Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1884-10-14

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Here va. a predicamen, indeed Cor the
Reverend julius Byron In desperation
he few to the wardrobe in the se.,ry-
rOOm. Vain hope No, shred Of the
other elergymAn's vestments hung there.
wha, wa. n be done Even II. Ia ex-
,reme eases. the church rules permitted
the clergy to OfhciA,e without robes IN the
sacred elifoe-and Coz the momen, Mr..
Byron was too bewildered TO think
whether ,hi. would be permissible OF no,
how could be explain the annoying
mistake to these strangers They. a.
ready 90 troubled. would think him an
un,rus,wor,hy. careless ,riasr.
In hi, perpleKi,y he rang for the man
who had already waited on him.
"ls there a lady in the house With
whom could speak a few moments ?
Mr.. Byron asked.
my mistress cousin is here bat she
does no, leave the invalid's room Tor any
thing joe, a, present"
Then | will write my message IN
note"
lie stated the case a. clearly /. he
could on paper, and dispatched servant
With IL In answer the lady sen, her
maid to inquire Il search bad been made
svery Shere IN the ve.,ry room ior sur
plice. lie sent back word tha, further
search va. useless.
Amer some moments of-,o him-,sf'
rble suspense-for the time was almos,
come Coz him to appear in the chapel
the maid returned and With blashes deep
and q nervous ,~i,ehing Of her apron
hem. began
MY young lady told me 10 tell you.
..r. ,hA, Il you would no, think !, any
harm. she would send you her Oh. no,
I doa', mean that. ar She aid ] ~.
no, 20 ssy who !, belonsed 10. ba, she
would ca, The bands OF the sleeves and
the lace from the neck. and Il would be
long. and nobody would notice Il wn a
nigh, go~n. s.r and II yOa didn'' mind,
~. ! would 70 and fetch il at once. foe
there !. no time 10 lose.
The girl. concluding words we're only
too true and howsvsr much be might
/ have he,iiaied Al hsr suggestion in cool.
sr moments. be wAs ,hAskful no~ Tor
any solution to the difhsal'y.
TEL your misirs,. that shall be
very grateful fot the loaa she proposes
to make. II .hs thinks the deception will
no, be discovered "
The servAn, vanished. and was soon
on the ,po, again with snowy linen
aish,-gown. The neck Al the back bad
been torn down TO sdmi, broader 'koul'
der. and a linen handkerchief bad been
hastily stitched in to hide the rent. Mo-,
Of the ornaments had been Gu, away ;
ba, enough remained to prove that the
carmen, belonged % lady q very dAiE-
ty tastes.
Thankful oi ihi, semblAnee Of sur.
plioe. and too hurried 10 feel amusement,
Mr.. Byron suayed himself, entered the
ehAncel. and the service began al once.
lie observed with sigh Of ,hsnkfulness
,ha, the chapel Was very dark aud this
enabled him 10 Rad wi,hou, much ner-
vousness. Two gen,lsmen came forward
with the baby and ii' nurse, and for a
brief time during the service the young
clergyman saw indis,ine,ly the slender
figure Of lady standing IN the dimly.
lighted aisle. Before the end Of the cer-
emony her feeling. seemed to overcome
hsr, for she lei, the church sitting ~ha,
nigh, have been sob. bu, ~ha, sound
ed strangely like laugh
WIS, Mr.. Byron feared would be a
trying ordeal "a. soon over. and he re-
catered the yes,ry-room with a much
lighter heart than when be LEI, IL While
di.robins. a name in indehAble ink on
the gown attracted his attention. Per-
hAps be should have respected bis fair
benefAe,ress' wish 10 remain unknown
but the temptation was too strong. lie
turned TO the lish, and read the name
Miriam Douglas."-under the ,uek'
and embroidery Of the robe which he had
jus, discarded.
Was il a coincidence. or had kind
fate led him TO the shrine Of bis idol :
The uncertainty was no, to be borne.
"will you ask Miss Douglass Il she
can grant me five minutes interview be-
fore | go'" he said to the girl who came,
in gres, ,repida,iOu, for the novel 'ur'
prise.
In eOzy little reeeP,ion-room julius
Byron was presently received by her who
had been the companion Of bis haPPies,
dreams during more than three years.
The blushing bashfulness had vanished.
leaving in its stead graceful womAnly
dignity. She was a swee,er, fairer Mir
lam even than Of old, "divinely tall and
mos, divinely fair"
"0h. Mr.. Byron, how hOnifed you
mus, be You signed initials only 70
your note and l little suspected to whom
was Offering ths, garment. | recog-
nizsd you a, once in church, aud, 10 spite
Of the solemni,y Of the occasion, ! had
to laugh. Il was such an uncommonly
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