Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-02

gate, then all was dark ON the highway,
and only the old father stood in that
wide open door, waiting, as he vowed
he would wait. till his daughter re-
turned.
She had not gone alone. A faithful
groom was behind her, and from him
was learned the conclusion of that
quest. For an hour and half they rode !;
then they came upon a chapel in ths
mountains in which were burning un-
wonted lights. At the sight the lady
drew rein and almost fell from her
horse into the arms of her lackey. "A
marriage, she murmured, "a mar.
riage, and pointed to carriage stand :.
ing in the shadow of wide spreading
tree TWAS their family carriage. How
we'll she knew it. Rousing herself, she
made for the chapel door, Il will stop
1T, she cried. ] am her mother, and |
have the right. But the lackey drew
her back by her rich white dress.
Look! he cried, pointing in at one of
the windows, and she looked. The man
she loved stood before the altar with
her daughter. He was looking in that
daughters face, and his look showed a
passionate devotion. Itw.1t like dag
ger to her heart. Crush ing her hands
against her face, she walled out some
fearful protest; then she dashed toward
the door with Stop! Stopl' ON her
lips. But the faithful lackey at her side
drew her back once more. Listen was
now his word, and she listened The
minister whose form she had failed to
see in her first hurried look was utter
ing his benediction She had come too
late. The young couple were married.
Her servant said, for so the tradi-
tion survives, that when she saw this
she grew calm as walking death in an
instant. Making her way into the chap
Ell, she stood ready at til . door to greet
them as they issued forth, and when
they saw her there, saw the rich bedrag-
gled robe and the CLEAN of jewels on a
neck she had not even stopped to envel-
OPP in more than the veil from her hair,
he seemed to see what he had done and
stopped the bride, who in her confusion
would have tied back to the altar where
she bad just been made wife
'Kncel!' he cried. 'Kneel, Amarynth
Only thus can we ask pardon of our
mother But at that word, that word
which seemed to push her million
miles away from these two beings, who
but two hours before had been the dear
est beings on earth to her, the unhappy
woman gave q cry and fled from their
presence. Col Go!' were her parting
words. AS you have chosen, continue.
But let no tongue call me mother |
Henceforth am mother to no one.
"They found her lying on the grass
outside. AS she could no longer sustain
herself on horse they put her into the
carriage, gave the reins to her devoted
lackey and themselves rode off on horse
back. One man, the fellow who had
driven them to that place, said that the
clock struck 10 from the chapel tower
as the carriage turned away and began
it's rapid journey home That may be so
and it may be not We only know that
its apparition enters Lost Mans lane at
nearly L, always az uSaIly L, GuS uOuI
at which the real carriage came back
and stopped before Mr.. Knollys' gate.
And now for the worst, Miss Butter
worth. When the old gentleman went
down to the carriage from the door,
where be had stood without movement
ever since she started after the lovers
it was to find the lackey in front and
his daughter sitting all alone in the car
riage. But the soil on the white brocad-
ed folds Of her white dress was no longer
that of mud only. She had stabbed her
self to the heart with bodkin she wore
in her hair, and it was q corpse which
the faithful negro had been driving
down the highways that night.
l am not a sentimental woman. but
this story as thus told gave me thrill
do not know as l really regret expert
encing.
"What was this unhappy mothers
name?" l asked.
"Lucetta, was the unexpected and
none too reassuring answer.