New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-04

the decorations are getting on And he left this
Rn Weeks wneFe his hs a pSs ana Went SE n o 3' to nF
church in which sybH had been baptized ard was
It was a lovely old building OF gray stone. far
which in close line told in rich PUPPIES and Grim
sons the story Of Joseph and his brethren, The
stole unseen and he stood awed before the sight
OF the preparations for his bride
One or two gardeners were busy at the choir
stalls some girls talking in sg6dqed tones we're were
I''T TE, Nth te19Sr I'm fInDI1Se he t11rnei hfs
eyes to the altar. where he would kneel tomorrow
sudden horror cIutched him. the blood surgsd
within him and deafensd him Bending at the altar
pink band across ,, The hi hem ban, and c,,robf,
pew door closed his eyes in 8 despairing faintness
His bondage was to be relentless. When he LOGGED
had turned from thelT work to speak to anoth5r
Unseen in his misery Hayden stole out at the
as he Law urnerved and hopeless. waiting for his
wedding day. and facing in all their details the two
years past and the many years 70 come, rron tho
f S b ghs Of Fe 9 F P a the a9s When he shOud
live close 10 the girl he loved, and feel himself
1t was foolish It was wrong he argued 70 eOans
himself so bLamewortay. But he had no choios-
Toward morning he began to take a more osdi-
day sunny. happy. glorious He had been IN an
excited. unnatural state OF mind yesterday Hs
nal He had taought and grteyed so much l;- snas
his eye. II had been a Authorization
He threw of his hateful night thoughts. and
The prettiest wedding the village had ever seem
the people said afterward The church church. was ~, a
pews were packed, and a subdued buzz OF COM
ment played about Haydens ears as he waited
He had not allowed himself mCch Tune 20 AIIs
but. supported by his best man, he took his place
His heart was lighter than it had been for months
He determined 10 throw or useless sef-reproaches.
and do his best in the future
After the first moments OF nervousness ne Falssd
HIS eyes and looked down the church The brightly
him: but the end of the aisle was shaft OF
into and through it walked double line Of beauty
They me on The sunshine 5 tb and o6 hated sa ts ss
widened the space, be .wesn them ana nned ina
Hayden gazed az them with tender pleasure and
admiration. Her bridesmaids hs thought
'SybiIs bridesmaids" and he smiled.
The smile on Hayden's face snapped on as sud-
denly as If struck by q hand; his features became
the church hurting his brain. the building II
But the ngure on which his eye had first smii-
ingly rested stood motionless shs stood nesrsss
turned a dropping hat almost hid her features,
ber sowM NV was Of Hac with PINK bald about the
hem! Lilac among the white gowns beside herl
powers HnT f hed them 1T Wide SS and staring ring ~
The lilac color seemed 70 deepen under his horror
MY Godr' he uttered hoarsely. 90 my Godr'
Then he felt hand grip his arm nrmly Keep
UP. old man. she's coming" some one said
Then nUsh then a stir hLed the church. and
sight that terrifying form, came sybn toward
him. and chilled. horror hLed. as one IN a dream
he stepped to meet her.
Tell her. say. tell her was IN his as the
marriage service began
A strange mingled with Hayden's marriage
vows. Tell hero 7 Will II will II
on his wedding day he would tell her. II it was
an awful story 10 him. what would il be her,
blameless and unsUspectng, But he would tell her.
and abide by the consequences.
So he told her
There was no lilac gown among the bridesmaids
surrounding her when h took her away He could
see like Kate Noon, But he told SybiI 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 ST.
lence like concrete block Of despair had followed
And How you must both have suffered were her
first SObbing words. But because she fright
eued by the new suffering the telling OF the tale
had cost him, she did say that she had known
the story all along and that the silence had been
as an avenging ghost between them
One day, long after, when Hayden and his wife
stroled into the old church, he noticed curious
thing
Sybn had walked toward the chancel while Hay
den halted by the door. and she stood moment
in the aisle he her white gown turn to lilac
IN the sunlight and band OF rOse-cOOr fell across
the hem.
For a moment the blood flushed into his face.
Then he looked. Sybn moved forward, and
her gown white again-and again she
moved IL solashed with color
Then. in swift enlightenment. he looked up az
the famous Widowed story OF Joseph. and he
derstood.
1T was all for the best. though he said 10
nirnseI al last and N relief he followed
aItar.-lBlack and WhitA