her ear like a
funeral knell, she trembled and would
have fallen had not a page supported
|. her. A few moments afterward she en-
# tered the cathedral. There, with hi
N retinue, stood the bridegroom, whom
she had never before seen. But he
< glance rOved from him to the orga
r loft, where she had expected to see tn
mysterious organist. He had disap
d peared, and she was obliged te retur
n. the graceful bow of the king to WHOM
,e she had been betrOthed from motive
to of policy Mechanically she knelt q
ic the altar-stone; mechanically listenin
a to the service, and made the response
r. Then her husband drew her to him
a convulsive embrace and whispered
Elizabeth! my queen my wife loc
upw
Trembling in every limb she obeye'
&c Why did those dark eyes thrill her 81
1y Why did the smile bring a glow on h
cheek. All, though the king wore Il
ed purple and many a jeweled order gil
Ize tered on his breast, he seemed q
OF same humble person who had be-
in employed to teach music, and had taug
he her the lore of love.
ep- Elizabeth ~ murmured the mo
arch. Bertram Hoffman, the myst
he ious Organist, and King Oscar are ol
his Forgive the stratagem. l wished
all marry you, but l would not drag y
ted to the altar an unwilling bride. Yc
ap- father was in the secret"
ner While tears of joy rushed from
ian blue eyes, the Iew-made queen
sed turned her husbands fond kiss, Il
ose for once two hearts were made haI
ok, by a royal marriage.