Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-07-25

both or raySOn ana MS IiiSHu
bray. and each encouraged the other 10
do all that was possible to hasten the
wedding. Where the brides consent
had been already obtained, and uniim-
tied money was at the call OF every
body. this was easy enough. Mrs. NOW
barry, who had been entrusted with the
care of the rousseau, was found 10 De
entirely equal to all that was required
IL her. for she possessed an absolute
genius for shopping, and excellent taste
in the selection Of attire.
For about two weeks a half-doZen
milliners and dressmakers, with their
assistants. were kept In a state or de-
iightfuI activity, and at the end or that
time everything was declared to be IN
readiness for the bridal.
Clarice alone remained Indifferent TO
these interesting preparations. 1t was
with difficulty at times that she couiu
even be Induced to try on the exquisite
robes being made for the wedding out
fit. and her proud and happy mother
was often driven to despair by the lack
of interest her daughter showed in the
approaching event.
Brian, my love-" Mrs. Mowbray ven
tured to say, Il fear the loss or her
young lover weighs on u poor glrls
heart more than we think. Her utter
~callousness in regard to such beautifui
clothes as are every day sent home TO
her is unnatural Clarice ~frightens me
sometimes. You remember that stil"t-
to, with a jeweled handle. that Shirley
Austin gave her? / told him at the
time it was an unlucky thing to give
any one, especially ones sweetheart.
What about it," Mowbray Interrupt
ed, impatiently.
why. Just this. I went into Clar-
ices room yesterday, and l found her
handling that stiletto. and looking at it
in a very curious way. Good gracious,
Clarice. whatever are you doing with
tina thing?' / asked. She gave me the
queerest look, and then she laughed. In
a strange. forced way, and said: l
think I shall fasten my wedding veil
with 1t. mamma. 1t will be so appro-
pirate. you see" ] begged of her not TO
think of such a dreadful thing. Sell
it, / said, or have the jewels removed,
II they are real, n throw the horrid
thing away Blu she just laughed
again. In the same queer way. ana,
putting the ~stiIetto back in a drawer,
locked It. and took the key out. / tell
you. Brian I don't like the look on our
daughters face. She seemed capable
of something desperate. You know.
yourself. husband. it is not natural for
a girl of her age to take no interest in
her wedding dresses. Did you ever see
me BLIND to the beauty OF such clothes?
though I never had them Of my own.
/ wish ! had! There vas a ruby vel
vet came home yesterday. / vow. L
never saw anything so beautiful in my
life. unless ii was Clarice herself. when
she was dressed in il. Would you be-
lieve it? She wouldn't as much as turn
TO look in the mirror! Oh. j could have
cried with vexation! Their there was a
tea-gown came home this morning,
made of pale-green. with brocade and
lace, for which / paid fftydollars a
yard, and a bargain. at that. too, n
wouldn't even try ii on-the lovelieSt
gown that I ever laid my eyes on! L
repeat IL. Brian. Clarice ~frightens me-"
Nonsense, Hetty!" don't borrow
trouble, Wait until she is married and
gives her first reception. She'll appre-
ciate her satins and laces then. III war
rant. But let me warn you of one
thing. and look well to it. Have a care
of what visitors she sees. A few days
ago there was a letter for her in the
mornings mail. and some lucky in
stinct prompted me to open 1t before
giving It to her. The writer warned
Clarice not TO believe the reports Of
Austin's death-promised to furnish her
proofs to the contrary"
Heavens and earth! But II may be
| cot parbans ha 20 not daadfp
stuff and nonsense, OF course he's
dead: but let her once get a notion to
the contrary, and the marriage is of.
perhaps for years., after the time we
have tried to bring her to 1t. And IL
once broken off or delayed. who can tell
what change may come over Grayson
before 1t can be arranged again? AS it
is. he shows the patience and consider
alton of a saint! I'm blessed If / would
marry a girl who treated me as Clarice
treats Grayson-no, rot If she were a
princess and beautiful as Venus"
Mrs. Mowbray tossed her silly head
and laughed, bu kept her thoughts to
herself.
The letter was anonymous pursued
Mowbray, returning to the original SUBJ
ject; but 1 have good reasons for be-
lieving the writer to be Mrs. Martin.
Grayson's widowed sister, who has her
own reasons for wishing to keep him a
bachelor. You now see the necessity Of
allowing no callers to see Clare, except
Philip, and let her have no letters until
l have seen them first
In a panic of alarm, Mrs. Mowbray
promised Implicit obedience. Notwith-
standing some little anxiety about
Clarice, the possibility of losing the
glory of becoming mother-in-law TO
Philip Grayson almost took her breath
away
The preparations for the ceremony
proceeded rapidly and safely. and were
watched from afar with green-eyed
envy by Kate Martin. From afar. be-
cause, despite the most untiring efforts
she could not get near enough to view
them closely.
More than once Mrs. Martin had
written to Clarice openly, the letters
signed by her own name. as well as
anonymously; but each letter had been
intercepted by the watchful father.
In her relations of sister TO the ex-
pectant bridegroom, she had called
4 a {.