Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-07-23

she saw the p Ale man sitting at the or
gan. and heard the melody that 6iied
the vast edIfice. ago, fell well she knew
. who he was, and why tho insir1asns
, seemed breathing o1t tie agony OF tor
tured soul.
II Nhea the service was over and the
royal party had Left tie cathedral. he
stole away as mysseriously as he had
cosae. He was 40: ssen by the sexton
until tae vespsr hoar, and tIasn lac ap-
peared in the organ loft and commenced
his task. While &c played, i vsiled fig
urs Rlided in and knei. near the striue.
there she knelt until ths worshippers
dispersed, when shs sexton soGchs1 Ter
On the shoulder and said:
Madam. every ono hiss gone except
Jon ana rae. aud wish to close the
door,"
I The sexton drew hack into shady
niche aud listened. Inc mystc:ioos Or
ga'slst s:iu kept his place. but his head
Tas bOwed upon the instrument, and he
could not see the lone dsvotee. At length
she arose from the aisle, and moving to
the organ loft, paussd before tns II asi-
clan.
"Bertsaa.' murmcrsd she.
Quick as thought tho organiss raised
his head. There, with the light Of
lamp suspended 10 the arch above failing
upon her, stood the Princess who had
graced the royal pcw that day. The
court dress of velvet, with its soft ermine
trimBin;s, the tiara, the necklace and
tho bracelets, had been exchanged for a
gray, serge robe. and a long thick ysil,
which wss now pushed back from the
eiriish face.
'Oh, Elizabeth, Elizabeth" ejacalat-
ed the or2anist, as he sank at her feet
and gazed wistfully into her troubled
eyes.
why are You here. Bsrtram?'' asks i
the Princess.
You are to BE- married Oh the NOR
row."
"Yes," sobbed the girl. "Oh. Ber,ra.n,
what trial it will be to stand at yonder
altar and take upon me the vow, which
VIII doom me 10 a living DEATH
| Think of me-" replied the organist.
"YOur royal father has requested mo
| to play at the weiding. aud have
promised to be here. Ii l were your
equal could be tho bride2room.instead
Of the organist; bu. tho poor musician
mnst give you up"
lit il like rending body and soul asun-
der 10 part with you,s said tns girl. 10
| night tell you this-tell you how fond
ly love YOU; but in few hours it will
DO sin. Go, 60, and tine blessin. of God
be with you"
She waved him from her as If she
would Danish him. white she had the
power to do 30. And he. How was it !
with him? He rose to leave her, then !
came back, held her to his heart in ono |
long embrace. and, with q half smother |
I'd farewell, left her.
The next morning dawned in cloud |
less splendOr, and at an early hour the |
cathedral was thrown open, and the SEX |
ton began 10 prepare for the brilliant |
wedding.
Flame-colored flowers waved by the |
wayside; name-cOlored leaves came l
rushing down from the trees and lay in |
light heaps upon the ground; and the |
ripe whea: waved like golden sea, and |!
the berries dropped in red and yellow |
clusters over the rocks and among the |
Rhine.
At length the palace gates were open
ed, and tho royal party appeared, escort- |
ing the Princess Elizabssn to the cathe- |
drel. where her marriage was to be sol |
emnized. 1t was brave pageant; fan |
brighter than the entwineA foliage and |
blossoms we're the tufts of plumes which |
hoated from the stately heads. and the |
festal robes that, streamed down from |
the housings Of the superb steeds. But |
the Princess, mounted on snow-white |
palfry, and clad in snOw-white velYe:, |
looked pale and sad; and, when on near |
inc the church, sha hoard gust of |
organ music, when, though very bril- |
liant in sound, struck on her ear like a |
funeral knell, she trembied and would |
have fallen had not page supported |
her. A few moments afterwards she en- |
! tered the cathedral. There, with his ret !
inue, stood the bridegroom. whom she |
had never before seen. But her glance |
roved from him to the organ loft, whore |
she had expected to see tina mysterious |
organist. He was gone; and she was |
obliged to return the graceful bow of the |
King to whom she had been Eetrothed |
from motives Of policy. Mechanically |
she knelt at the altar stone, mechanical |
" listened to the service and made the |
responses. Then her husband drew her |
to him in a oonvulsiye embrace, and |
whispered:
elizabeth, my queen! my wife! look
upl''
Trembling in every limb she obeyed. |
Why did those dark eyes thrill her 40!
cheek? All, though the King wore the |
purple, and niany a jeweled order gilt |
tered ON his breast. he seemed the same |
humble person who had been employed |
to teach music, and had taught her the |
lcre of love. |
Elizabeth" murmnred the monarch, |
"Bertram and Hoffman,, the mysterious |
organist and King Oscar are one! For
give my st.atagem. wished to marry |
you, but would not draw you to the !
altar an unwilling bride. Your father |
was in tho secret"
While tears Of JOY rushed from her |
blue eyes, the newly made Queen return |
ed her husbands fond kiss, and for once
two hearts were made happy by royal
marriage.