Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-12-23

| BY the lantern on the snow, she saw him
( smile, forhidding, sneering, vindictive.
"Don't leave me here" she cried. ''You
dare not But the heavy door was
closed and locked while she was speaking.
She few to tho windows, shrieking
''Helpi helpi" but no one heard her. Then
| It occurred to her that it was only joke.
Hiram had locked her in, net unwilling that
| she should have a fright, but he would
| soon come back and release her-that he
could dare to leave her there for the night
was too horrible. Why, the fright of it
| would kill her by morning!
| Then she sat down in one of the pews and
| tried to think what she should do.
They would not miss her, because each
would think she was with the other. Her
| mother would worry a little, but as the
night wore on, she would believe her safe
at home with Kate Blossom or Alice Baker
And Maurice-once he would not have slept
till he had said "good night to her. Now
he would not miss her-no, even though
this was to have been their bridal eve.
1t was not cold. A great fire had been
made in the furnace in the basement, and
the heat was almost intense, but it was
drearily lonely. May would have given
much for the company of that church
| mouse the girls had been laughing about.
From time to time there were threatening
noises, as some straight-backed pew
groaned in fiber, or the floors gave back
some echo that had fingered in them. But
surely that was the organ! And that was
Maurice playing! SOFT sweet and steady
the tones rolled in subdued grandeur
through the silent church. Spell-b bound,
May sat and listened.
1t was Maurice Dawson who was play.
ing, not the mad musician, but the former
Maurice, clothed and in his right mind,
who, in finding the last chord of Christ
mas music, had also found himself. II,
had hurried to May as soon as church was
over that evening, but, somehow, had
missed her, and, when he went to her
home, was told that she must have gone to
spend the night with Kate.
Then. restless, impelled by some urging
spirit that was not one of the capriciOus
fancies that had lately held him in thrall,
but sane and earnest desire to once more
test the wonderful production he had given
to the world, he went to the church, and,
entering by way he knew of, sought his
beloved instrument, to find that it was, in.
deed, a reality he had found, and, i'm
prisoned in it's letters of sweet sound, the
gratitude, and, when he had finished, lifted
his eyes and saw May standing beside him.
When Hiram Wright heard the bells
pealing forth the Christmas chimes he
covered his head and trembled like guilty
thing. Would the old sexton hear her and
let her out from that ghostly imprison-
ments No, for he had the key. He did not
need that to climb to the bell-tower. Sleep
he could not, and he tossed till morning,
and then went forth to hear-what! That
Maurice Dawson had been married in the
church before the midnight hour rang!
That the whole village had been present,
so quickly had the news of his dastardly
conduct spread, and the rector himself had
suggested the happy finale to year of mis-
cry. And Kate Blossom had cried, and in
the excitement proffered her gold thimbie
for the wedding ring. And, as a climax,
every one held out the hand of peace on
earth and goodwill to Hiram Wright. Like
the traitorous Roman maiden who gave up
the gates Of the city for the bracelets of the
soldiers, he was killed by the kindness OF
those who despised him.