Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-02-13
Mrs. Erlesmere was extremely ANNOYED

by the suggestion, but, after mature de-
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 a charming letter to her future daugh-
ter-in-law, begging her to come to her,
and promising that she should not 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 q 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
I'll was ten days in London, and found
them pass very agreeably, though she
lived a quiet life enough. But the fact
Of seeing so many people, of being in the
throng and hustle of a town, was suff-
ciently exciting after the country. Mrs.
Ellesmere went out nearly every night,
and Tom and June were life tete-a-tete 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,
,nporntl, Gov no1lns whn n,nntn1 Vunn
with the greatest cordiality and had evil
IDENTITY forgotten that there had ever been
a love passage between them. June re-
covered herself in a 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.
'9Tell me, m " 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. 81 rather wonder now what l saw in
him before. Tom" in a questioning voice,
could you love two people at once?' then
with a lovely, ripping smile, II 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 %tutter,
turmoil, ~ervousnes agitation, speechi-
flying, are not generally very conducive
to bliss. Still, everything went off beau
t%ifully," as the phrase is.
Miss June, as we know, was a trif1e
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 a faint %carnation in
her cheeks, and eyes bright with tears
that she was resolute not to shed. Fol-
was she not happy? and would she do dis
honor to her love by being a weeping
mountaineering bride?
The wedding was a very quiet one, but
a great festival was given to the tenants
The rector and Mrs. Ellesmere did the
honors Of that, while the bridegroom anC
bride were bowling away in their carriage
and-four on the first stage of their jour
ney to Dover. For June had never beer
! abroad, and was to see all those Lowell.
parts of Switzerland and the Rhine
} which we, who have often seen them, turn
Z up our noses at, but which to the novice
i a,n .n noinp1u 1nyaly md cha rrnit,u
And il ever two young people did thu
Continent pleasantly, Mr.. and Mrs. Files
mere did. Tom was the most liberal crea
e ture in the world, and endowed with
i fair amount of wealth, and he was sensi
Y bic enough to know that the value o
money is the pleasure it can bring you
The services were secured Of an admira
! BILE courier (who prevented their havin
u the smallest trouble and made semi-pa
u ternal love to June's maid). Toms pocl
, cts were full of gold and silver and ban
I notes, which he flung about with the ger
crosby and recklessness Of the traditions
4 'milor" Qess we'll known on the Continer
now thar formerly; the best of ever!
ID thing was scarcely good enough for h
.. his darling; his good temper was impe,
turbable, and his alteration at its topmo,
= pinnacle.
!. One question constantly perplexed he
10 How was it possible that Tom, the app
l. of her eye, the object Of her intense d.
votion-in whose absence she felt 1t woul
N be impossible to know happiness-couI
: once have inspired disgust and wearineI
Of in her?- Sometimes she was compellt
to say, twining her arms round his nee
d "How is it possible that I did not alwa!
love you as / do now?' and he would a
O. swer, pressing her to his faithful heart:
is at seems more wosderful to me, da
ling, that you should care for me no
than that you should not have cared Fl
h mo before"