The Cairo bulletin., 1904-05-05

"What ladies'" asked.
"Oh, il doesn't matter what ladies
Two Of the very best sort. | know
they noticed it, because heard them
talking about it. We were all stand
ing in the upper hall and were all
crowded into passage leading 10 the
room where the bride was dressing.
1t was before the alarm had gone
around Of what had been discovered IN
the library. and we were all impatient
enough for the appearance Of the
bride, who. we had been told intended
TO Wear the old point in which her
great grandmother was married. |
have a weakness for old point and 1
was determined TO stand where ! could
see her come out, even if | lost sight
Of the ceremony itself But it would
have been tedious enough waiting in
that close hall if The ladies behind me
had not kept up conversation. which
!, of course. pretended not to hear,
remember it, every word. for it was
my sole amusement for half an hour.
What was it? Oh, it was about that
same bouquet, which, by the way.
had the privilege Of staring at all the
time they chatted For the boy who
brought it had not been admitted into
Miss Moore's room, ami, not knowing
what else TO do with it, was lingering
before her door, with the great stream
ers falling from his hands, and the
lilies making the whole place heavy
with slckening perfume. From what
| heard the ladies say, he had been
standing there an hour, and the timid
knock he gave from time TO time pro-
duced in me an odd feeling which
those ladies behind me seemed to share.
Its shame heard one Of them
cry. Veronica Moore has 10 excuse
for such thoughtleSsncss. 1t is an
hour now that she has been shut up
in her room alone. She WORT have
even her maid in, She prefers to dress
alone, she says. Peculiar in a bride.
isn't it, But one thing is certain
she cannot put on her veil without
help. she will have to call some one
in for that At which the other volun-
tered that the Moores were all queer
and that she didn't envy Francis JEFF
frey. What not with fifty thousand
year to tighten her odditiesF return
ed her companion with shrug which
communicated itself TO me, so closely
We're we packed together. 1 have
son who could bear with them under
such circumstances. Indeed she has,
and all Washington knows it. but the
remark passed without comment, for
they had not yet exhausted the main
event, ana the person they now attack
ed was Miss futile. Why doesn't she
come and see that that bouquet is
taken in? / declare it's not decent.
Mr.. Jeffrey would not feel compli-
mented if he knew the fate Of those
magnificent lilies and roses, pre-
sumo he furnished the bouquet
"'AliSs futile has looked out of her
room once | heard the other reply
She is in splendid beauty today, but
pale. But she never could control We.
ronica.' Hush, You speak louder than
you think This amused me, and do
believe that in another moment
should have laughed outright II an
other boy had not appeared in the hail
before rs, who. showing aside the first
rspun1 an tho 1oor ,vtfh - cuttit which
called for answer. But he was no more
successful than the other boy had been,
SO, being a brisk fellow, with no time
for nonsense, he called out: Your bOu-
quet, miss, aud a message which am
to give you before you go downstairs.
The gentleman is quite particular about
it" These words were literally shout
ed at the door, but in the hubbub of
voices about lis don't believe any one
heard them but ourselves and the
bride. know that she heard them.
for she opened the door very Little
way such a very little way that the
boy had 10 put his lips TO the crack
when he spoke and then turn and place
his ear where his lips had been in or
der TO catch her reply. This, for some
reason, seemed long time in coming,
and the fellow grew so impatient that
he amused himself by snatching the
bouquet from the other boy and thrust
ing it in through the crack, TO the very
great detrimeut of its roses and lilies.
When she took it he bawled for his
answer, and when lie got II he stared
and muttcred doubtfully TO himself as
he worked his way out again through
the crowd, which by this time was be
ginning to choke up all the halls and
stairWays
"But why have told you all this
nonsense she asked quite suddenly
1T isn't Of the least consequence that
Veronica Moore kept n boy waiting at
her door Willie she dressed herself for
her wedding but it shows that she was
queer even then. and / fer one believe
i'll the theory Of suicide, and in that
alone, and in the excuse she gave for'
it, too; for II she had really loved Fran
els Jeffrey she would not have been
so slow 70 take in the magnificent bon.
Duet he had provided for her"
But comment even from those who ]
had known these people we'll was not
what wanted at this moment. but
facts; so, without much attention to
these words, | said
you will excuse me if suggest that
you are going on too fast. The door