The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-01-26

V~
"Hclcn, darlmg-not that Don't aDaste
those kisses"
caught the hand and brought it down.
But when it came to the ring there was
CONSERVATION. 10 the horror Of tho
groom, the despair of the bride, but to
the marked and trcmulous emotion Of
Aunt Lucretia, the ~circlct produced for
the occasion by the duzcd best man was
an old fashioned but beautiful cluster
of flashing gems. Only by a miracle
did it happen that the other ring was
in his possession. How the mixture &C.
Cured there was no time to tell, until
later, when all were gathered, for there
were two whose fortunes we have fol-
lowed through these long, long chapters
who were absent from the ceremony,
who, in fact, were having one Of their
own, and to these two, while tho band
without is softly playing III front of the
chapel, and III eager hundreds tho mon
arc gathered to cheer the bride and
groom on their temperance, lot US turn
and listen.
"No, dear Mrs. Farrar," were Helen
Daunton's words as the eager guests
were pouring forth to the wedding.
'Thcy are bringing him here, wen
now, SO that he may welcome Will and
Kitty on their return from tho wedding
he cannot see"
And no sooner was the party fairly at
the chapel than there drove to the colo
nel's door the old colonel, and two
soldiers assisted to alight and led to tho
doorway the soldicrly form of Captain
Lealc, his eyes still covered by the deep
green shade. 1t was Helcn Daunton's
hand that guided him into the lately
crowded parlor, and he knew tho touch
and thrilled with the joy of it.
"Helcn!" he cried. "They told mo
all were gone. What IL blessed welcomed
I've been so long in exile! With your
voice the old home feeling Two been
cropping for comes to mo through the
dark"
"Then it is still dark with your" she
faltcrcd.
There was II moments pause. The
band had just ceased the joyous march
with which it had "troopcd' the we'd
ding party into the chapel, and then, as
though in accompaniment to the cere-
mony just beginning and to the sweet
romance already throbLing here, the ex-
quisito strains of the "Traumerei"
softly thrilled upon the fragrant air.
"Hclcn!" he spoke, his deep voice
trembling, rs did the hand that still
chung to hers. "You know that for me
the lights went out before over that
powder flash crossed my eyes" She
strove, hardly knowing why, to release
her hand. mo, dear" he went on gem
tly. Don't be afraid 1 have como back
to vcx you with my sorrows; but listen,
they will all be here in in a moment. !
went away hoping TO teach my heart a
friendship fer you hat should give me
the right to come again and serve you
as your friend. When l found that it
was almost sure that l should walk in
darkness all my life, | said, Now at
least can accept the blessing Of her
friendship, oven as she offered it to mo-
A man manned and set apart from his
fellows can learn thankfulncss for II
great good, though it is not his hearts
desire" And hero her graceful head
was bowed, and silently her tears came
gushing forth. But timo has taught
me the falsity of that" he went on,
frmlynow. "You shall never misunder-
stand mo. Even in the dark my pulse
at 10 that beautiful June morning
there was something moro than pathetic
about poor Lucrctia's sorrows. While
Eenton, Mrs. Farrnr, Helen, silent,
brave faced Ellis, and a dozen sym.
pathetic souls from all over the post
were gathered on tho north piazza over
hanging the bluff and tho roaring
waters of the Platte, signaling to Will
and watching eagerly his vigorous
movements, the lady Of tho house re-
manned within doors, wcpt INCREASINGLY
and refused to BIZ comfortcd.
1T Is dreadful to think Of the con-
dition that chicken salad will be in,"
sho moanod. "It is prcpostcrous to talk
to mo Of patience! I've said all along it
was to be M unlucky day, because you
all know perfectly wcll-at least if you
don't you ought to-that it is Just 13
years ago this day that we were all
gathered at Fort Crook for tho funeral
OF Captain Crocus, which was to take
place the moment tho ambulance got in
from the front, and the band was all
ready, and tho escort and the hearse and
and after all tho whole thing had to
be abandoned, for when the ambulance
got in thcro were no remains at all--at
least there were, but thoy weren't ready
for burial because they'd revived and
wore sitting mp and saying shocking
things. Why, | think Il wedding with
out % bride is ten times worse than %
funeral without a-without a.
But here, it must he admitted, tho
burst of laughter in which Rorkc in
dulged Was too much for her dctcrmina-
ton to weep, and, blazing through her
tears, tho maiden demanded explanation
of his unsccmly conduct. Rorkc was q
permanent member Of tho c~olonel's os-
tablishmcnt now, but he could not risk
Miss Lucrctia's displcaSurc, and was
wise and knew his danger and fed TO
tho kitchen, there TO tell cook and
Chinamn the lady's plairtivo mono.
loguc, while Amory, equally conscience
less, ran out to convulse with it tho
party on tho porch. And then in the
midst OF all the laughter came dclirious
news from tho ''bost man" sent to meet
the bride and Ormsby at the station and
break to them the dircful news that
tho bridegroom was late" Tho train