The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-01-15


liberation, she came to the conclusion that
it was useless to fight against fate, and
that the only thing to be done now was
to make friends with June in order that
the Hall might still be open to her when
she chose to go there after the marriage.
So, very much against the grain, she indit-
ed charming letter to her future daugh-
ter-in-law, begging her to come to her,
and promising that she should mot be
drawn into any sort of gayety that would
be repugnant to her feelings.
Tom, not being in the secret of Mrs.
Bryan's letter, was delighted with this
proof of kindness from his mother, and
wrote her a very grateful epistle, over
which she made a wry face. Still, it was
as well to have earned his gratitude, as it
lay in his power to do a great deal for
her if he were so minded.
June was ten days in London, and found
them pass very agreeably, though she
lived quiet life enough. But the fact
of seeing so many people, of being in the
throng and hustle of town, was suffi-
GENTLY exciting after the country. Mrs.
Ellesmere went out nearly every night,
and Tom and June were life tete-atete to
their mutual satisfaction. June would
not hear of going to the play or even to
the opera. She consented, however, to
drive in the park, and to sit in the Row
with Tom in the morning, and was eX-
tremely amused and interested in watch
ing the gay crowd. One day Dallas, who
was ignorant of her arrival in town,
dropped in to luncheon. 1t was an en-
barrassing moment for every one, except,
apparently for Dallas, who greeted June
with the greatest cordially and had evil
IDENTIFY forgotten that there had ever been
a love passage between them. June re-
covered herself in moment, and behav-
ed as though she were equally Oblivious;
indeed, she was now so devoted to Tom
that she felt absolutely nothing for his
quondam rival. 1t was Tom who felt the
least at ease
Tell me, my darling" he said that
night, with extreme anxiety, "has-has
seeing Dial made any difference in your
feeling to me?'
June put her hand into his, and looked
frankly into his eyes.
Not the very, very least" she answer
ed. II rather wonder now what l saw in
him before. Tom," in questioning voice,
could you love two people at once" then
with a lovely, ripping smile, Il could
not"
Toms answer need not be chronicled.
In due course the day arrived to which
the young squire had looked forward as
the one that must infallibly be the hap
piest of his life-only that general t1utter,
turmoil, nervousness, agitation, speechi-
flying, are not generally very conducive
to bliss. Still, everything went off beau
tifully," as the phrase is.
Miss June, as we know, was a trifle
self-willed, and, in spite of what anyone
might say, she declined to be married in
white with a bridal wreath and veil. AS
a matter of fact, she wished to go to the
altar in black; but she was not allowed
to offer this insult to the god Hymen, and
therefore compromised the matter by
wearing a charming toilet of silver gray.
And sweetly young and modest and pref
ty she looked, with faint carnation in
her cheeks, and eyes bright with tears
that she was resolute not to shed. For
was she not happy? and would she do dis
honor to her love by being a weeping,
mountaineering bride?
The wedding was very quiet one, but
a great festival was given to the tenants.
l.
honors of that, while the bridegroom and
bride were bowling away in their carriage
and-four on the first stage Of their Jour-
ney to Dover. For June had never been
abroad, and was to see all those lovely
parts of Switzerland and the Rhine,
which we, who have often seen them, turn
up our noses at, but which to the novices
are so entrancingly lovely and charming.
And if ever two young people did the
Continent pleasantly, Mr.. and Mrs. Elles-
mere did. Tom was the most liberal crea-
ture in the world, and endowed with a
fair amount of wealth, and he was sensi-
bic enough to know that the value of
money is the pleasure it can bring you.
The services were secured of an admira-
BILE courier (who prevented their having
the smallest trouble and made semi-pa-
ternal love to June's maid). Toms pock-
cts were full of gold and silver and bank
notes, which he flung about with the gen.
crosby and recklessness of the traditional
"milor" less well known on the Continent
now than formerly); the best of every
thing was scarcely good enough for his
his darling; his good temper was imper-
turbable, and his alteration at its topmost
pinnacle.
One question constantly perplexed her.
How was it possible that Tom, the apple
of her eve, the object of her intense de-
votion-in whose absence she felt it would
be impossible to know happiness-could
once have inspired disgust and WEAKNESS
in her? Sometimes she was compelled
to say, twining her arms round his neck,
How is it possible that did not always
love you as do nowT" and he would an
swer, pressing her to his faithful heart:
1T seems more wonderful to me, dar-