Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-01
A CASE OF COMPOSITION


ings which make man bless God for
having created the earth 50 fair and
beautiful. l was waiting in the vestry
room OF one OF the quaintest old
churches in the world-the church of
the Revelation, in the village OF Home
dale, Pa, 1t was my wedding day,
and i was one OF the most happy, yet
one or the most nervous men, In a
few moments Dora Golding would ar
rive. Her doting father would give
her away. Her gentle, loving mother
(Dora was their only child) would stand
by, tears struggling with satisfied
smiles. The clergyman would pro-
nounce the irrevocable words, and
another husband and wife would be
added to the number of mated and
minated pairs already In existence.
Suddenly my blissful agitation was
given new disturbance by my best
man, Harry Arden, who had been
looking through one OF the windows,
coming TO me with an exceedingly
tremulous look upon his usuall serene
features. He handed me note which
had Just teen given to him through the
window by one OF Mr.. Golding's sery-
ants. l recognized the address at
once, 1t was IN Dora's hand. No
suspicion of what was coming shot
through me, though quick as thought
/ opened the missive and read As fol-
lows:
DEAREST ARTHUR:
You will not understand me when i
saw there can be no wedding to-day.
You will understand when you see
me, however. Twill be time enough
to say then, or not, whether you still
care to have me sign myself your low
Ing DohA-
1 sat down, stupefed. The little
church was filed with friends OF both
families. Ny parents and others OF my
kinsfolk had come from Philadelphia
The Goldings had resided nearly all
their lives at Homedale. They were
people of wealth and influence. The
betrothal had lasted two years The
wedding was regarded with a good
deal of social interest. As 1 hated
scenes, | determined that the wedding
should not be postponed II l could
help it. Dora was a strange mixture
of romance and practicality- She was
punctual almost to a fault, so that i
knew some great motive had actuated
her. Seizing the horn of the dilemma,
1 told my wondering best man to de-
tain the clergyman and guests until he
heard from me, and slipping out by the
vestry door, In ten minutes L found
myself at the Goldin'g house.
/ will ask the reader to remain al
the threshold for a little while, In
order that L may explain to him some
of the circumstances shat had charac-
terized my courtship of Dora. About
a wear ago, after our betrothal had
lasted a twelve month, l spent week
of NV summer holidays, which my
legal duties permitted me, at the Gold
ing residence. Upon the first day OF
my arrival, a dark man of about 40,
with deep red scar across his left
cheek. made his appearance at dusk,
and was cordially received by my fu-
ture father-in-law and mother-ln-law-
He was a handsome man, plainly, al
most poorly, dressed; slow of speech,
hesitating in manner. He WAS appar-
emily a we'll TO do mechanic, on excel
lent terms with his host and hostess
albeit a certain reserve and espionage,
40 to sneak, marked their treatment OF
him. It was rs though they were
ALWAYS on their guard, not so much
with respect to what they might say or
de. as to what he might say or do.
This man bore the singular name or
Glasgow Thirkle, though 1 was never
able to find out wherher he was bap-
tized in memory of the dismal Scotch
town or not. At dinHer he dld not
sneak much. but / noticed that from
time to time he cast turtiye ana admir-
ing looks toward Dora Two or three
tunes Dora caught him at this surrep-
titious scrutiny, and L saw that 1t dis
composed her. When 1 spoke to her
about IL afterward she told me that
about once year the man made his
appearance, stayed there, overnight,
looked at her in precisely the same
manner, and departed the next morn =
Ing. She added that once q year his
wife also paid them visit, timing II
six months after that of her husband.
This of course aroused my curiosity
The next Christmas season made me
AGAIN a visitor for q few days at the
Goldin0 mansion. Two days after
Christmas the stage which ran from the
station deposited at the door very
singular looking woman who turned
out TO be Mrs. Thirkle- She was OF
medium height and slim, 4O years OF
age. good looking, with blue eyes and
thin, light hair. Her singularlty con-
sisted in the fact that her hair was
parted on the left hand side, IN conse-
uuence of the existence or what Is cona-
monty called 'cowlick." AT dinner
she herself referred to this peculiarly,
explaining that she had tried to educate
her locks into parting in the normal
manner, but that all she had ever been
able to effect was a tmporary arrange
ment of the hair in that manner by the
use of pomades. Tomorrow morn
ing - she added, ST must try, before i
90. to part my hair in the middle, be-
cause as you suggested" Here she
stopped short, ana l observed that she
had received from both Nr. and Mrs.