Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-06-17
terday. He had brooded SO long that

He had brooded so long that
remorse was abnormal.
"The prettiest wedding the village
had ever SEEM" the people said after
ward. The pews were packed and a
subdued buzz Of comment played
about Hayden's ears as he waited.
He had not allowed himself much
time to kill; but, supported by his
best man, he took his place about FIVE
minutes before the bride was expect
ed. He determined to throw Off use
less self -reproaches and do his best In
the future.
The brightly colored crowd was an
undistinguishable whole to him; but
at the end Of the aisle was a shaft of
brilliant light; 1t streamed through
the porch. and into and through 1t
walked a double line of beauty.
They came on in the sunshine and
halted till the end Of the lines was in
side the door, then they widened the
space between them and lined the
lower half of the little aisle.
The smile on Hayden's face snapped
Off as suddenly as II struck by a
hand; his features became stif and
ashen-colored; a roar seemed to be
filling the church and hurting his
brain, the building itself heaved about
him.
But the figure on which his eye had
first smilingly rested stood motionless.
She stood nearest to him, as hrst
bridesmaid, her back slightly turned;
a dropping hat almost hid her fea-
lures, but she was dark-haired and
splendidly poised, and her gown was
Of lilac with a pink band about the
hem! Lilac, among the white gowns
beside her!
Then he felt q hand grip his arm
firmly. Keep up, old man, she's COM
ing" some one said.
Then a hush, then a stir filled the
church, and between the waiting
bridesmaids, shutting from his sight
that terrifying form, came Sybil to-
ward him; and chilled, horror-1lled,
as n in a dream, he stepped to meet
her.
Tell her, I say, tell her" was in
his ears as the marriage service began.
A strange vow mingled with Hay
den's marriage vows. Tell herr" II
will" II will" ~ VOW it."
There was no lilac gown among the
bridesmaids surrounding her when he
took her away. He could see no one
like Kate Moon.
But he told Sybil all the story as
they drove toward their new life:
and she listened with flushed, averted
cheek.
But when he had finished, and a
moments silence like a concrete block
of despair had followed, she turned to
him and wept upon his shoulder. And
How you must both have suffered"
We're her first sobblng words.
But because she was frightened by
the new suffering the telling Of the
tale had cost him, she did not say that
she had known the story all along, and
that the silence had been as an aveng-
ing ghost between them.
One day, long after, when Hayden
and his wife strolled into the old
church, he noticed a curious thing.
Sybil had walked toward the chancel
while Hayden halted by the door, and
as she stood a moment in the aisle he
saw her white gown turn to lilac in the
sunlight. and a band Of rose-color fell
across the hem.
For a moment the blood flushed into
his face, and all the miserable past
rose before him.
Then, as he looked, Sybil moved for
ward and her gown was white again
and again as she moved 1t was
splashed with color.
Then In swift enlightenment he
looked up at the famous Widowed
story Of Joseph and he understood.
ut was all for the best, though" he
said to himself at last, and in unutter-
able relief he followed his wife and
stood again beside her before the
altar.-Utica Globe.