The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-25
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Bf@foDMlllS
BY CHARLES J. BELLAMY.
Ccpyrighted by the Author, and published
by arrangement with him
CHAPTER XIV.
WHAT ARE WE WAITING FoRl

DTlutrTOpiIl WI III uOIS' III WIS liit
evening he was TO 10 married, and when he
entered the archod doorway again Bertha
would be with him. So he must make
one final tour of his home to see il there
was any last finishing stroke of work
necessary to make it worthy of his beautiful
bride. He found MI his servants, the new grace
full maid TO wait upon the door, the portly
butler to wait upon the table, and all; and in
Mructed them carefully in their duties The in
tricate domestic mechanism must work with
not one Jar or rattle to disturb the new mis-
tress. Ho went into the drawing room and
looked about him. Tho grand piano that
had been closed and locked 80 long was open,
and the music placed on the rack as if il were
but Yesterday that Bertha had sat before it,
He remembered how her round, white arm
had ontdazzlcd the ivory keyboard the last
time he had seen her here The chintz covers
had been removed from the furniture. whose
blue damasS upholstery seemed fairly smil-
ing with delight 20 have escaped from is
mask In the embrasuro Of the window look
ing out 10 the street, where the three laboprs
had stood the evening our story commences,
lay little volume Of exquisite engraving,
as if some Gdmirer had just put it down
Philip glanced at the page where it was open
1t was n MaSdalene; and shadow passed
over his face at the suggestion. He turned a
few leaves andspread the volume open again
This time it was Marguerite. Impatiently
he closed the book, which seemed TO have no
beautiful picture but il would insult his bride
He had not made the slightest change in
the study-his fathers roon--where he had
learned too to fight ont his spiritual battles
IL would be proclamation TO alter one feat
ure of the room; il should be always as IL
was tho day Ezekiel Breton died Philip
opened the door and looked in for a moment,
then with full heart he made his way up
the oalsen stairs The room he next entered
was furnished in the shade Of blue that
Bertha loved best, the silk upholstered lounge
that made one drowsy TO look at it, the
sleepy hollow easy chair, the dressing table
and toilet set. Over the windows hung
lambrequins of darker tint, softcncd again
however, in the flowing curtains below
Even the drop lamp had blue porcelain
shade so that no such thing as white high,
should ever enter Bcrthas boudOir PEili,
imagined her sitting in the easy chair lifting
her eyes wOnderngly 70 him, her husband
who never grew tired of telling her she wa
beautiful; or he pictured her asleop on ia,
lounge one white hand 10y her side, the other
beneath her cheek. How much Of his
thoughts We're vague dreaningf Could il he
she was at last to be his; lighting the gleorpy
old house with the radiance Of her presence
All his other life faded in his memory al the
brightness Of his joy III b0. 1t seemed 9
Enan thing to him that be had Iiteo
1000 lives into a new plane Of existence
that he. had given hope TO 1000 desperate
hearts-compared with the hope OF making
this one woman happy and Of living in bel
milea
But he suddenly started from his fond rev.
cry, and passed into another room, all az
white as some cave in mountain OF snow
The mantel was of marble, the curtains
cloud like masses of snowy lace. and even tho
upholstery OF the chairs and the carpet vas
white damask. His heart beat fast a. he
stood for a moment in the chamber, then ho
went softly out and locked the door behind
him, SO that no foot should cross its sacrod
threshold till its mistress came.
II was TO be a very quiet weiding-no
guests, no cards, no banquet, The shortest
and simplest form that could make a man
and woman one was enough. But the hour
was past, and yet there was no wedding; the
bride, all dressed, waitedto be called from
her ROOM the young bridegroom paced to
and fro across the parlor floor. There was
no minister.
The clock struck the half hour. II was
half past eight Mr. EllingswOrth sat in the
parlor reading the evening paper in unbroken
tranquility. Philip was wondering where
Jane could be; whether she was indeed pre-
pairing a terrible blow for the white bosom
Of his bride. What could she dof
"Ahl | think l hear the carriage" re
marked Mr.. Ellingsworth, laying aside his
paper with little yawn.
''From which direction asked Philip.
listening eagerly, while the feverish blood
rushed into his face.
Mr.. Ellingsworth went to the window.
"Why, from both directions. 1t sounds 10
me like two carriages. viii go out and
seq
Philip hurried TO the window and raised il,
but il was pitch dark; nc could see nothing.
Who could be in that second carriagei Hc
wanted to bc called, but no one came for him
He heard the doors open and shut, and indis-
tinguishable voices, but no one called him.
Then he made his way out into the hall in
vague terror He thought Of his bride wait
ing up stairs, and set his teeth for the worst
No earthly power, no vileno.S % caluuny,
no shameful disclosures should move him.
His bride waited for him, ready 30 be his
when he called for her. All he would uot
shame her, though all hell his-,d ut her. But
how fanciful no was. lie could hear tho
mild hammered minister talking in his polite
tones lie caught his complaceut laugh.
Thank God for it. Nothing could have hap
pcned. lie walked along the hall The voices
came from the dining room. There was the
minister's laugh again. He pushed open the
door and went in.
Tho minister rose, with the especial defer
ence for wealth that marks many Of the
priests of God, and gave the young mans
hand an afrectionate squoze mo doubt
Mr.. Breton is ready. II is the bridegrooms
who should always be inpatient believe
am right, am not, Mrs Ellingsworthr
Mrs Ellingsworth-P Philip started violently
and the color left his face. She had returned
in time then.
''Not always" she smiled strangely and
reached out her hand to Philip 1t was but