The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-07-24

teeth and meekly bend her proud neck
20 the yoke Of necessity She had at
tuned her expectations TO the heroic
key, and she could not, with all that
wild craving for happiness within her,
consent 10 transposo all those winged
harmonies and bold. beautiful chords
into a fiat, duh, spritless key Of hum
drum, everyday prose.
1t was in accordance with custom
that she took but little part in the prep
arations for the wedding She was ex
cused from her week in the kitchen,
which Magda cheerfully assumed, Civ.
ing her own to Stina, who was next in
the order of succession The younger
girls were so agitatcd about the wedding
and took such a brcathlcss interest in
all that appertained TO it. that HIulda
by their vicarious zeal, felt nbsolved
from feigning any more concern in its
endless details than was absolutely de-
manded. 1t was her mothers intention
that she should have a trousseau becom-
ing the dignity Of the family, and she
remarked repeatedly as she contcm-
plated the piles of stockings, under
wear, sheets and pillowcases that GOV.
cred beds, chairs and tables, that nc
one could SAY that was an outfit that
princess might not have been proud Of
She fingered all the stufs-lnen, cot.
ton, silk and wcolen--with the crit
zeal appreciation of the true housewife,
and she would have forgiven her daugh.
ter more readily any uumaidenly con-
duct than her refusal 60 go into raptures
over the quality Of her table and bed
linen, which had all been woven in the
house. bleached on the lawn and man.
gled under the huge mangle, full Of
bOwlders, which stood IN tho empty
room over the laundry There was
something SO eXhilarating 60 Mrs.
BrincBman in the smell Of clean linen
that she was unable to comprehend how
the girl could be constituted who could
sniff it without some So uarg 0f onthu
siasm.
On the night before the wedding
Hulda sat alone i'm her ROOM The can
dies in the two and three armed candle
sticks Of polished brass burned ON the
dressing table, which was covered with
snowy white cloth Tho floor was
painted and uncarpotcd, and sheep
skin rug lay in front Of the bed. There
was something beautifully virginia. in
the air of the rO0m-somcthing serene
and pnagitatod, remote from lifc's deep
er experience But the girl who sat half
undrcssed before the mirror, staring at
a white satin gown Slightly yellowed
by age), which was hung over two
chairs, looked pale and deeply per
turbed The odors Of baking roasting
and brewing peryaded the whole house
and stole in through lsoyholes and cracks
in the door, and the thump, thump
thump of the wooden pestle with which
Nils pounded the meat dough in the
| stone mortar res0uuded through the
long, empty halls There was in the at
mosphere suhdued agitation which
somehow could not be kept ont Pres
emily steps were heard in tho hall, and
some one knocked at the dooi
"Hulda said Magda, "open the
door, please "
what do you wanty'
Mother is sitting down in the parlor
with Mr. Falck, and she sent me up to
say that they are waiting TO see you in
yous wedding gown.
II am not ready yet
But why don't you allow anybody
20 help you? Mother is very much Of
Tended because you wouldn't let her in.
But Mr. Falck knows nothing about it.
/ She says nothing but what is nice about
you to him.
Hulda rose listlcsslyr went to the
door and unlocked IT, Magda envcloped
in a cloud Of kitchen odors, entered with
bustling haste pushing back her hair
! with both hands Her cheeks were hot
from tho fire and her eyes full of house
wifely cares. She stopped in the middle
Of the floor when she saw her sister,
and striking her hands together she ex-
claimed
But. dear Hulda, what is the mat
teri"
Hulda met her glance for an instant,
but, fearing perhaps lest She read what
was in her mind, she dropped her eyes
with a strange, rigid look aud stood
staring at the floor When she glanced
up again, as with a determination not
TO betray herself the color fared cut
upon her cheeks and neck, and her eyes
slowly filled with tears There was an
anguish of soul ia her gaze which moved
even the practical Magda-
Are You i'll, dcar? she cried, start
ing forward with face fun Of eager
sympathy
NO, | ann only cold, answered Hui
da shivering
Let mo help and dress you You
must not sit here in negligoo and catch
cold You need 60 be well now-more
than ever
She lifted the Cld fashioned gown
from the chair and ram her fingers ca
ressingly over its glossy texture.
81 wish IL were / who was going to
20 married, " she said, with thOughtless,
giIlish glee
Il wish it were, Hulda replied list
lessly.
"You don't mean that surely.
n yes, / do, with al my heart
lyon don't mean 20 say that you arr
thinking Of that harebrained engineer
yetg' Magda queried with a kind Of
blunt heartiness
oh, what is the good Of itg' wai
her sister, nOncommittal reply.
She had risen now and was submit
ting quietly 70 Magaa's deft manipula-
tions She had pulled the skirt Of hel
wedding gown over her head and filled
the room with the faint perfume Of Law
ender which fingered like the ghost Of