Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-03

churchyard gate. A double row of eager
onlookers lined the path from Itch gate
to porch. sprang from the carriage
and passed up between them. Our gar
dener had good front place near the
door. Istopped.
"Are they waiting still, Byles?" l
asked, simply to gain time, for of course
knew they were by the waiting crowds
attentive attitude.
waiting, sirl No, no, sir; why, it
must be over by now"
"Overl Then Mr. Clearinghouse Gomez
s'To the minute, sir; must have missed
you somehow, and say, sir" lowering
his voice, II never see Mr.. John the
least bit so afore, but my opinion is he's
been drinking pretty free. His clothes
was all dusty and his face like sheet.
l tell you | didn't like the looks of him
at all, and the folks inside are saying all
sorts of things. You'll see something's
gone very wrong with Mr.. John, and
he's tried liquor. He looked like a
ghost, and in he went with his eyes
straight before him. with never look
or word fer none of us; him that was
i always Sucn penDieInaul
had never heard Byles make so long
a speech The crowd in the churchyard
were talking in whispers and getting
ready rice and slippers to throw at the
bride and bridegroom. The ringers
were ready with their hands on the
ropes to ring out the merry peal as the
bride and bridegroom should come out.
! =, ,rf.h NJ
them; out they came. Byles was right.
John Charrington did not look himself.
There was dust on his coat, his hair was
disarranged. He seemed to have been
in some row, for there was black mark
above his eyebrow. He was deathly pale.
| But his pallor was not greater than that
| of the bride, who might have been carved
in ivory-dress, veil, orange blossoms
and all.
AS they passed out the ringers stopped
there were six of them-and then, on
the ears expecting the gay wedding peal
came the slow tolling Of the passing
bell
A thrill of horror at so foolish jest
from the ringers passed through us all.
But the ringers themselves dropped the
ropes and fled like rabbits down the bel
fry stairs. The bride shuddered, and
gray shadows came about her mouth,
but the bridegroom led her on down the
path where the people stood with the
handfuls of rice; but the handfuls were
never thrown, and the wedding bells
never rang. In vain the ringers were
urged to remedy their mistake; they pro-
tested with many whispered expletives
that they would see themselves further
first.
In hush like the hush in the chamber
of death the bridal pair passed into their
carriage, and its door was slammed be-
hind them.
Then the tongues were loosed. A babel
of anger, wonder, conjecture from the
guests and the spectators.
ssIf I'd seen his condition, sir" said old
Forster to me as we drove off, "I would
have stretched him on the floor of the
church, sir, by heaven l would, before
I'd have let him marry my daughterr"
| Then he put his head out of the win
dow.
"Drive like fury" he cried to the
coachman; "dont spare the horses"
He was obeyed. We epassed the brides
carriage. forbore to look at it. and old
Forster turned his head away and swore.
| We reached home before it.
| We stood in the hall doorway, in the
blazing afternoon sun, and in about half
minute we heard wheels crunching the
gravel. When the carriage stopped in
front of the steps old Forster and ran
down.
"Great heavens, the carriage is emptyl
And yet
had the door open in minute, and
this is what / saw:
No sign of John Charrington; and of
May, his wife, only huddled heap Of
white satin lying half on the floor of the
carriage and half on the seat.
~ drove straight here, sir" said the
coachman, as the brides father lifted her
out; s'and I'll swear no one got out of the
carriage"
We carried her into the house in her
bridal dress and drew back her veil.
saw her face Shall l ever forget it?
! White, white and drawn with agony and
horror, bearing such look of terror as /
have never seen since except in Dreams
| And her hair, her radiant blond hair,
tell you it was white like snow.
AS we stood, her father and /, half mad
with the horror and the mystery of it, a
! boy came up the avenue-a telegraph
boy. They brought the orange envelope
to me. tore it open!"
"Mr Charrington was thrown from
his horse on his way to the station at 1 80.
Killed on the spot!"
And he was married to May Forster in
our parish church at $3.50 in presence of
half the parish.
'I shall be married, dead or alive!"
What had passed in that carriage on
the homeward drive, no one knows-no
one ever will know. Oh, Mayi oh, my
dear.
Before week was over they laid her
beside her husband in our little church
yard on the thyme covered hill-the
churchyard where they had kept their
love trysts.
! Thus was accomplished John Char
rington's wedding. Temple Bar.
HALLS (AHTiSEPTIC) CREAM SALvE,
For family use, is rapidly gaining ascend