Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-03-31
CHAPTER XxXVln.

ding. The last touches had been put
to the modest finery; the breakfast,
as modest as the bridal apparel, had
been ordered; Emily, robbed of a car
riage and six white horses and pro
cession of stage supers, had consoled
herself by decorating the room and
ordering a washing-basket full OF
flowers, and at last everything was
as she said, ready for the rising OF
the curtain.
She herself was in a state of sup
pressed excitement, which threatened
to demonstrate itself any moment, and
she declared that, unless she had a
good cry before the ceremony, she
should never be able to go through it
II shouldn't mind so much il | were
going to be married myself, dear. The
difficulty of the part would keep me
quiet; but it's the thought of looking
on and seeing you married that upsets
me. ! ought to have been your moth
er: | could not have felt It more If |
had"
TO all this Joan responded with a
quiet smile and sometimes tender
caress She herself was as quiet now,
on the eve OF the momentous day, as
she had been all through; indeed, as
Emily said, she was too quiet.
subtitle kind of gravity, that deep
ened almost into sadness, seemed to
have settled upon her, and now, as
she stood beside the window and look
ID so ha Of thnrn
her face which no man would care to
see on the face of his bride.
In truth, as the hour approached
which would make her the wife of
Mordaunt Royce, she found herself
shrinking from 1t with feeling that
was as nearly like dread as anything
else.
Twenty times a day she told herself
thai the man she was going to marry
was too good for her; that he was gen
erous, clever, and that he loved her
and that she was a senseless, migrate
full girl not to return that love
But though she reproached herself
shs could not coerce her heart. II
would fly back to Deercombe and tbs
memory Of the one man in the worlC
yho had won her love.
Stuart Villiars had wronged her
had tried to work her the Creates
injury a man could work a woman
and yet--ah, yes! she loved him still
Not even Lord BERTHE. noble TO the
core as he was, had succeeded In dis
pelling the memory of her first and
only love. and now, on the eve of heI
marriage with Mordaunt Royce, she
communed with herself and knew that
she had no heart to give him, that
Stuart Villiars had stolen It from her
bosom, and that 1t was his until death
though he had held Il only as a toy to
be cast aside and trampled on when he
tired Of It,
TO-mgnt Mr.. uarwoou, VINO was con-
siderably fustered by the preparations
and Emily's excitement. and the fact
that he had to play an important part
in the next days ceremony and give
the bride away, had asked Mordaunt
Royce to come and dine with them on
this the last night of Joan's spinster-
hood.
Emily haa prepared a nice little
dinner the last, as she said pathetic
ally, that they would eat together for
some time, and Joan told herself that
tonight at least she ought to throw on
the dark shadow which clouded her
and show n smiling conference.-the the
man who had paid her the greatest
honor man can pay a woman.
a knock at the door reused her from
her rcVerie and Emily came in,
Il thought you had gone to bed
dear" she said running up to her
Dinner is ready and Mr. Royce ha,
come. He looks quite anxious anC
embarrassed, dear, you can't think,
and she laughed Men always dreat
the ceremony so, once heard a mar
say that he would rather be made
Mason twenty times than so through
the wedding ceremony twice, Well,
must say they generally look awful
idiots in their froCk coats and paten
boots. Nor. mind. that Mordaun
Royce would look an idiot ut any
time, Come. dear there is such {
nice little dinner, and father is all in
fuster to begin,"
Joan put her arm around the tim
waist and went downstairs.
AS Mordaunt Royce came forward
Emily's words occurred to her. II,
did look anxious and almost careworr
His face, never very highly colored a
the best of time. was paler than usua
and there was an expression of watch
fulness and abstraction in his eye
which she had never seen before. II
took her hand and kissed II, and TO
the moment his eyes lit up with
bright light.
Am early or lates" he said.
was afraid should be the latter; bu
have been busy making the last PREF
aratioDs.'
Arranging your patent leathe
boots and looking at the new coat.
suppose" said Emily, CURLY.
He laughed.
-yes- ne said. lyon can't +el