The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-11
A LAGGARD IN LOVE.


was only one person in the gathering brid
al party-not the bride, nor yet the groom
only an attendant-and his name was JaCl
Wyndom. 1t was generally understood
that he was a disappointed lover, and hi:
relations a gratefully rejoicing company
For the latter Harriet Wagner's momon
tarily impending marriage to Ben Ellis
would avert possible misalllanCe with
the Wyndom name and to save that family
necessary financial prop in the person Of
Jack himself. At least this was the sup
position which had taken such strong hold
on the congregation that it almost made
itself felt In the silence.
The night was that VIGOROUSLY evasiye
cold one Of July, and it was passing over
Jack Wyndom with an aching conclusive
ness that the strange something so con.
stantly predicted for such an atmospheric
condition had come to him. Moving W
the church he suffered that same sense Of
oppression endured by mourners following
the dead to the altar
In the position assigned him, sidewise
to the people, his commanding form and
strong, young profile clear against the
bank of palms, offered fair mark fol
many curious eyes, but the young mans
inward gasping Of himself concerned not
them, only the ceremony about to proceed.
The groom stood already before the
chancei There was 1utter OF tulle and
chiffon, and the blond bride was also in
her place. Then Jack knew the dread be-
hind him had advanced and stood there in
the form Of his old sweetheart beside his
prosperous rival.
Those two together How pitilessly they
emphasized the loss before him.
The clergyman muttered service and
the intermezzc, like sobbing of dove,
ngtated the waiting man almost beyond
endurance. In the midst of 1t sounded out
with peculiar distinctness:
xviii you, Harriet take Benjamin for
your lawful husbandi"
"He is in my place, He Is in my place, !"
rushed over Jack with great, useless
throb Of rebellion. His finely turned
mouth lifted slightly with the indrawn
look Of suspense SO painful to see in tho
face Of youth, and his eyes bent Within
ploring anxiety into the face of the bride.
1t was plain what the answer would DO,
and it came, careless and clear:
~ willr'
The echoing treble notes struck him like
q blow. The minister's stern question
went on. ITO love, honor and Obey
But there was 10 further need to listen. 1t
was done-done.
Standing there so still, only Jacks heart
moved. An obligingly convenient win
dow across the way fastened his eyes In a
blurred gaze, and that moment his whole
sentence concentrated in tho ono over
whelming realization:
"She has gone from me for life"
Then he was conscious of the dissolving
party. Some girls hand on his arm, and
Jack Wyndom passed down the aisle with
head erect, his handsome face whittier than
usual.
II was a fool to come" he felt harshly,
"but," vaguely in his distress, Zone must
net show the white feather"
His sight gathered indistinctly his own
stately sister, Katherine, all his clan Of
fashionable relatives, present IN their sud
den generous expansiveness. He knew
them and their concessions. Now in their
safety, bland, atfable, needing only the
propitious moment to break into smiles
of good wishes for the bride. Not three
weeks ego no silence was icy enough no
gravity disappearing enough for even
mention of her name. 1t was this attitude
of his family that weighed on him more
than he knew Now the sight of them re-
called all his old dutiful struggles. Whcth-
er he had right to impose another and
unwelcomo addition on the household,
when it would materially lessen his large
contributions to its support. that had been
the question. With the inevitable conclu-
sion, if Katherine would only marry, then
he would be FREQ.
"Now," no thought, keeping step to the
music, II have tarried too long"
You 1avo done her wrong, you have
done her wrong" reiterated conscience,
land Harriet has judged YOU"
Yes, she had judged him, answered his
old question definitely to herself, "She
could not spend her life waiting on nero
possibility"
Here Jack and his fair companion step.
ped out into the open air. He had forgot
ten oil about her in his lonely absorption.
"Oh, Mr.. Wyndom, wasn't tho bride
charmingS" chirped the girl before they
were well out of the church.
To his surprise the ready answer, eyes,
they all arc" tripped easily from his
tongue. He had cooled suddenly. All his
real self seemed shut In, but his voice was
answering the bridesmaid. Luckily sho
was stranger to tho town and to his love.
He felt no embarrassment with her, only
a sense Of being incloscd in metal globe
with some one striking wild, nerve split
ting blows on the outside, regardless Of
his presence
They rode along quickly enough to the
house and reception. There was Harriet
animated and to others the least bit hard,
but to her old lover something small,
sweet, incxpressibly lovable. He looked
away. A feeling of her personal nearncss
&c him possessed him. The heavy looking
man beside her made his heart quake, and
be had not even greeted him yet.
Only to get away as soon as possible
that was the idea. Then he remembered
his seat at the brides table. He stopped
moment, but there was 10 way out Of it.
He had to stay.
"Play it oil out, " he thought with the
first dash of bitterness his sweet nature
had yet betrayed and he did play 1t cut.
At last the guests departed, and jack
rolled fast through the darkness. Once in
his room no tore off his coat and wedding
gloves and fell OF the window lounge in
abandonment. The drcnching
moonlight and Cooi night air touched
lightly his aching head, buried in his arm
on tho window lpIYa