Evening star., 1901-11-23

upon one of the beds. "Heaven!" she cried
mo! No, Never, Neverv'
For the man was a huge, great fellow,
over six feet high, with the shoulders and
the chest of gladiator, but he was a tuII-
blOOded black negro.
There are, as every one knows, two kinds
of blackneSs: one is the shiny blackness
which catches and reflects the light,
cheerful blackness; the other is a black
ness which absorbs the light and gives
none back The latter was the blackness
OF this man His wool curled all over his
head as black his skim his eyebalIS were
white; his eyes shOne in the twilight like
the eyes Of the devil; he grinned and
showed teeth as white as ivory.
''Therei" said Mrs. Brymer, bestowing no
attention upon the woman on the bed
There, my man, is your bride waiting for
you"
.'No-I could not-I could notr' the bride
repeated. moaning.
Madam. pardon me! You must either
marry this man or go home to be arrested
this very day Take your choice
Why" she whispered, what odds If he
is the devil? He is to be hanged a-Monday.
Stand up" she added, roughly. Leave off
crying and don't play the fool. You are
not a school girl. The man can't hurt
you"
Madam" the parson admonished her,
blanjlly, allow me a word. This, believe
me. IS not the place for Mysteries or for
yapOrs. Every moment spent here endan-
gers Jail fever. Come, let us not waste
time. l am here to marry you very
proper man he is, tOO-if a trifie dark in
complexion. l may already, l fear, have
contracted this horrible fever. Am 1 to go
without Ihy fees. or viii your ladyship
stand up and be married without any more
fuss2'
Mrs. WeyIand clutched her adviser by the
hand. You will carry me away after the
the ceremony-immediately after?'
'SureIy-surely. Be under no alarm. You
are quite safe
NJ WevIand stood m In her anxiety
and terror she dropped her mask, but no
one seemed to notice
A strange place for wedding! One
might as we'll be married in tomb-Or-
with all these poor lost souls carousing,
fighting. crying. laughing, disappearing
arOund-iu-the woman who was brought
there to be married would not give words
10 the thought. The cold, dark place, with
its fetid breath, was filed with the whis-
pers and voices from the dead-the dead
who had died a shameful and horrible
death. The place was nothing but halt,
q rest between the court OF sentence and
the place Of execution. Above the voices
of the CallOuS roysterers there arose the
stified groans and means and sighs of the
miserable cOnvicts. Above the drunken
bravadO of the poor wretches who kept up
a show Of Indifference TO the end, this
woman heard the lamentations of despair
Instead of wedding bells she heard the
cIanking of the irons; instead of the viii
lage children scattering flowers there was
the hOarse laughter Of the women half
drunk ana the rlDalO JeSts OF lne men
whose lives were TO end in few hours.
Surely there never was such a wedding.
And lower and lower still sank the heart
Of the bride.
Madam Mrs Brymer held her by the
arm. Courage, Do not gaze about YOU
Forget where you are. Twill be finished
I'm five minutes. 'Tis but empty FORM
What matter for the place? What mat
ter for the man?'
Then the marriage service was begun.
The person stood with his back to the wall
On his right hand was the clerk ready -
make the responses. Before him stood he
bride with her friend. Mrs. Brymer. OPP
posite was the stalwart negro. The clerk
pulled and pushed him into his proper
place. stand there" he said, land do
what i tell you, and hold your tongue ex-
cept when bid you speak"
The man Obeyed stupidity, keeping his
eyes fixed on the woman he was about to
marry. 1t was a strange and hungry look
such look as a mere mortal might have
felt who met Aphrodite herself in a forest
glade and was at first struck with amaze
ment and with rapture. For this black
man had never before seen so close a wo-
man of beauty so SURPRISING, of a color,
white and red, wonderful. He was
about to marry her. and In his bemused
brain there were surging strange thoughts
about losiAg her in order to be hanged.
Pity-shame-to hang a man just married
and to such a wifei He said nothing but
In the twilight OF the cell his eyes were
like balls of fire and his white teeth gleam-
ed-and these signs of emotion remained
In the memory of the bride.
The service was short. The Introductory
discourse was omitted The minister put
the question to the bridegroom. wilt thou
have this woman to be thy welded wife?
with the other words.
Say, will, man." said the clerk.
Why" the bridegroom replied, Il said