The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-07-09
WAS IT A DREAM?
lOriginal.l

lowing telegram from his betrothed's
| mother:
Come at once Lillian is very Ill.
Snatching his handbag, which was
ready, he hurried to the depot and took
| the first train 1t was o'clock in the
evening in June, that month chosen by
| SO many lovers in which to consum-
mate their happiness, and the foliage
along the route had in it the first
freshness of summer. But Edward
Holmes did not notice it. He was far
away, fearing, hoping. On reaching
! n, O large summer resort, he was
| ineyprcssibly distressed TO find that the
! train went no farther. He must wait
for one that passed at II O'CLOCK. 1t
was still twilight, and he walked to
hotel not half mile from the station.
| The house was brilliantly lighted, while
| the guests were fitting about In pic
/ turesQue costumes preparatory to
! fancy dress bah. This was no place for
one in anxiety, but Holmes, not relish
ing waiting at the station, took q wick
er chair in q dark corner of the piazza.
There he spent the evening. When
a dance was finished, couples would
promenade on the piazza. Holmes found
Ii n relief to watch them, and the time
passed more quickly for his mind be-
ing distracted till half past 10. Then,
! inpatient to be again in motion, he
was about to rise and return to the sta
ton when, glancing aside and slightly
behind him, he saw what at first he
took for a sheaf Of light coming through
q window. Then he noticed that it was
O woman. Her dress was of white,
| though of what material he could not
| tell Looking up at her face, he saw
! that 1t was masked, also with white.
! He would have risen. but at the mo-
mcnt he felt a hand rest lightly Oh his
! shoulder
4 great deal passed through Edward
| Holmes mind in very few moments.
Who was this girl, for she had the APP
pearance of a young person, and what
was her interest in him! 1t did not oc-
cur to him that she could be a stranger
to him. She must be one of the guests,
some friend of his who had seen him
when he first reached the hotel and had
sought him out Doubtless she would
amuse herself with his efforts to dis
cover her identity.
For a moment he sat still. Then, not
withStanding the hand on his shoulder,
he rose and faced his visitor.
"You are He paused. The form
seemed familiar, but there was too lit
tie light for him to identify it. She did
not answer his question, but slipped
her hand within his arm and led him
for walk not toward the entrance,
brilliantly lighted, but to dark end of
the piazza. She did not speak, and
Holmes, who was in no mood for such
an adventure, could think of nothing to
say to her. He thought of confiding his
anxiety to her; but, after all, she might
be a stranger. One thing made him
start. On passing chink in window
blind he noticed orange blossoms on her
head His own wedding, set for the
morrow-would it be wedding or a
funeral? Would the flowers be orange
blossoms or tube roses? If it had been
difficult for him to speak to his COM
panion before, it was well nigh impOs-
sble now. A strange dread came over
him. Then during a momentary breeze
from behind light substance touched
his hand. 1t must be bridal veil.
Was the costume of a bride an un-
usual or a common one for such Occa-
sions? He could not recall in all his So
cial experience having seen one. A
strange influence seemed to be passing
from the girl to him. 1t came in waves,
now happiness, now grief. Whatever 1t
was, he did not wish it to end. He took
no thought of time, forgetting that he
was waiting for train to take him to
Lillian.
She spoke no word, nor did he wish
her to speak. His senses seemed to
become gradually benumbed. There
was mystical mingling of chat, music
and laughter, besides the dripping of
fountain in the center of lawn be-
fore the hotel. Then the sounds all
melted away together.
Suddenly he was awakened as from
dream by clock striking. He was still
sitting in the dark corner, and his COM
papion was not with him. He looked
up and down the piazza, but she was
not to be seen. Had he fallen asleep
and dreamed? No; it was all too real.
He arose and strobe back and forth to
make sure he was awake. Then he
heard train approach the station and
knew that he had not time to reach it
before ii should start on. Hurrying to
the hotel Office, he inquired the hour Of
leaving for the next train and was
shocked to hear that he could not get