Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-02-27
A GRUESOME BRIDESMAID

own, and left her. Yet circumstances
and the girl before long made the affair
seem u heauless tragedy. and for two
miserable years George Hayden hal
been haunted by it.
There was no double that he had made
love. generally with gay nonchalance, oc-
casionally with feryor, to Kate Moon. Of
Mo>sdyke Farm.
IL was during that summer wben he
was off fishing III Devon, and the wealth
er was beyond reproach- except for fish
ing. The trout would not bite, and Kate
Moon was beautiful, tall and black
! haired. with complexion of the pro-
4 verbal Devon milk and roses: a magnil-
cent, passionate, impulsive girl.
! Hayden dallied beside her day after
day; he liked watching the proud droop
of her lashes, and the deeper color creep
into and fade ont of her healthy cheeks
II was an artistic pleasure to him TO see
her coming toward him in her lilac cotton
1 gown-she always wore lilac cotton
gowns unlike any one else's. full gathered
and dainty, with a bordering of palest
pink round hem and waist; the effect was
one Of lavender and roses.
To Kate it was more than an artistic
! pleasure to see Hayden coming toward
her; It was a tumult of flerce delight
Z
with gay admiration; his very noncha-
lance fascinated her, his compliments
/ were as vows Of love, his moments OF
/ fervor Were ecstasy.
I III was when the "ector came back aft
( or his holiday, briu- ne with him his sis
ter his niece, and g lite by coincidence
/ { college friend on Hayden. that mischief
began; ard it began without delay, for
/ the college friend recognizing Hayden in
the village, introduced him TO the rectory
party. and Hayden promptly fell in love.
genuinely and passiOnately this time.
with Sybil Dove. the rector's niece.
1t did not take Kate Moon long, eth
er. 70 see her doom.
Hayden. it is true, was q little tr0u-
bled at first, but that was merely an
noyance with himself for the careless
way in which he had talked love desc.
Grated. he called it-with a village girl:
hut lie did not dream of the manner in
which Kate would take it.
Kate took it badly.
No one hut Hayden and Kate herself
knew Of that terrible night of recrimina-
ton when the moon shone down on the
final meeting in Dalling Wood.
by the next night Hayden had left
the village: by the next Sunday kite
Moon had left the world: she hsas
drowned herself in the riyer-the pretty
river where the trout had fought Shy Of
began that terribls two years with the
sight Of the girl constantly before his
eyes. in her lilac gown, with the rose
pink bands about her waist and hem,
and with her last words in his ears:
Tell her ab0nt me, and see what she'll
say to your love! Tell her, | say. or
/ i curse you 10 your very marriage day
aye TO your very deathhed! I'll walk,
and sit, and stand between you, and Won
shall never bide in peacet'
Then what had seemed but a summers
Irritation shocked Hayden as a heart
less tragedy, and grew and grew into
his life till he became to himself sort
of banned wanderer
About two years later Hayden met
Sybil Dove in Rome, and for the first
time the wretched tragedy became less
Important. and his heart leaped. He
could see, too, that Sybil was happy to
meet him.
For weeks he summed himself in JOY.
and tried 10 Danish Kate. Then one
day he faced the ghost and reasoned
with himself in a logical. sensible man
ner, ana his state Of mind became more
normal, and he asked himself why he
should not be happy.
Next morning. on the hill, he broke
into tie first love words ne had uttered
since he dawdled with Kate by the
DevonShire river.
Il love you," he cried out, as he and
Sybl sat resting in the MONDAY. "Sybil,
| can't live without you. | have hum
geled for You since | first met you two
/ years ago"
/ Sybil did not retort. Then why didn't
you say SoE' She limited nothing of her
own pain al that time. Her eyes Were
I blind with tears, which Hayden saw,
Neither asked the other why this love
should be declared and received in this
paSSionaiely sorrowiul fashion.
II love You, too She said simply.
when she could find voice. And Hayden
held her ia h.@ arms FOR / rapturous mo-
meuj
I When he glanced up. his arms still
about Ter q girl was passing along the
hill below dark-haired girl in lilac
gown II was, Of course, merely CO.
4 Incidence.
! Hayden >hiecred and looscd his CLASH.
the old haunted feeling had returned.
lie had au impulse 10 .ell Sybil the whole
wret 'Lel story. bat il would be a gloomy
beginning 10 the first hour of mis- new
happiness. Resides which Mrs. Dove
came into sight at the moment.
Perhaps those who know human nature
best VIII understand that HAYDEN did not
tell the tragedy Of Kate Moon even after
many hours had pasSeG. Vows We're ex-
changed, consent obtained; and in time
the Journey back TO England was accom-
Wj>hed, the home prepared, the wedding
dNN NNtN. Ana Vet tIle tragedy OF Kate
Moon mad DOB been mentioned
Those were strange months those
Wuata~ ef enlargement There were
bours Wheu both Hayden and Sybi We're
wildly CAV hut again there were hours
when q cloud hang over them. when
something seemed TO be between them.
checking their words as if a thira person
were listening In himself HAYDEN could
understand the feeling. for even now, in
spite oil argument, spite of happy future,
he could not throw off the recollection of
Kate Moon and her despair But the
SAME mood in Syhil he could not UNDER
stand Was she drowned girl always 70
be between them? Hayden eroaned
"Tc,. Nor, | say, tell her. Or"
I'm ,leSneratin8 Hayden caught up his
haf. "l'} stroll down 60 the church, he
mUttercd hastily the ev aniug before the
wedding, after hours Of slaom in which
he aoi seen the dead Girl walking me-
tween himself and his living bride "II
SEQ how the decorations are getting ON. F"
And BE left the ian where he had heea
staying for the lae. shree weeks of his
hache'oragoi and vert down 70 the
churea n which Sybn had been baptized