Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-18

| Inere was great uuuRet VIM 'Ao
levee could not withstand tho force Of
the water without the wind, but with
gale it seemed hopeless.
It was yearly danger to which every
one had become accustomed, 30 that
no plans were changed, and all amuse-
ments went on as gayly as il destruction
did not threaten every homo for miles
around, and our nearest neighbors had
invited us to attend q country wedding
with them that night. Ruth hesitated
about leaving her invalid, but he urged
her to go, assuring her there was no
danger whatever; so when We heard the
call at the gate, "Oh, Miss Ruth, are
you readyT" 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 unpleasantness" and
had failed to return aud that the con-
veyance provided for us was two
wheeled cart. We were assured the
straw on the bottom was clean and
begged to "Sit right down, sit right
down; it's all Clean And after much
laughing and crowding, we siI-grandms
aud baby, mother and sister, Ruth and
l, with bundle of hay for tho horse to
eat, were packed away and iolted along
right merrily. We drove beside the
levee, but the angry rush of the water
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 upoa year after year un-
til it was almost an island, and it
seemed that soon the whole plantation
would be washed away. could only
wonder at the gayety of my compan-
ions, and to divert my mind from my
own fears, asked;
Has Miss Dora been long engagedi''
"Yes, five years. The wedding day
has been fixed twice before, the guests
invited, the cake ready, aud 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 that 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 he should have been mar
ried.n
"How strangeT
"Well, Dora is the last OF an old, old
family. She had an old nurse who saw
Visions and foretoli coming events,
who told Dora that she would never be
a wife or mother, and she almost began
to believe it. She says if she fails this
time she will never try again"
"Oh, 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 we're received by a beautiful
white haired old lady who kissed us all
and made us welcome. After a glance
at the bare hands aboa. us we slipped
our gloves into our pockets and we're
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. 1
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 love? 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 ap-
pearance of delay. At length the
hostess, with the slightest flush of an.
noyance on her fair face, left Ruth to
devote herself to others. Ruth came
over where was standing by an open
window, and putting her hand on my
shoulder turned her face from the light
and said:
"Oh, aunty, l am so miserable. Why
Is IL that every one else may be happy
and L"
There, th ere" / said, soothingly.
"Do not be so weak" And then 1
added in bantering tone "No doubt
Frank will come back -"
"Too late" she said, SCI have prom
ised TO marry Major Grant"
"Why, Ruth7'
I had no time TO say more.
The minister appeared, then came
the bridal toartv. tho fromfaaa zara