The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-30
AN EvENTFUL WEDDING


that 1 was born coquette; that all those
months 1 was engaged to Kenneth 1 had
disguised the true strength of my nature
under the mask of shy and sweet reserve
that 1 knew to be his ideal; that sud
den emergency could rouse in me a very
volcano of independence and self-asser-
ton, and, stranger than all, the impulse
to move man to my will by woman s
wiles- a man. too. whom l had never
seen before in my life.
But that day-my wedding day-eNery-
thing was at stake.
/, a girl of only twenty-three stood to
win, against the world, all things; my
own happiness and kenneths long
years of sweet companionship, the con-
fusion of my enemies, and the possession
of a large fortune
But wait, | must go back little, brief
ly. to make it all clear.
I was left an orphan at seventee, with
q fortune of some millions coming to me
in case | married before my twenty
third birthday; otherwise the money was
TO go 10 my guardian, Johnson Cooling
ton.
BY whose foolish eccentricity I was
placed in the absurd position, it matters
not Suffice it to say, that at twenty-five,
I, Mauriel Vail. was -wooed and won by
the dearest fellow in the world.
Kenneth Scott was no laggard lover,
and he begged for an early day to be set
for our marriage. But, resisting all his
entreaties. 1 declared that our engage
ment should endure till the very last day
possible. the eve of my twenty-third
birthday.
My guardian had always been kind and
1ndulgent and he humored this within as
he had humored Others aiding me ma
terially in withstanding kenneth's pleas,
made at ever shorter intervals, for "a
Communication of his sentence"
The day came at last-a perfect day.
7 learned from my easement, and let
the white roses brush my cheeks with
their fragrant dew. | was happy-happy.
mot a cloud in the sky" / whispered
10 nayself a hooking bird broke into
song on a neighboring tree.
But why did those words bring a sud
den chill to my joy? Had 1 ever heard
that, somewhere, cloudless. breathless
Psllaw! What foolishness, And yet the
knocking birds song was changed!
How plaintive and sad his notes had
grown, And the dew ran down my face,
and fell upon my clasped landslide
tears
All. have never laughed at PRESENT.
ments since that day.
1 sprang from my knees, and shook
off the dewdrops, shut my cars TO the
birds mournful strain.
l raised the lid of the box wherein re-
posed my wedding dress, and drew the
fieecy folds about my face. and wished
how / wished,-that l had not banished
Kenneth from the house for that day
Would he accept his exile or would he
try to see me, inspite of my imperious
edict that our last nights farewell must
be a final one till he met me in my bridal
robes at the altar. That night, at s. il
was to be-and the long. long day
stretched between us!
How longed for the clasp of his warm
strong hand to swallow upmy own small
one, 1 looked at my left hand. with its
blazing diamond
How often he had told me that no other
grown woman had ever possessed such a
tiny. white, dimpled hand,
II love you for being so small and white
ard pretty, L cried softly, as kissed the
rosy fingers. 'for you please Kenneth"
And then the breakfast bel rang. and
went down. to find my guardian and
Mrs West, my duenna, whom L had
never liked, already at the table.
My strange mood was still upon me.
Mr.. Coddington's smooth words of greet
ing, with their graceful allusion to the
day, sounded constrained; and his hand
felt cold and clammy as he clasped my
own.
Even Mrs. Vests warmer and more in
Innate congratulations seemed strangely
insincere, and her kiss burned my cheek
till / felt my color rise high.
Then-oh, then! l remember little more
accurately.
know peal of the bell made me start
from my chair in reasonless and I'M
reasoning terror; that l stood motionless
and speeches.. while my guardian tore
open and read a telegram.
Little more can l call TO mind of that
terrible hour save that Kenneth needed
me-was tll-hurt-than ten long miles in
tervened between us; and that presently
We were all three in a closed cab, creep
ing-oh, so slowly!-to his side.
l know that / repulsed their attempts
at consolation. until at last We all three
sat silent, and 1 fell into half uncon-
seriousness.
Then / heard words that reused me.
Ny guardian spoke TO Mrs West
1. ,,n1
The words pierced my heart with a
horrible fear
Kenneth was deadi
But no. AS Mrs. West nodded an as
sent, Mr. Coddington turned TO me with |
q cold and cruel smile and all my fear
died away in one great heart throb.
In that one instant some part of the |
truth came to me. and with the blessed |
assurance that my lover was in no dan
ger. that I had been devoyed from home |
on false pretences, laughed aloud and I
felt myself able TO battle with any evil, 4
however daring and diabolical
My guardian looked at me in perplex- 4
ity. as that laugh dissolved the trance OF I
horror that had held me: and l straight |
ened up with bounding pulse and cour- |
-@NS'4 ~ AAANNt ilia Slloht-l4ht Sd1C-
Yes, tell me-" I cried Kenneth is not /
hurt-did not send for me. know. Now. |
tell ME why you two have brough: me
heron my wedding day.
And then they made me understand.
was being taken to one of those places /
where anxious friends 50 often immune /
troublesome relatives
And as my marriage would not come /
of. my Gear guardian wauld pocket my 1
millions and the two conspirators would /