Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-04-06

when are so terrible to witness i'll IL
man. sobs which are the gasps of Il dcs-
heart. shook the strong broad
and Che down-bcnt head that
was hidden from her sight.
And then the mother knew at last the
secret of her sons heart. 1t was Vera
whom Maurice loved.
CHAPTER Nv.
Upon the steps of the Charing Gross
stood. one morning in June. a little
French gentleman buttoning his lavcl-
der gloves. He wore II glossy new hat. =,
frorll coat. and Il flower in his button
hole: he had altogether IL smart and
jaunty appearance.
lie hailed Il passing hanson and jump
cd into il. NJ. d'.Arhlct WAS more than
usually particular about his appearance
this morning. lie said to himself. with
Il chuclilc. as he was driven westward,
that he was on his way To Il bride, and II
rich one, too. III hchoovcd him To he
careful of his outer man on such an o.
casion.
When he got to the house in Princes
Gate he found it shut ut. This. how
ever. did not discomfort him. it WAS no
more than he expected. After n con-
siderable amount of ringing nj both bells.
there was Il grating sound within as OF
the unfastcning of bolts and chains. and
an elderly woman appeared nj the door.
Twill you please tell me where Mrs.
l,omcr is now ~livingy"
Thu woman grinncd. she has been
living at Walpoln Lodge. at kcw-Lady
Nynaston's. sir"
"Ol. thank y"u." and he was preparing
to re-cntcr his ransom.
but l don't think YOU will see her TO-
day. sir"
why not?' turning half round again.
"lt is Mrs. l,omer's wcdding-day."
The vicomitc's face grew yellow as
the rose i'm his button-holc.
where is the wedding to be: AT
Kew"
NO. sir: 81. ST. Paul's Church. in Viii
ton Crescent"
"privc In ST. Paul's. En%ightsbriGgc. as
fast as your horse can CO." he called out
TO the cabman II might even now be
in time he muttcrcd.
Round the door OF ST. Panl'; Church II
crowd had gathered. waiting 10 see the
bridal party come ont. Two ladies' came
walking along from the direction of the
park.
"Thcrc's a wedding going on: do let
us 20 in and see it. Vera"
My dear Cissy. ] dctcst looking at
people being married: it always makes
me low-spiritcd."
And l love it. l always get surl,
hints for dresses from II wedding. Make
haste or we slan't get in"
Somebody just then dashed up in Il
hanson and came hnrrying up behind.
Somehow or other. what Will, Mrs. Ha-
zeldinr dragging her by the arm and an
rScitc,l-looSing gentleman pushing his
Way through the crowd behind her. Vera
got swept on into the clni.cl,.
The service. that portion of it which
makes WI good people ma, and wife.
WAS over: the Clergyman was reading the
final cNhortation tn the newly married,
pair. They stood together close TO the
altar rails. The bride w;is in IL pale
lavender satin, covered with lace. which
spread far AWAY behind her across; the
tcsselatcd pavement. The bridegroom
Stood by her side. erect and handsome.
but pale and stern and with Il PARKWAY
look in his eyes. He looked as il he were
thinking of something else.
He WAS thinking of something else.
He was thinking of Il railway carriage.
of IL train rushing onward through Il fog
hlottcd landscape and of Il trembling
voice ever crying in his ears:
while YOU live l will never marry
another man.
All mt once there was IL sudden hush
and the "Wcdding March, struck M.
Then came Il procession of choristcr boys
down the church. each bearing IL small
bouquet of fern and white flowers. They
ranged themselves on either side of the
porch. mud the bridegroom came down the
aisle alone.
Then it was that NJ. d'.Arblct. leaning
forward with the rest to see them pass.
caught sight of the face of the girl who
stood by his side.
Vera was pale as death; IL look as of
the horror of despair was in her eyes,
her teeth were set, her hands were clinch.
ed together as one who has to impose q
terrible and dreadful task upon herself
Nobody in all that gayly dressed chatter
ing crowd noticed her, for were not all
eyes fixed upon the bride, the queen OF
the day? Nobody save the man who
stood by her side. NJ. d'.Arblct said to
himself:
This woman loves Monsieur lc Capt.
taine. Bon! Two are better than one
We will avcngc ourselves together, my
beautiful incogni,a.'
And then he looked sharply at her com
p%anion. and found that her face was IA
miliar to Him. Surely he had dincd Il,
that woman's house once. Oh. yes: t.
he sure. it was that insuffcrablc little
chatterboX. Mrs. Hazcldine. He rene.m
bcrcd all about her now.
by the time Vera could get out of thu
sitting heat of the crowded church mas
of the wedding party had driven off, AM
the rest We're clamoring wildly for thcil
carriages; she herself had got separated
from her companion. and when She couit
rcjoin her in the little gravcled yard ont
side. she found her shaking hands Will
~cfflsion with the fGreign-looking gentle
man who had sat next her in the church
Let me present to you my friend
said Cissy. Miss Ncvill, Monsieur
d'Arblet-you will walk with us as fal
as the park, won't youy"
II shall be enchanted, Mrs. Hazeiiinc.'
"And Wasn't it a pretty wedding" con
tinued Mis-. Hazeldine. rapturously. "Dit