The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-24

to Montr0se, to stop and tell Miss Ma tilda of the change of programme, and to Bud 1 delegated the duty of con- veying the bride e-elect to the spot on the sand-bar where the other high contracting party would be found waiting.
 almost hoped that Sam had been romancing in his reports about the dressing of the chapel, but he had not. It was there, and not in the lonely house behind the altheas, that I found Miss Ransom surrounded by score of cheerful, bustling coadjutors. The little chapel had undergone wonder ful transformation. All it's ghostly memories and musty odors must have escaped through the wide-open win dows. The pallid baptismal font was gay with glossy evergreens and big punches of red berries. The carved chancel- had disappeared under deftly woven garlands of graceful gray moss caught up with big bows of blue ribbon. Miss Matilda was su- perintending the hanging of the we'd ding bell when I stood beside her.
 It was the first time 1 had ever seen her in white. In the soft evening light she looked like a beneficent spirit come to scatter the gloom and desolation that had so long brooded over the spot She smiled at me over an arm ful of evergreens, and then, reading my thoughts with that quickness of perception that characterized her, she said slowly:
 "I promised Mary to put off black on the day she was married. It is queer how 1 allow her to have her own way with me, but I feel, you know, as if it was some sort of con- pensation for having misjudged her so cruelty all these years. Do you see my clumsy efforts at bringing to- gether the blue and gray?" she added more lightly, directing my attention to the pretty adornment of the chan eel rail. "What shall I do with my pretty wedding bell?" she asked, when told her ot the changed programme.
 "Leave it." I said daringly "who knows but it may be needed yet be- fore it's brightness has quite faded? Sometimes this sort of thing becomes infectious, you know"
 I was thinking of Frazer Holcombe. I was thinking of Scipio's declaration that he was going to tell him all about Miss Matilda. Could he hear of her trials and stay away from herr"
 'I shall leave it for tonight" she said quietly, entirely ignoring my flippant suggestion, "because it is less troublesome than to remove it. Give Mary my love, and tell her-"
 "Oh but you know she expects you to go with her. She says it makes her nervous to be in skif' with Bud. I think myself, as rule, he is better out of the way than in it. Mrs. Max well is entirely unavailable. She's an awful coward on the water, and more- over, the wedding feast is still to be eaten under roof, so she must stay at home. You are not afraid"
 "No, am not afraid. will go with her if she wants me. She could not ask anything of me in vain, believe"
 Truly, the barriers were broken down when the solitary survivor of the Ransoms could send this gentle greeting to the traders daughter.
 The Rev. MT. Hopkins, looking se- riously bewildered, Brown fidgety, but immaculate in point of costume, and I, were at the indicated spot on the sandbar a while before the ap- pointed hour. As master of ceremo- nies 1 had plenty to occupy myself with. One of the big Smyrna rugs from the Montrose parlor was spread out over the ridgy sands of the bar, and at each of its four corners a mo- tionless torch bearer, imported from the quarters for the occasion, and drilled by me into state of passivity, stood like an ebony statue, holding a flaming hymeneal torch manufactured prom pitch pine. Overhead the blue- black canopy of heaven, studded with stars of gold, made a royal wedding bell. The only sound that broke the solemn stiffness of our waiting time was the soft tapping of the water as it kissed the glistening sands of the bar Brown made the circuit of the Smyrna rug many times on restless feet. Beyond the radius of the torch light all was chaos. From out chaos there came to our strained ears finally the faint far away dip of oars. It might be the coming bride, or it might be chance waytarer across the watery highway that stretched invis- ibly about us on every side. Our torches were to be the brides beacon light, and turned to see if my torch bearers were true to their drill. They were absolutely rigid. Brown came to halt immediately under one of them. His handsome face was pallid with the anxiety of the moment. I went and stood by his side.
 Suppose something should happen