The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-11-24

ing:
Gentlemen, your watches. The ex-
act time is a matter of the gravest i'm
portance."
"Three minutes of 12."
'Two and half is all, think"
"Two, gentlemen. Two. Precisely
two. Rely upon my watch. 1t is two
minutes before 12, this 9th day of De-
cember, 1892. Two minutes is enough,
gentlemen. 1t Is enough. And let me
tell you that this is the second time
that one and the same fortune has been
rescued, as by a miracle, by the space
of two minutes one side or the other, of
IL o'clock. But bless my soul, Mr.. and
Mrs. Stanton, forgive me. My heartiest
congratulations and best wishes. May
you"
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 12, 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 only
mechanically. He had heard the cler-
gyman say: Join hands," and involun-
tarily extending his own, which was
cold and trembling, he saw a white
hand come from under the cloak to
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."
He 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 a sound the rest of the sentence
was spoken, and John Olmstead's mill
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 the
ferry waiting-room!
This is case where 1 can congrat-
ulate you, too," she said, "and then l
must go at once. 1t is much later than
1 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. ut will be different in
the morning. You will remember, then,
that 1t 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 bargain" Stanton exclaimed,
struggling to rouse himself. ut 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. / 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 l shall not be
false to our compact, for your sake,
any more than for my own. Here is the
card of banking house in New York.
If there are any papers requiring my
signature, send them addressed to Es-
ther Thorndike, in their care, and they
will be forwarded to me at once. If no
harm will result from it, think | shall
go abroad, with friends who are to leave
IL 10 low Il seL hnk
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
moment, and added, falteringly: II
should like to go with you" 1t was not
necessary to see her face to know that
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-
complish a wise end, we went through
aceremony the only result of which upon
ourselvesis that we, privately and secret
ly, know that now we cannot marry.
That is all, and it was no sacrifice TO
either of us. l know well 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.
assure you, have great deal more
money than can ever begin to use, "a
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.
at 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 n boy
who had been already fogged, and
smarts, and still is doing his best not
20 cry.