The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-03-02

standing there an hour, and the tmid
knock he gave from time to time pro.
duccd In me an odd feeling which
those ladies behind me seemed to share.
Its n shame" heard one of them
cry. Veronica Moore has no excuse
for such tiioughtlcssness It is nm
hour now that she has been shut M
In her room alone She won't have
even her maid In. She prefers to dress
alone, she says. Peculiar in bride.
Isn't III 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 volnn.
tccrcd that the Moorcs were all queer.
and that she didn't envy Francis lief.
frey, What! not with fifty thousand
year to tighten her olditicsT return.
ed her companion with shrug which
communicated itself to me. so closely
were we packed together. 4 have II
son who could bear with them under
such circumstances Indeed she has.
and all Washington knows ii. but the
remark passed without comment, for
they had not yet exhausted the main
event, and the person they now attack.
cd 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 II he knew the fate of those
magnificent lilies ana roses pre-.
sumo he furnished the bouquet
"'\Iiss Tuttln hns lnnlnI ,,nt Of hnr
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 IL an.
other boy had not appeared in the hall
before us, who, showing aside the first,
raped Oh the door with II spirit which
called for answer. But he was no more
successful than the other boy had been
SO, being brisk fellow. with no time
for nonsense, he called out: Your bou.
quot, miss, and a message which | am
to give you before you go downstairs!
The gentleman Is quite particular about
ii" These words were literally shout.
ed ut the door, but in the hubbub OF
voices about us 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 n very little way that the
boy had to 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 snatchng the
bouquet from the other boy and thrust.
ing 1t in through the crack, to the very
great detriment of its roses and lilies
When she took 1t he bawled for his
answer. and when he got 1t he stared
and muttered 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 a boy waiting at
her door while she dressed herself for
her wedding, but 1t shows that she was
queer even then, and for one believe
In the theory Of suicide. and in that
alone, and in the excuse she gave for
1t, too; for IL she had really loved Fran.
els Jeffrey she would not have been
so slow TO take In the magnificent bou.
quet he had provided for her"
But comment even from those who
had known these people well was not
what | wanted at this moment. but
facts; 80, without much attention to
these words, I said:
"You will excuse me IL suggest that
you are going on too fast. The door
OF the brides room has just been shut
upon the boy who brought her a mes
sage. When was II opened again."
mot for a good half hour; not till
every one had grown nervous and Miss
futile and one or two of her most Init
mate friends had gone more than once
to he's door; not in fact, till the hour
for the ceremony had come and gone
uuu NJ. Jtuity Hhu NloooNu 'hc hui
twice under the impression that she
was ready for him. Then, when
WEAKNESS was general and people were
asking what kept the bride and how
much longer they were to be kept
waiting, her door suddenly opened and
! caught glimpse of her face and
heard her ask at last for her maid. Oh,
l repeat that Veronica Moore was not
all right that day, and, though have
heard no one comment on the fact, 1t
has been II mystery to me ever since
why she gave that sudden recoil when
Francis Jeffrey took her hand after
the benediction. 1t was not timidity,
nor was it fear for she did not know
till Il minute afterward what had hap.
pencd in the house Did some sudden
realization of what she had done in
marrying man whom she herself de-
clurcd she did not love come when it
was too late? What do you think"
Miss Freeman had forgotten herself;
but the impetuosity which had led her
into asking my opinion made her for
get in another moment that she had
done so And when in my turn | pro-
pounded question and inquired
whether she ever again saw the boy