The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-06-25

their way with him, thankful for the res
pite which their quiet acceptance of him
gave. He avoided looking at the bride,
dreading to meet her glance lest it should
unfit him for his part, for with the sight
of the crowd his desire to explain matters
withdrew into the background. This
was not the time, nor was it the place.
The affair had developed complications
for which he was totally unprepared,
and he wanted time to think, to assimi.
late and readjust. The sequence Of events
had been SO different from his own pre-
conceived arrangement of them that his
mind for the moment was thrown out
of gear, and stood supine, accepting that
which came as though it were finality.
The thing most evident to him was
that he had ensnared himself with net.
work of egregious laundering, an d that
egress from it, to be graceful or even
endurable, would require more skill oi
management than he had any right te
accredit himself with possessing. The
terms in which he apostrophized him.
self summed up the case. and were none
the less hearty and comprehensive fol-
being inwardly given. "Of all the inter.
meddling, dunderheaded foels in this
world" SO ran his thoughts, '.You ars
entitled to the lead, Hart Royal. And
beautiful mess you've gotten yourself
into this time, with your damned Off
ciOusness!''
The preoccupation Of his manner and
the careworn expression of his face
caused the people to surmise that he
must be in acute physical pain. For the
few moments allowed to friends at coun
try weddings-even church weddings
they crowded round him, striving to re
call themselves to his memory, and
speaking pitifuliy of the accident and
enthusiastically of his pluck in not al
lowing it to interfere with his marriage
They were so kind and cordial tha,
Royal could have gnashed his teeth and
shouted at them that he was no bette,
than an impostor. Instead of which ht
nailed his false colors to the mast. as il
we're, and smiled and bowed and shool
hands with everybody.
His brain worked with feverish rapid
| ity, and by the time they had shut hin
into Squire Brandon's carriage for the
short drive to the house, where thu
young lady would change her dress fol
the wedding journey, sense Of thu
grotesqueness OF his own position touch
ed him, bringing with it sudden strong
desire to laugh, and creating reaction
which restored equilibrium. He hai
made mess of it, he was willing to ad
NIT, but circumstances had seemed Il
wall him into a narrow track, alonl
which he had cantered like the mos
obliging of donkeys. At this stage O
the proceedings "hindsight" did ittl
good and was provocative of exaspera
ton, and of reliable foresight he wa
fain, in all humility of soul, to confes
himself destitute. There was .nothin,
for it but to face the situation in tn
present and endeavor.to adjust it wit
the minimum of pain and discomfort al
around. The only solution which sug
gested itself was to carry out the plan a
originally proposed, striving to blunde
less in the end than he had done in th
beginning. He would take the youn
| lady straight to John Royal, maxim
such explanation to her as would insur
her recognition of the love and anxiet
for her future which had been the mair
spring of scheme which he now d.
nounced as i6otic.
; In the presence of the dying man q
personal pique, all womanly sensitive
ness, would shrivel and vanish before th
majesty of love and the awful myster
Of that which was to come. A strane
journey it would be, with strange ent
ing. For the first time came realizatio
of the matter from the woman's stan,
point, and with it q great pity for h
and strong desire to shield her from tt
comment, curiosity and multiplicity /,
detail to which his story must give ris
at least until this travesty of marrias
could be made real by the true mans a
knowledgment of it. He would keep b
own counsel until he should have give
the wife into the keeping Of her husban
and then it would be time enough to a
NIT the outside world, to enter upon e
l plantations and self justification.
! Arrived at a definite conclusion,
| squared his shoulders and put aside tn,
> strange sense Of irrevocability and pc
soual implication which had oppresst
i. him ring the ceremony. In trutl
. there was little time for thought. le
4 for analysis: the need For action w
: still omnipresent. He turned 10 Loo
for the first time definitely at Jol
Royals bride.
As be did 70 alow laugh startled his
and hand w6s thrust ont to touch b
4 arm and then withdrawn. It was GLOW
lesnd on the third finger cleaned Il
phazssge ring. She was enveloped IN
heavy wrap which concealed her whi
4 uHegsy and her head and face were hi
Z den under folds of soft dark tissue, fro
: which, at throat aud crown, the lace
hsr bridal veil peeped forth, like whi
cloads under gray ones. Her face "