The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-24


what of doubt or fear or uncertainty
the voices might portend.
| In thinking of it afterwards, Stanton
often shuddered as he realized what
the result must have been had the
clergyman been in his own quiet home.
Even if the matter could have been
brought so far as the ceremony, Stan
ton himself would have failed there,
over and again, under any circum-
stances but the present, with the din
and excitement and demoralizing haste
that obliterated every feature by the
way in the struggle for the end.
The awful meaning of those words,
rapidly and almost unintelligibly as
they were spoken, came to him even
now with overwhelming force, and
struck him dumb with terror.
snow join hands," DR.. Borden repeat
ed, and, hardly giving them time to
obey, he continues: 'Those whom God
hath Joined together let no man put
asunder. I pronounce you man and
wife"
Then came the repetition of the sa-
cred names, followed by a moment of
reverential silence, broken by the good
doctors CHEEKY voice, devoid of the
faintest professional accent, exclaim-
ing:
"Gentlemen, your watches. The ex-
act time is a matter of the gravest i'm
portance."
"Ihree minutes of H."
Io1 g,
"Two, gentlemen. Two. Precisely
two. Rely upoa my watch. 1t is two
minutes before 10, 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 miracle, by the space
OF two minutes one side or the other, of
II 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 10, 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-
gNman say: ",Join hands," and involun-
tarily extending mis- own, which was
cold and trembling, lie saw white
hand come from under the cloak to
meet it. lie saw diamond flashing on
one Of the fingers. He even saw that
the diamond wa. beautifully set in
pearls. He felt q strange thrill as the
warm, firm hand touched his own.
Then he heard those words-fear-
tul words they seemed to hiln-"Whom
God hath Joined together let no man rut
asunder.'
lie tried to cry olt 10 stop, to save the
brave littlewoman by his side from sucll
an awful bond; hut before he could
utter sound the rest of the sentence
was spoken, and John Olmstcads mil
lions and the WON IN by his side were
his forever.
lie would have given all those mil
lions, ard all that ne had beside, to see
that little woman Tree. How he pitied
her and despised himself as they stood
alone, man and wife together, in the
ferry waiting-roo,n!
''This is a case where I can congrat-
ulate you, too," she said. ''and then
must go at once. H. is; much later than
l thought it would be-"
"Go?" Stanton muttered. eco whereo
Didn't you hear him? Whom God hath
Joined together"
"You are overwrought tonight" she
replied, gently. 'It will be different in
the nlorr ing. You will remember, 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"
Il do lot want to remember that it
was u bIrgain," Stanton exclaimed,
struggling to rouse himself. sit 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 will do my best to-"
'Why, sir, not half an hour ago you
said you trusted me. If was worthy
of your confidence, surely 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, Thorndille, 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
a week from to-day. l 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 60"
"Why, certainly, if" The incongru-
ity of following instinct and saying "if
you wish it" checked him. He waited
moment, and added, falteringly: 81
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: cat
leastyou will let Inc 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