The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-01-21

.a1Iowed every ray of light fell in
To rain: in fact true November day,
November used TO be. The fog
rcemed to penetrate crevices and win
dows. and pressing into the room lay its
old hand upon ones feelings darken-
;rg every hope and inspiration within
one.
Or did this feeling of oppression come
x-om the book which | had taken up, a
,nodern novel which reflected the world
.s Il may be, with Photographic truth;
miserable men, dishonorable or unfor-
,unate women-as sad and unfriendly
as the world without?
finally could not bear it any longer,
and | threw the book away. A card
fell OUT
TUESDAY, November 10 at four in the
afternoon in the Church of the Trinity"
was engraved upon it and below. writ
ten in a girlish hand: Come at least to
the wedding, dear aunt; l shall expect
I you"
Hooked at the clock. 1t was quarter
4 before four and | had forgotten this
/ wedding from which l did not in the
/ least wish to stay away, as i could not
4 90 TO the festivities afterward on ac-
count of recent illness. l had just time
TO change my dress hastily, and to
throw myself into carriage in order to
reach the church in season.
The fog did not seem so dense. the
sky was less heavy; / was already
cheered by the thought of seeing happy
faces. Yes, Hedwig must look happy,
happier than ever to-day!
She was the daughter of a lifelong
friend, and my favorite from the day
that | had held her in my arms for the
first time and she had looked into my
face with her large blue eyes. ! had
seen her grow up. a sweet, good, charm
ing girl, and the sunbeam of the house
in her harmless playfulness.
Then came time when size grew
quiet and pale, and when those same
large, dark blue eyes had a deeper ex-
preston, as though they shed secret
tears. She said nothing, but we knew
her carefully guarded secret; and vet
we could not bring him TO her feet, the
man she loved, who stubbornly kept
away. But her troubles came to an end.
1t proved that he had been too proud to
ask for the hand of the rich mans
daughter, before he had obtained GER
tain position.
Hedwig was very happy. ! had not
met the groom during their short en-
gagement, but what / heard of him in
the family circle was well adapted to
increase the good opinion of him which
his proud reserve had given me.
The carriage stopped. The ceremony
had already begun, when 1 entered the
church and mixed with the inquisitive
spectators. l could see oply part of the
splendid wedding guests, but the bridal
couple were in full view.
Hedwig. with a serious, thoughtful
expression on her sweet face and
happy lookin her blue eyes, looked quite
as | had pictured her. But the bride
groom did not please me quite so well.
1t seemed to me that he had something
intense in his face and closely knitted
brows, something reckless, searching,
In his eyes; in short, not al all the looks
of happy man.
To be sure, l had friend who main
tanned that there was no being more
miserable than a bridegroom on his
wedding day. why" he used TO say,
THE poor fellow simply dwindlesaway
beside his bride. For her the day is the
most beautiful of her whole life, on
which she is revered like queen. He
does not only play a subordinate part,
nut an entirely miserable role is the
one which he has to act, and one can
easily see how uncomfortable he feels"
But my friend was a confirmed bache-
Tor, and | never believed what he said
ABOUT these things, and do not yet be-
lieve him.
Inc longer looked at the groom the
less liked him. His uneasiness seemed
]" increase, and he heard as little of the
sermon, which was pretty well spun out
oy one of our best preachers, as did l.
MS eyes-I could have sworn it
seemed to be directed, in their uneasy
search to just where 1 sat.
And Yet | could not possibly be the
0oJect OF his disquiet, even if he could
nave seen me, which he could not, for l
was hidden in the shadow of a pillar.
nu' LOT whom were those eyes search
ing?
began to look at my neighbors. Be
s'ue me sat stout woman with good
"a'ured race and hat covered with
D'ight howers and ribbons; and little
Sas from us set a young girl who was
SiesSed prettily and with taste and who
nau remarkably fine profile, but new
,tneless gave me the impression that
sue was seamstress in her Sunday
"hen she turned found that she was
eeeulngly pretty. The pew in which
ne sat was at right angles with our
a., SO that | could easily look at her
r 49, lace and the large gray eyes,
a." au'a oy long lashes, without being
Sp'uroed' particularly as the girls
"oie attention seemed to be riveted
~ ,ne bridal pair. Or perhaps on the
groom, An1 b;e -, ko,t