Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-01

groaned.
Tell her, say, tell her, Or"
In desperation Hayden caught up
his hat. "Tll stroll down to the
church." he muttered hastily the
evening before thS wedding, after
hours of gloom in which he had seen
the dead girl walking between him
self and his living bride. "I'll see how
the decorations are getting on"
1t was lovely old building of gray
stone, far famed for its many windows
of stained glass, which in close line
told In rich puppies and crimsons the
story of Joseph and his brethren.
One or two gardeners were busy at
the choir stalls; some girls talking in
subdued tones were garlanding a pil-
lar. Hayden watched their dizziness,
Then with tender impulse he turned
bis eyes to the altar, where he would
kneel tomorrow beside
A sudden horror clutched him, the
blood surged within him and deaf
ened him. Bending at the altar step
was dark-haired figure in a lilac
gown with a pink band across the
hem.
Hayden CROPPED with his hand, and.
clutching pew door, closed his eyes
In despairing falntness. His bond.
age was to be relentless.
When lie looked again the figure
was gone. The girls at the pillar had
turned from their work to speak TO
another. Unseen in his misery, Hay
den stole out at tie porch, stunned
and cold in the sunshine.
Hayden never forgot the night which
followed, as he lay, unnerved and
hopeless, waiting for his wedding day,
and facing in all their details the two
years past and the many years to
come. from the day when he had
played summers game with the
henrt Of girl to all the days when he
should live close to the girl he loved.
and feel himself murderer,
Toward morning he began to take a
more ordinary view of the matter.
This was his wedding day-sunny.
happy. glorious. He had been in an
saA>unnatural state Of mind yes
tertlay. He nud bf56ded SO long that
his remorse was abnormal
1.-THE prettest 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 of 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 shaft of
brilliant light; 1t streaIaed through
the porch, and into and through 1t
walked 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 Haydens face snapped
off as suddenly as If stuck by a
hand; his features became stiff and
ashen-colored; roar seemed to be
filling the church and hurting his
brain, the building itself heaved about
him.
But the figure on which hts eye had
first smilingly rested stood nlotionless.
She stood nearest to him, as first
bridesmaid, her back slightly turned;
dropping hat almost hid her fea-
lures. but she was dark-haired and
splendidly poised, and her gown was
of lilac with pink band about the
hem! Lilac, among the white gowns
beside her!
Then he felt hand grip his arm
firmly. Keep up, old man, she's com
Ing" some one said.
Then hush, then stir filled the
church, and between the waiting
bridesmaids, shutting from his sight
that terrifying form. came Sybll to-
ward him; and chilled, horror-fllled,
as one In a dream, be stepped to meet
her.
TELL her, say, fell her" was in
his ears as the marriage service began.
A strange vow mingled with Hay
denis marriage vows. "Tell her?" II
will" II will" II 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 sybn 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 coucrete block
Of despair had followed, she turned to
him and wept upon his shoulder. And
How you must both have suffered!'
were her first sobbins 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 all ayeng-
ing ghost between them
One day, long after, when Hayden
and his wife strolled Into the old
church, he noticed curious thug.
Sybil had walked toward the chancel
while Hayden halted b. the door, and
as she stood moment r. the aisle he
saw her white gown turn. to lilac in the
sunlight, and band of tose-color fell
across the hem.s
For 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 be