The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-16


but costs about u as much. All groccrs
sell II 15c- and Csc.
This policeman knew all about we'd
dings, for he had often attended at the
church doors i'm an official capacity. He
had observed the costumes worn on
such occasions, and he had never seen
groomsman I'm "a blue coat. He shook
his head stubbornly.
That's all very WELL" he said; but
i can't take, II. sir. You must walk TO
the station with me. It's close by
Peter saw that argument was vain.
The entry by the window, the broken
lock. the pocketbook, and. although he
did not know IL. the blue coat were all
against him. BY this time the cere-
mony must have begun, and perhaps
they We're waiting for the ring. With
an exclamation of rage and despair he
hurled both ring and the pocketbook
into the furthest corner OF the roori
At the church, however, matters had
gone perfectly. Barron soon decided
that Peter must have got into difficult
ties, and then discovered the keys OF
the desk In his own pocket. Making
the best of the case. he secured the SER
vices OF Miss Pattie's brother Charles"
as groomsman, sent him To borrow "A
ring from one of the women, and then
went to meet the bride, full provided.
Everything ran smoothly after that
until the whole party proceeded 10 thu
brides home for the breakfast.
From there messenger was sent to
look for Peter. and just as the break
fast had begun the missing groomsmap
made his appearance. What he had
suffered during the course of his adj
venture no one would ever know, but
there was i'm his face minglingeDf un-
ter Ia 81 nf lGl
and dishevelled, he stepped into tho
room, and stared about him. But his
chief emotion was anxiety.
Good gracious. my dear fellow,"
cried Barron, where have you been?
What is the matter? Come and sit
here"
Peter came. He looked az the face
Of bride and bridegroom. and saw that
all was well. Then he wiped his brows
with a sigh of relief.
1T is all right. them he said husk-
lily. II have been in a terrible state
thought you couldn't get on without the
ring"
He spoke so strangely that "A smile
appeared on several races. One of
those at the head of the table, however,
did not smile. she was looking into
Peters face, and IL was her voice that
murmuTed Poor fellow" Barron
heard Il and wondered.
The groomsman took his sea, and
told his curious story. Ii could not have
been expected that the poor anthropolo-
gist would be a good story teller; but
here was a surprise for ali. Peter hat
been shaken out of himself; he spoke
with simple feeling and Indignation:
his words. his gestures, moved every
one To sympathy. The scientist had
emotions. in spite OF science.
Imagine the position, ne said. The
IL
] had been trusted 10 get-and the po-
liceman immovable. infexible. My
dear Barron. | was Wild would have
done anything would have given him
a fortune--I would have given up my
fellowship-to get away.
would"
He paused for breath. Every eye
was upon him; every sound was hushed
'The inspector" he said, was a lit
tie more reasonable, and thus ! am
here. That policeman must have been
a little mad, 1 believe. / could not
quite make out his explanations but it
seems that one OF his excuses for ar
resting me was my coat! II was most
extraordinary
Then, of course, everyone looked at
Peters coat, and saw that IL was blue
beneath the dust. Barron glanced at
Miss Pattie. and she, perceivlng his
meaning. remembered her threat She
looked at Peter sand once more, for the
third time.
There was no ridicule now. no con-
tempt Peters face was flushed: his
eyes were bright. Miss Pattie saw in
his countenance something that caused
her own to soften TO change She saw,
perhaps. an old Peter, the one who had
been Barrons friend and mad won Bar
rons faith and LOYALTY long ago--the
plain unseltlsh Peter, who. during the
whole OF this unhappy adventure, had
not given one thought 90 himself. OR,
perhaps. she saw in his face the Peter
of "A possible future. when some soft
hand--a woman's hand-should have
brushed away the dust OF his studies.
and sent him forth, neat and FURNISHED
to face the world again.
Then Peter. in the silence, looked up
also, and his eyes met hers. For a mo-
ment they gazed at one another. and
for the second time that day Peter
Sands Fellowship became a very small
thing. Then the incident was over.
well upon my word" muttered
Barron. who had seen it all. Upon my
word!"
AS have already hlnted. everything
came -ahnnL through The blue coal. Had
it not been for that, Miss Pattie would
have paid no more attention TO Peter
than to any other fusty scientist. and
Peter would never have been led To OBJ
serve her eyes. Had il not been FOR the
coat. Barron would not have forgotten
the ring. Peter would have had no
need TO break into a house. the police
man would have had no reasonable
cause TO doubt his explanation. Fur
ther. but for the coat, Miss Pattle
would never have given Peter that sec
ond glance which moved her sympathy
for him or that third glance which laid
bare TO her quick eyes his simple, un-
selfish heart and the possibilities that
lay beneath the dust
The remainder OF the story is simplic-
ity itself. When the Fellow reached
home that night he sat up TO late
hour. calculating what amount annu-
ally he would be worth II he lost his
fellowship, When he had settled this
cue ton he shook his head IN doubt
ful way. and took down from "A shelf
those packets OF manuscript which
were the beginning OF his Epoch of the
Mastodon" They had been neglected
for two years, but from that hour he
spcat large proportion of his time in
adding to aud revising thcin.