The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-05-06

lalu ner manu- In mine. heavens! what
| thrill ran through me at the touchl 1
closely clasped the soft, warm white
hand, and forgot that had ever known
false base woman by the name of Ag-
mes. Her hand trembled little, but the
touch on mine was firm. felt that she
was doing what she did willingly.
The ceremony proceeded.
At the solemn words, II, Arthur, take
thee. Mary" I started. How did these
people know my nameP How did they
know that was called Arthur Daven-
port?
1t was over. Ihad signed the register
| presented to me, had kissed the hand
of the woman who was my wife, and
my two companions, who had brought
me thither, were alone with me.
"Your part of the business is accom-
| plished," said the man who acted as
| spokesman. I'VE will do our part"
lie handed me package, and bade
me examine it. l did so, and found ten
hundred-pound notes.
1--WE will take you home now," he
said; and in the same quiet and mys-
terious manner l was conducted out of
the house, into carriage, and driven
away.
They left me just where they had found
me, on the river-bank, and without an
swering a single question put to them,
they vanished away in the darkness.
The first faint streak of the breaking
day shot up in the eastern sky as I
stood there lost in wonder. The whole
| thing was like nightmare. Indeed,
should have been inclined to look upon
it as only a dream, had it not been for
the package of notes in my breast-pock-
| ct. That, at least, was a reality, and a
very agreeable one.
went back to my lodgings with a
new sense of importance. Life was
worth living. After all, there is moth
mig makes Q man more satisfied with
his lot than plenty of ready money.
l resolved to begin anew. l kept my
resolution. When editors found that /
could live without them, they were ready
to buy my productions at my own price.
NV style became the style. / had all
the work could do. wrote success
full book, and speedily the time came
when was welcomed in the very high
est circles, and smiled ON by managing
mothers who would have set the dogs
on me year before if / had admired
their Angelinas and Seraphinas.
But I no longer cared for the smiles of
women. Ridiculous as it may seem, l
was In love with my unknown wife.
The word MARY" held for me all that
this world could offer of the sweetness
of love.
In vain sought to trace her-in vain
/ spent all my leisure time in wander
ing around the country, trying to iden-
tify some old mansion as the one which
had been the scene of my midnight
bridal.
At length, one day took passage on
an excursion boat bound for one Of the
many places of interest ON the river.
had half-a-dozen friends with me, bound
for Just days outing.
How it happened nobody could tell
nobody ever can tell how these dreadful
accidents do happen-but four or five
| miles out, our boat collided with an
other boat, and the usual scene of terror
and confusion followed,
The boats were unfit for use, and If
they had been in order, nobody would
have been cool enough to launch them,
and after few moments of widest dis
may, 1t was evident that our boat must
go down.
And while men were rushing hither
and thither for the women of their par
ty, and women and children were
screaming in mortal terror, the boat
settled to the waters edge, and /, being
an expert swimmer, decided to take to
the water and make for the shore. AS
threw off my coat and boots my eye fell
ON solitary girl standing close by,
evidently all alone. l spoke to her.
M frin m
board?"
mo, am alone" she said, in the
sweetest voice had ever heard. My
friends went yesterday. l was to join
them there to-day"
thought she looked at me strangely,
that she blushed and trembled as she
spoke, but it was no time for critical
analysis.
a good swimmer; if we both keep cool,
can easily swim with you to yonder
shore"
She replied by putting her hand in
mine A sense of something sweetly
strange and yet familiar came over me
at her touch. l put my arm around her
and leaped into the water.
She never hiRdered me, or clupg to
would have done. She did as told her,
and after tough battle with the angry
water, we reached the shore.
And as l drew my companion up on the
bank, found that she had tainted dead
away.
Like any other man in such a case, !
was practically helpless. She looked
like death-and, oh, how beautiful she
was! A wealth of sunny hair rippling
all around her brow and falling in wild
confusion over her bosom. | lifted her
up and loosened the wet lace scarf
| around her throat, and as l did SO
slender gold chain fell off in my hands.
/ stood and gazed at it like one stupe-
fed, for attached to it by golden rivet
was the other half of the ring which had
been given me ON my wedding-night.
As / stood there staring like one gone
daft, the girl opened her eyes. She un.
derstood at glance, and with a cry OF
dismay struggled to her feet.
For q moment we stood looking at
each other, and then her head dropped,
her face grew crimson from brow to
bosom.
What spirit of boldness possessed me
do not know, but / took her in my
arms and whispered in her ear the ques-
| ton:
'.Is it my wife?''
And she answered me:
"Yes, it is your wifer'
Later on, when we had been made
comfortable at an adjacent hotel, she
told me her story.
Left An orphan, with a very large in
heritance, the terms of her fathers will
had made her the ward of an avaricious
uncle, who had contrived in every
way to make her life uncomfortable. IL
she died unmarried, all her property was
to go to this uncle, but if she married,
she was to have the right to dispose OF
it as she saw fit
just before the time when our bridal
took place she had fallen rapidly worse,
for her health had long been failing,
and her physicians said she must die.
She resolved that her uncle should not
profit by her death, and the only way tc
foil him was to contract a marriage.
She had been kept secluded, pool