The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-25
A JUNE WEDDING.

ASA S1ONo wac A4pPSd5 BIG QidH Y 4ihO blit
man who had stolen her best friend from
her, and tho room was as warm as love.
And SO she stopped dancing when she
came opposite the head porticres, and,
linking her arm into that Of VIII Tavers,
the best man, she said, "For pity sake,
get me out of this room or III fainti''
"EIave an ice?'' he asked.
eyes, III take anything-air especial
iy," she answered.
aThen you ought to have taken Jimmy
Long when he proposed, . he said banter.
ingly. Hos mostly wind, YOU KNOW
Hes always polite, though she an,
swered pointedly. II never heard of him
making personal remarks"
Nobody ever heard of him making
anything, Z said Tayers.
Il know that Fred Dent is your best
friend and that you'll stick up for him.
But so was Lu my chum, and your friend
got amore charming girl than he deserved.
Oh, I've heard lots about him, . she added
knowingly.
.You didn't tell Lu anything, / hope,' 9
he said quickly.
mo" answered the girl slowly, 81 new
er told her anything. 1t doesn't pay for
any n to tell a girl anything thai is det-
rimental to the mar she loves. OF course
I think she's too good for him. I've told
her that often enough, but she only an
swered with a laugh that no one was too
good for him"
A little while after all the bridesmaids,
headed by the maid of honor, trooped up
stairs to help hinder the bride put on her
travelling gown. The groom and best man
also went up stairs, and the happy man
threw off his coat and waistcoat in a jiffy,
and, throwing himself on the bed, lighted
a cigarette.
Everything went of smoothly, WHIP
he asked.
"Superbly,o was Tavers' response.
"The only unpleasant thing about the
whole affair took place outside the house. "
What was thats"
"Oh, a number Of girls that you and I
once knew were hanging around the avn
ing. Doubtless they wanted to see you as
q Benedict. Officer Smith ordered them
away. I told him to do So"
There was a silence for q few minutes.
Then the groom said: Don't you think,
Tayers, that after a mans married he can
live down the old life-isolate it, make
it q thing apart, so that it win never crop
up again?"
1.-THE ma can do it better thar the girl
can, was Tavers' senticnt answer
Dent flushed to the roots of his hair.
Then be rose from the bed, gave Tayers
his dress suit to take over to the BRIDES
room to be locked in her trunk and put
on his travelling suit.
Then he waited for the bride a little
space. When she came from her room, ho
kissed her, and together they q through
a storm of rice to the carriage.
Dent helped the bride into the carriage
and pressed Tavers' hand. Then, just as
he was IN the step, the horse gave q lunge,
there was a woman's cry, M q body was
hurled against the front wheels.
Quick as a lightning stroke Dent was
under the vehicle and pulled the woman
cut from beneath tho horses hoofs. He
gave a quick cry as he saw her face, and
Tayers, right behind him, said, MY God,
it's Gracei'
Jump into the carriage, Tayers, with
my wife," said @ant huskily, his face
white as marble. "Be quick, be quick,
and tell her that q woman has just been
knocked down by the horses; that I'll be
with her in a minute"
With the aid of a policeman the groom
carried the woman to the sidewalk. She
was q little thing. pretty and not without
some little facial evidence of refinement,
but her mouth had grown coarse; her eyes
were penciled.
There were two ugly gashes in her fore
head-two sunken bloody marks, as if red
hot horseshoes had been branded there.
She opened her eyes for one brief second,
and they caught those of Dent. The grave
was snatched of its victory for an infln-
itesimal space of time, and then the blood
gushed out of her mouth. Dent bentd down
to grasp her hand in q mute and eyerlast-
ing farewell, and as he touched the moist
and limp palm his fingers clasped on an
objec5-a locket.
He drew his hand away, and with it
came that little bit of oddly shaped gold.
He knew what it was. He did not need
to look at it, for he remembered a golden
ingot, followed and with tiny clasps, and
on one side was her picture and on the
other was his.
"Ihere'll be an ambulance here in o
second, /" said the policeman. II think
she S dead, but the hospital will be given
the chance. 1t wasn't tho coaehman's
fault. She ran right into the horses
seemed to do it on purpose
Dent turned and went to the carriage.
"All right, Tavers,' no said. And the
best man jumped out, the groom jumped
in, and the horses once more started.
aMr. Tavers wouldn't tell me what the
matter was said the bride, "but I saw a
woman lying on the sidewalk. Was she
much hurt?o
"Sho hasn't even the tiniest pain now, =
answered Dent.
"Oh, Pm SO gladl" said his wife.
The carriage had not gone half q mile
when the sharp elang of an ambulance
bell rang out. Nearer and nearer it came,
and at the next electric light carriage and
ambulance were abreast.
Two women and one man whom fate
had meshed together were riding within
ten feet of each other. Two vehicles there
were abreast. One was a carriage, the
other a hospital ambulance. Two women
there were, and one was living and one
was dead. Ono was tho wife of the man
who rode beside her; the other should have
been.
what are you thinking about SO ear
nestly, Fred?'' said the little wife.
II was thinking of tho woman | loved, :"
he answered, and his hand unconsciousiy
touched the locket in his pocket.
well, then, Kiss her." said the little
bride archly.
He drew her to him and kissed her.
And from the distance came the faint
sound of the ambulance bell.-Exchange