The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-12-14

Fortunately the boat struck the pier
and the good doctor had all that he
could do to keep his feet. Stanton could
not have listened to much more.
AS they parted in the waiting-room,
the clock struck ~, and for his last
words DR.. Borden repeated:
twelve o'clock, and all is WELL"
From the moment when the cere.
mony began, Stanton had acted onl.
mechanically. He had heard the cler-
gyman say: "Join hands," and involun-
tarily extending his own, which was
cold and trembling, he saw white
hand come from under the cloak 10
meet it. He saw diamond flashing on
one of the fingers. He even saw that
the diamond was beautifully set in
pearls. He felt strange thrill as the
warm, firm hand touched his own.
Then he heard those words-fear-
full words they seemed to him-'Whom
God hath Joined together let no man put
asunder.''
be tried to cry out to stop, to save the
brave little woman by his side from such
an awful bond; but before he could
utter sound the rest of the sentence
was spoken, and John Olmstead's mil
lions and the woman by his side were
his forever.
He would have given all those mil
lions, and all that he had beside, to see
that little woman free. How he pitied
her and despised himself as they stood
alone, man and wife together, in Che
ferry waiting-roo1n!
This is a case where I can congrat-
ulate you, too," she said, land then /
must go at once. It is much later than
l thought it would be-
"Go?" Stanton muttered. Go where:
Didn't you hear him? Whom God hath
joined together
You are overwrought tonight" she
replied, gently. 1T will be different in
the morning. You will remem Der, then,
that it was only plain business bar
gain, clearly understood and fairly car
ried out. A wise end has been accom-
plished, and am perfectly satisfied
II do not want to remember that it
was 4 bargain Stanton exclaimed.
struggling to rouse himself. ''It was
the meanest of self-interest in me, and
simply unheard-of generosity in you.
Forgive me. Come with me now and be
my real wife. I am not worthy of you,
but l will do my best TO-
"Why, sir, not half an hour ago you
said You trusted me. If was worthy
of your confidence, surely I shall not be
false to our compact, for your sake,
any more than for my own. Here is the
card of a banking house in New York.
IT there are any papers requiring my
signature, send them addressed to Es-
Their Thorndike, in their care, and they
will be forwarded to me at once. If no
harm will result from it, I think I shall
go abroad, with friends who are to leave
Il week from to-day. wish that you
would go away, too, for awhile, even to
Florida, or California. You don't know
how many uncomfortable things will
come up for you to face if you remain
here. Promise me that you will CO."
"Why, certainly, If" The incongru-
ity of following instinct and saying" if
you wish it" checked him. He waited a
moment, and added, falteringly: Il
should like to go with YOU" TWAS not
necessary to see her face to know that
a decided negative was coming, and be-
fore she could speak, he added: AT
leastyou will let me send you the money
for your trip?"
Certainly not, sir. That was not the
bargain which we made,'' she ex-
claimed. "You forget that, except for
this legal matter which you have to
settle. we are each Of us precisely what
we were an hour ago. We neither OF
us wished to marry anyone, and, to ac
compllsh wise end, we went through
aceremony:the only resultof which upon
ourselvesis thatwe privately and secret
~, know that now we cannot marry.
That is all, and it was no sacrifice to
either of us. 1 know we'll enough that
we shall each of us respect the others
position, and that unless one of us
should change and wish that we might
marry, there will never be a sacrifice. S
| assure you, have a great deal more
money than I can ever begin to use, in
all my life"
AT least, madam, there was to be .
condition, and you have not named it,
Stanton muttered.
II do not need to, noW,'' she replied,
turning to go.
ut was not that way in the bargain,
Stanton said, and the tips of his teeth
showed under his mustache. This time
it was more like the smile Of q boy
who had been already logged, and
smarts, and still is doing his best not
% cry.