The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-11-13

LIN oA OAS ~~
MADAM, everybody has gone but
you and me, and l wish to close the
doors"
The sexton drew into a shady niche,
and watched and listened. ~ eT
The mysterious organist still kept
his post, but he could not see the lone
devotee. At length she rose from the
aisle, and moving to the organ loft,
paused beside the musician.
"Bertram," she murmured.
Quick as thoughtthe organist raised
his head. There, with the light of a
lamp suspended to the arch above fall
ing upon her, stood the princess who
had graced the royal pew that day.
The court dress of velvet, with it's soft
ermine trimmings, the tiara, the neck
lace, the bracelets, had all been ex-
changed for q simple gray, serge robe
and a long tl ok veil, which was now
pushed back from her girlish face.
ooh! Elizabeth, Elizabeth !" ex-
claimed the organist, and he sank at
her feet and gazed wistfully into her
troubled eyes.
"Why are you here, Bertram 2"
asked the princess.
81 came to bid you farewell, and as
[ dared not venture into the palace, |
gained access to the cathedral, and
having taken the vacant seat Of the
dead organist, let my music breathe
|. out the adieu I could not trust my lips
to UTTER
A low moan was the only answer,
and he continued:
"You are married on the morrow"
EYES," sobbed the girl. "Oh, Ber-
tram, what a trial. it will be to stand
at yonder altar, and take upon me the
vows that will doom me to a living
death"
think of me-" rejoined the Dr.
ganist. "Your royal father requests
me ito play at your wedding, and [
have promised to be here. If [ were
your equal I could be the bridegroom
instead of organist; but a poor must
clan must give you up"
"It is rending body and soul
asunder to part with YOU" said the
girl. "To-night I may tell you this
tell you how much [ loved you, but
in a few-hours it will be a sin. Go, 60,
and God bless you"
She waved him from her as if she
would Danish him while she had the
power to do so, and he-how was it
with him. He rose to leave her, then
came back, held her to his heart in a
long embrace, and with a half smoth-
cred farewell left her.
The next morning dawned in cloud
less splendor, and at an earlier hour,
the cathedral was thrown open, and
the sexton began to prepare for the
brilliant wedding. Flame colored
flowers nodded by the wayside, from
the trees, and lay in light heaps upon
the ground, and the ripe wheat waved
like a golden sea, and berries dropped
in red and purple clusters over rocks
along the Rhine.
At length the palace gates were
opened, and the royal party appeared,
escorting the Princess Elizabeth to
the cathedral where the marriage was
to be solemnized. 1t was a brave
pageant; far brighter than the un-
twined blossoms and foliage were the
tufts of plumes which foated from
stately heads, and festal robes that
streamed over the housings of superb
steeds. But the Princess, mounted on
a snow white palfrey and clad in snow
white velvet, looked pale and sad; and
when on nearing the church, she heard
a gush of organ music, which, though
jubilant in sound, struck on her ear
like a funeral knell, she trembled and
would have fallen to the ground had
not a page supported her. A few
more moments a%fterward, she entered
the cathedral. There, with his retinue,
stood the royal bridegroom, whom
she had never before seen. But her
eyes roved from him to the organ loft,
where she expected to see the mystic
rious organist. He was gone, and she
was obliged to return the graceful
bow of the king to whom she was be-
trothed from motives of policy. Me-
chanically she knelt at the altar-me-
chanically listened to the services and
made the responses. Then her hus-
band drew her to him in q convulsive
embrace, and whispered:
"E7axabeh! my queen look up |"
Trembling in every limb, she obeyed.
Why did those dark eyes thrill her
so? Why did that smile bring a glow
to her cheek All, though the king
wore the royal purple, and many a
jeweled order glittered on his breast,