The leader., 1905-02-25

on q blush tint; nor that the old man,
being deaf and near-sighted, and long
since insensibie to the sound Of low
voices and the mystic changes In atmos-
pheric tints, was entirely unconscious
that his castle had been besieged. For
far from being the least amusing fea-
ture of the comedy as it unrolled was the
fact that the instigator himself was the
only innocent man in town"
But not more quickly do sunbeams
shift into shadows than do comedies
deepen into tragedies; hardly could the
onlookers. cease their laughing ere a
great heart-drama was laid bare before
them. It was going ON for days before
they knewit, and but for the finale might
have been always unsupported, buried
deep in the lives of the dramatis per.
sonae, as such dramas often are while
the world goes on laughing.
No one knew how it all came about.
Charles King was sure it had begun with
him on the first day when Agnes gave
him the roses; from that moment with
definite purpose he had gone to work to
shape the end. With Agnes it was differ
ent; she had drifted from the romantic
Utilization of one meeting to the dreaded
but hoped-for ecstasy of the next, while
in the intervals her conscience lay on the
rack. She had no time for thought OF
the future; she could only tremble and
fear, tremble and hope.
1t was not until the day when
Charles first left her under the rose
vine and went into the library to speak
to her father that she felt this uncer-
tainty diminish; not until then did she
feel diffused through the gentle waYer-
ing disposition inherited from her
mother something of her fathers
strong self-will. 1t crept over her
slowly at first, self-affrighted; but
when she watched her lover walk
about the garden before coming near
her, it suddenly leaped like liquid fire
through her veins, stimulating, cleo
trifying. He read her promise, for bet
ter or for worse, before a word was
spoken.
Heaven bless you, my darIing!" he
said, pressing her white hand to his
lips. at matters not what he says,
you will marry me. l see it in your
eyes,"
But what did he say, Charles?"
''Too much. He refused to glance at
my uncle's letter; did not, would not,
even hear who am. But it all makes
no difference now; tomorrow we will
be married"
They were wrapped in twilight, and
had no fear of interruption. All at
once Agnes became motionless, afraid
to stir, afraid to breathe; the tread of
an old man approached the sheltered
nook.
"Doncher git scared, honey; faint
nobody but Uncle Joe, an he done seed
young doves er coon befo'. Jes go on
wild yer kissin' an huggin'-Uncle Joe
don care, he bin er watchin' yer all
de time. Lord! but Use glad it's you,
Marse Charles; case bin so dazed by
all dem blue coats er flynn round dis
here chile wat done raised, dat Pus
feared she'd git fused an take up wild
er Yankee. OATS right, chin: jes
go on wild yer foolishness: Uncle Joe
gwine ter hep yer tie de knott"
And he did. But for him one of the
party that gathered on the following
afternoon as if by accident, at the
church, "the chile wat he done raised"
would have been absent.
One of the other servants, however,
had not been so faithful. At the mo-
ment when the young minister began
in trembling voice to read the mar
riage ceremony the father had been
informed, and was walking up and
down his library floor in a violent
rage. When the minister warned: A1f
any man can show just cause why they
may not lawfully be Joined together, /"
the father had ordered his carriage;
when the minister questioned: ''Who
giveth this woman to be married to
this MANI" he was dashing along rap
idly, yet urging his horses to greater
speed; and when the voice of the
young soldier spoke out confident and
strong: with this ring thee wed, |"
he was tearing at the little church,
yard gate. AS the noise reached the
expectant ears of the few friends, all
sprang to their feet.
The old man came hobbling up the
aisle, shaking his fist at the officiating
priest. Stop, sir! Stop! You are
oyerstepping your authority"
But the tremor had gone from the
voice of the young divine; he no long
err hesitated, but said, looking sternly
into the eyes of the enraged father,
while he held firmly the newly-wedded
hands: "Those whom God hath joined
together let no man put asunder."
And though the old man stumbled
and fell in his passion, and Agnes
seemed ready to faint, and Florence
Dickson cried out Historically amidst
the general commotion, he kept
straight on until they were awed and
stilled by the words: 81 pronounce
you man and wife, in the name of the
Father, and Of the Son, and Of the
Holy Ghost!"
At that moment stranger entered
the church very quietly; he seemed to
take in the situation at once. He
came forward and spoke to Agnes,
who was bending over her father.
Leave him to me, my child" he
said, ''he is my boyhood friend, and
when he learns that Charles is my
nephew, my adopted SON and heir, I
think-well, think we will all be hap
by together" And with a hearty laugh
he put his arm around the girls
slender waist and kissed her frightened
lips.
why NOT. INDEEpp