Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-05-18

tAAS W SonbAHu0 NY JOuAhey W tno carly
train.
AS l lay like a log in bed and the hours
went on, till all in the city but myself
could hear the cathedral clock ring them
out, some part of my brain woke up.
and finding reason still a sluggard
started straightway a-dreaming. 1 saw
that / stood in a crowded churchyard
in all the soft sheen of a summers
morning. l rubbed my eyes as the peo-
pie moved about, some toward the wood
en- porch, some taking places on the path,
till there was an avenue of smiling faces
and one slim figure, followed by her
maids, vending slowly through all.
1t was Doris, all white and beautiful
in bridal vestments, but her golden head
was bent and there was heaviness in her
step. Asif she were entering some prison
house, never to know liberty again, she
paused at the porch and looked long and
wistfully back into the sunshine.
Now never believe in dreams, but
sat down to breakfast uneasy and with
out appetite, looking in at that despair
ing white face with a growing sense of
its ominousness, and chating nightly at
the fact that there was no train to take
me on for another two hours.
"Paper, sir" heard the waiter say as
l trifed with the toast. l dropped my
eyes mechanically onto the folded sheet,
but only looked vacantly at it, or rather
a headline, which, standing out from the
rest, took my eyes, being definite, as the
fire is in the darkness or candle flame,
which we gaze at without noting. There
was the name Of my own village staring
me in the face, and for a full minute
never saw it-Ranston-in-the-Vale 1t
was all flash, as was my eagerness as
snatched up the paper and read the local
items, "Bellringer's Dinner-Fire at the
Hall-The Approaching Marriage of Dr..
Robson"
l remember the sense of paralysis, the
rush of darkness to the eyes, and then
the sudden return of light as jumped
to my feet and stood moment irreso-
lutte with my watch in my hand. Quar-
ter past ten-the ceremony was at eleven
three parts Of an hour to do fifteen
miles. A wave Of helplessness swept
over me and then of hot strength-noth-
ing less than the strength of despair,
and, thank God, it carried me through.
! shall never forget that ride. The
horse was fresh-the pick of the best
posting stables in Worcester-and I had
much to do to keep it IN while we
breasted Redhill to the leve: Of the Lon
don road. Then gave it irs head and
q tip from the heels, and away we shot
like two mad things. Seeing nothing
but the yellow road before mo. 1 Icounted
every spring of the animal as he
skinned along, scarcely seeming to
touch the ground with his light hoofs,
and flying faster and faster as he warmed
to it and heard my cries of encourage
ment.
For half an hour let him go till we
came to stiff hill not three miles from
Ranston. Here I pulled him up and
made him walk before the final rush in.
He was impatient to get on, so was l,
for from the top of the hill 1 knew
could see the church, and maybe some
of the gathering people; but I held him in
and took out my watch. Ny heart sank
it was ten fifty y-eight. leased the reins
with a shout, and in three bounds we
were at the hilltop and away again.
could see the church now across the val
ley and the flag at its tower and the
pigmy forms moving about the yard.
But there was still hope, still chance
to snatch Doris back from her peril-for
such was my purpose, and my dream
had made me desperate. set my teeth
and let the good horse go.
1t was all over in ten minutes, and it
was Doris doings as much as mine. She
could not help it, maybe, and it was
rather sudden to jilt man just as the
vicar was asking whether she would
have him or not. But so it was, and
had no sooner shown myself at the ves-
try doorway which l had entered than
she saw me and with "Oh, Jack, Jackp
stumbled toward me and fell limp in my
arms and lay there like a cut lily and as
speechless. I had carried her into the
vestry and was bathing her temples with
the parsons drinking water before the
wedding party could realize what had
come to them. He was the first to rush
in, as was natural perhaps.
Now / would not have harmed him
just then for all his wordy spleen if he
had not laid rough hands on me as he
tried to force me from my place. But
when the shock of his touch went through
me laid Doris head down for one mo-
ment while sprang to my feet, and
catching him by the collar and the small
of the back pitched him out of the open
door with such goodwill that he fell on
the grass dozen yards away and lay
there, a huddled heap of blackness on the
green.
When I turned round Doris was open
ing her eyes and looking upat her moth
er, asking where she was. I knelt and
looked down at her. She stared while
you might count three, and then her
arms were around my neck, and I raised
her in mine.
"He declared his love here at this
wicket, as you had, dear, before him."
"But the letter." said.
=