The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-09-29
MARRYING A DEAD Nan.

The Rev. Courtney Miles sat 81 hia
warm study, and toasted his slippered
feet at the bright fire in the well-pol
ished CRATE, and was thankful as he
listened to the beating of the storm
against the windows, that he was
through with his duties for the day,
and free to take his ease
He was a handsome young man OF
thirty, or thereabouts, and he had been
settled at Coldbrook for little over
a year, and had, so his parishioners
said, great success with his people.
He was unmarried from choice" for
there was more than one bright faced
young girl in the parish who would
nave been happy to share his life and
he Inhabited the pretty parsonage at
the end Of the village street, and was
very comfortable under the mOtherly
care of Mrs. Burke, his housekeeper.
Even as he sat there felicitating him
self on the comfortable evening be
fore him, sharp, imperative rap at the
outer door broke in on his pleasant
medltatOnS, and a moment later the
door OF the study opened to admit a
visitor.
The man was we'll wrapped up, and
his cap was pulled down over his fore
head so that little of his face was Wis
ible, but Mr.. Miles caught the sinister
CLEAN of a pair of dark eyes which
seemed to pierce him through.
<1n nj
courteously; will you be seated?" l-
The man waved back the offered
chair as he stood with his hand still
on the door.
rs this Mr. Miles:"
Yes, SIR .Nt Effi
you are wanted at Ashcroft at
once"
"At Ashcroft said Mr.. Miles with
start of establishment "WhO wants
me?" Is any one ill?" Is t @,H t9s
''The master of Ashcroft is dying"
dying Beaumont dying? Why
only last Wednesday saw him riding
past on horseback" ~
"wednesday was three days ago.
said the stranger. "A great deal may
happen in three days"
Mr. Miles rapidly ran over in his
mind the few items of information ne
had of Mr.. Bronson Beaumont, the
master of the finest estate in the town,
and allowed to himself that such In
formation was very meager.
A man of wealth and leisure; man
who never went inside a church; a
dark, silent, uncommunicative man
who. ten years before, had come from
no one Just knew where, purchased the
beautiful estate of Ashcroft, and set
tied down to a life of seclusiOn.
He never visited, and those people
who had called on him in nelghborly
way, never got any farther than MS
hall door. Not at home, was the mes
sage each and every would-be visitor
received.
Mr.. Miles rose little reluctantly and
nut on his boots and OvercOat.
There was a carriage at the door,
and the strange messenger, having seen
MFR. Miles inside the vehicle, closed the
door. mounted to the seat Deslde tue
coachman. and the horses Whlrled rap
idly away.
II was a couple of miles to Ashcroft.
but the distance was soon covereu' anu
the carriage door was opened Ior MI
Miles to alight.
rho hall was dimly lighted by shad-
Oh 1amp. as was the broad stairWa!
IN which a somber-faced servant COLI
Quoted the young clergyman.
A door at the head Of the stairs open
od noiselessly. and tall woman IN q
dress of dark-red silk, with creamy, yer
low lace at her throat where a single
craot diamond cleaned like s''l'
stepped into the passage
Her face was somewhat III snauOW'
hit Mr.. Miles perceived that neS sAln
was fair and pale, and that her eyes
wore dark and intensely brilliant, ana
that her cheeks burned with the VlVlo
crimson of some strange excitement.
Without a word, she laid a single
white hand on the clergymans arm,
and drew him within spacious chaH-
her. lighted only by the htfm names
of q smouldering fire on the heartn.
There was curtained bed IN the
shodowv corner of the room, and It
was easy to see from the way the coun-
+ornane was drawn up that the bed nad
an occupant. 4,o
rho woman drew Mr.. Miles to the
hods;de and spoke in Il whisper:
..NIr Beaumont is dying. 1t is MS
wish and mine that you unite us IN
marriage. And no time must be lost,
for the end is near" -
"R,,t. madam" said Mr.. Miles, TINS
Sc somewhat unusual proceeding.
There should be a license and Wit
nesseS." >,
Both are here" said the woman
ond she handed him a folded paper,
while at the same time out from the
shadows behind the beds head came
two persons, and one OF them was the
man who had summoned the minister.
Courtney Miles ran his eye rapidly
over the document presented him, and
saw that it was in regular form, grant
ing permission for. the rites of matrl-
mOny to-sbe performed between Bron-
son Beaumont, aged tifty-six, and Ag-
mes Leslie, aged twenty-four.
Yet. in spite of this, Mr.. Miles hest
+ated. The whole affair wore for him
a strange-nay, a suspicious aspect.
'I must speak to Mr.. Beaumont" he
said. moving toward the half-shrouded
pillows.
.eThere is no necessity" said Miss
I.eslie-"it would only agitate him. 1t
is all arranged between us. You have
only to perform the marriage cere-
mony."
She put her hand within the pale
hand of the beds occupant, and said
coldly:
II am waiting. Go on