Omaha daily bee., 1884-10-11

and Miss Thurston, surrounded h,
laughing friends, went out to nee
them.
"Margie," said her cousin John, strid
ing up to her angrily, ''this farce has gon,
far enough. Carlson io certainly dement,
ed. He has brought a full fledged parsor
with him without even mentioning thaI
this is q Jest. You must put a stop to il
at once, for it is a shame to triflo with
such serious things to this extent.
At these words Miss Thurston grew
very pale, but her friends laughed and
said: ''Of course he is not a real minis.
Ter, John Shepherd. This is only a part
of the joke"
eyes, he is a real minister" was the
reply, ''for heard him preach in the
village only last Sunday"
AT this moment Mr.. Carlson came up.
He too, was pale, but in his eyes burned
an Intense fire.
"NIiss Thurston," he said, 81 was in
terrible earnest when 1 said what | did
last evening. In proof of which l have
procured license and minister. Will you
be my wife2"
Those who had been most forward in
urging on the joke we're now most ear
nest in dissuading their friends against
such a highly improper proceeding, but
Carlson's intense eyes were upon Marga.
ret's face, and his voice said: You and |
have lived for fun all our lives, lot Us
now be married for fun"
The very demon of recklessness took
possession of Miss Thurston's spirit. If
Carlson had asked her there, before them
all, to marry him for love, she would
have turned away, shocked and grieved
but for fun; yes, she would dare as
much as he, and she Immediately stepped
40 Carlson's side, remarking in a
aughirg tone: eyes, Mr.. Carlson, l will
marry you for fun"
"Margie, this cannot go on. What
will your father say and feell" and her
cousin stormed up and down before the
tents, appealing first to one and then to
the other, but all to no avail. At this
moment the minister, whom Mr.. Carlson
, had secured, stepped out of his tent, and
the young couple took the places which
had been prepared for them when a mock
ceremony had been in view.
A silence fell over the little group as
the solemn words of the beautiful Episco-
pal service fell upon their ears. Then
rang out the responses: From the bride
low and defiant; from the groom clear
and determined.
''That We may so live together in this
world that in the world to come We may
have life everlasting" Margaret never
forgot these words. In coming days she
repeated them over and over to herself
until she almost prayed to have them
blotted out from her memory.
By the time the ceremony was finished
the audience had concluded that the affair
had been planned beforehand in secret,
and that they were the dupes of the
Joke. Accordingly, never was company
gayer than theirs that night, and the mer.
r~ymaking was continued into the morn
ing hours.
The camp broke up in a day or two,
Mr.. and Mrs. Carlson parting from their
friends in apparently high spirits. Ar.
rived at their home, where the news had
preceded them, the culprits were received
with real forgiveness, for, undoubtedly,
the match was a splendid one. Judge
Thurston's family had been known and
honored in the community for years
while Mr.. Carlson was the junior mem
Der of a large and wealthy firm dealing in
fine imported goods.
Two weeks passed after their return
in which Arthur saw but little of his
wife. Judge Thurston's summer resi-
dence was a number of miles from the
city, and the gentlemen could OILY rur
down over Sundays. On these days the
two were as uncomfortable as possible il
each others presence and avoided being
left together.
One quiet Sabbath evening Arthur
came out Of the judges library with a
pale face and set lips. Ascending the
stairs with faltering steps, he sought his
wife's room and knocked at the door.
"Come In" said low voice. Entering,
he saw Margaret sitting in a low chair,
with her light brown hair falling around
her shoulders in great profusion. He
had never seen her 30 before, and some
great mental emotion preventing his
noticing the look of glad surprise which
flashed into his wife's face as she pre-
ceived who her visitor was. Mr.. Carlson
checked the impetuous words which rose
to his lips, and spoke in a voice of strain
ed GOODNESS. Margaret" he said, ad-
vancing to her side, 81 desire a few mo-
ments' conversation if 1t will not incon,
venlence you.
The light died out of the bright face at
these seemingly cold words.
"You have occupied my thine 30 little
of late that l can give you a few moments
without great inconvenience" she re.
piled, without rising" You and / have
made a great mistake, Margie," her hus-
band continued, sadly. 81 take my due
share of the blame; but even | would
never dared do this if / had not thought
but no matter what thought. We were
married for fun, of course, and now VIC do
not find it 30 much fun as we anticipated.
l have been speaking with your father.
He will not hear to q divorce, mol Is there
sufficient grounds for one if we desired it.
But he agrees with me, that you and l
can not live in this mutual etate of I'M
happiness. l would give anything if l
could undo the past, but that is impossi.
BILE. 1t is necessary that one member of
our firm live abroad. l consider the
necessity very opportune, and shall have
all my arrangements completed by next
week to sail for Europe. This is not 80
hard for me, for i am a man, but for you
God forgive me for what"
"You mistake, Mr.. Carlson" inter
rupted his wife, icily. at is the easiest
and most appropriate thing that could be
DONE"
"Arthur looked down at the figure be-
fore him. The darkness and the wavy
masses of hair hid her face, else he surely
would have seen the white lips and burn