The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-08-01
ONLY A WEDDING RING.

CHAPTER xxxv.
ONLY A WEDDING RING.
Hear the mellow wedding bells, golden
bells.
What q world of happiness their melody fore
tells;
On the balmy air of night
How they ring out their delight.
From the molten golden throats ,whata liquid
ditty floats,
And all in tune.
To the turtle dove that listens while she
on the moon.'
Bellagranda was en- fete. 1t was
Elviia's wedding day. At last Sir
Miles patient waiting was to be
rewarded, and the beautiful Miss
Delane, the rich heiress of Bella
granda, was to become the mistress
of the Snuggery.
Mr.. Delane had heard Sir Miles
proposal for the hand of his daughter
with intense satisfaction. Shrewd,
like most money makers, MIR. De-
| lane was a keen reader of character,
and he was fully alive to Sir Miles
good qualities, sensible enough too
to be DESTROYS that his daughter
should marry a good man rather
than a great or a rich one, and he
spoke the absolute truth when he
told every one who congratulated
him "that in the whole length and
breadth Of England there could not
have been a man he would have
preferred for a son in -law."
Whether Elvira had caught some
of her fathers ardor-enthusiasm
being catching-did not transpire,
but she declared herself to be one of
the luckiest girls in creation, and
surely she seemed very, very happy.
The great desire of his manhood
being then about to be triumphantly
crowned, it seemed somewhat strange
| that Sir Miles himself was far less
| elated about the coming marriage
than anyone else nearly concerned
in it. The fact was, to give and not
to take was Sir Miles, pleasure, and
he had not realized until he came
into actual contact with them, how
overwhelming was the magnitude of
Elvira's riches.
Ifhe had been about to marry a poor
girl, he could have presented her
with many a charming, even costly
gift; but with Elvira he could only
look on at the masses of jewels, rare
gems, priceless fabrics, and innumera-
BILE gew-gaws with which her father
loaded her, and feel that he was
almost number three in a tr%iunivirate
of which he naturally felt he ought
to number one.
For a time Elvira could not make
out why Sir Miles Berkely, who, che
knew, loved her very dearly, wat
not the happiest of men.
8 1t was only a few days before the
!, wedding that the riddle was solved
and by Mrs. Singleton.
Elvira had driven over to Brent.
wells, radiant in a sable lined CLOAK
which Mr.. Delane had that morning
received from town, and presented
to his daughter, fearing that the
! March winds, during which the
honeymoon would be spent, woult
be cold for his child.
Mrs. Singleton was still at Brent
ellis; she was waiting for warmer
weather to go to the old Yorkshire
homo and collect her effects, whic
I were to be housed in a picturesque
cottage on the Brentwells e ate
where she was to live for the future
She took a lively interest in every
4 thing connected with Elvira's APP
preaching marriage, at which, how
ever, she, of course, could not bt
present, owing to her deep mourn
ing.
!, She had seen many precious gift
$ given by Mr.. Delane to the young
6 bride, and admIyed and rejoiced owe
J them, but this cloak brought TIT
!, tears into her eyes, and she hat
p, much difficulty in preventing hersel
/, from going into Mysteries.
r Elvira looked surprised.
, "Abel-my poor, dear Abel,'
; sobbed the widow. 'It was tn
dream and hope of his life to give M
1 such a cloak, but he had not tn
money until quite lately, and I wa
) to have had one this winter. oh
! Miss Delane, you little know what
4 pleasure it was to my Abel to loa
me with gifts; a pleasure which
denied to poor, dear Sir Miles Berk
ely"
= elbow denied to him, Mrs. Single
4
a ton? What do you meanT"
"Why, I should like to know wha
on earth there is that he a offe
you. You have 80 much already.
: asked him one day what was to b
his wedding gift to you, and b
sighed and said the golden circlet b
n hoped ere long to put on your fnge
a was about the only thing you did NJ
% already possess"
Elvira tried to laugh and turn o
as a Joke these few seemingly care
less remarks, but she was very silel
during the rest of her visit, whie
she shortened considerably.