The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-12-29
THEIR WEDDING
DAY
By NELLIE CRAVEY GILMORE
COPYRIGHT, 1905, BIZ E. c. ParceEs


the neat blue walking suit she had just
donned for a heap Of billowy, lustrous
apparel that lay spread out over the
| bed. Afterward she contemplated heI
reflection critically in the oval mirror
Of her dressing table, noting the de
tails with some curiosity
No, her three years absence on an.
other continent had made very little
difference beyond, perhaps, intensity
ing each feature mere trifie. The sun
TINS of her hair had deepened 10 a
more metallic gold, the blue of her eyes
TO misty violet, and her mouth, red
finely lined, dropped bare fraction at
the corners-that was ALL
With a final wistful glance at the
straight young figure in its white silken
| lOveliness, she turned and ran down the
stairs as fast as she could, pinning her
! hat on as she went.
Hall IN hours brisk walking brought
her to the entrance of the park. a few
minutes later she found herself COM
| pletely hcmmcd in by an unfamiliar
wilderness of trees and brambles. She
paused and looked about her desper-
| ately On either side was formidable
| tangle of thorny hedge, with mass upon
mass of impenetrable shrubbery every
where ahead. Three years had made a
material difference in things at least,
| she reflected.
After Il moments rest on one of the
| benches she got Up again, more than
ever determined on her quest. At the
end of Il haraSsing hour she stood on
familiar ground at last, tumult Of
emotions surging all through her being
as rccollcctons crowded up thick and
| fast
There was the same old log upon
which they had sat on that eventful
day-the day, the very hour of their
| betrothal-now crumbling to decay, but
the very same nevertheless.
Lifting her skirts, all sagged and
limp with dew, she picked her way
carefully to the sound end OF it and
sat down, catching her breath in a
little spasm of relief. In the distance
Il coyotes cry sounded distinctly, and
a whole army of minor echoes thronged
in its wake.
The pink gray of early morning flung
an enchanting rosiness over everything,
and the air was suddenly vocal with
the matutinal chirping of thousands Of
birds.
Presently the girl got up and began
,I.> ~, IA Of 1,n
something. She came to it at last.
Any one looking at her just then could
have detected that from the unmis-
taxable signs of emotion all at once
visible on her face. Quick tears sprang
to her eye; as she looked and SplaShed
UNDECIDED on her interlocked hands.
"R. G., Z. r., June 'O2-June, '05."
The letters, roughly carved with q
| pocketknifc, were Il trihe eaten away
at the edges, but perfectly legible still.
"Our wedding day." she murmured
softly, touching the crude inscription
with Il tender, tremulous finger. Dick,
Dick-if we only hadn't For Il mo-
ment she felt as though she were going
to choke. The memory of past bitter
ness-their quarrel, cStrangement and
final scparation-came upon her suffo-
catingly, overwhelmingly. Then, with
a swift access of pride, she threw back
her head, the mist drying away from
her eyes and leaving them half hard,
half rcgrctfui, bright as stars. For 4
full minute she stood there, tall and
straight, imInoYable as il statue; then
she bent suddenly and laid her cheek
against the rough side of the log.
Almost On the instant the sharp snap
ping Of Il twiS brought her upright,
with Il startled movement. Not TWEEN
ty feet away, just visible through the
interlaccd foliage, a man was striding
rapidly toward her. The girl had just
time to gather her skirts and slip noise
leSSly behind Il screen of bamboo.
Despite is nonchalance, Gordon's
careless swing had Il decided purpose
behind it. He came directly Up to tho
crumbling old log and stood looking
down upon its crusty surface with an
inscrutable expression in his keen gray
eyes.
Presently be- too, stopped and scan
n:s1 closely along Il certain line on the
side of the log III an instant his face
lit up only to cloud swiftly, while a
look of pain made his clean, clear fea-
lures Look almost sharp. He sat down
and dropped his face in his hands with
4 sort of hopelcsSness too entire for
expression. After little he lifted his
head YEARLY and stared straight ahead
Of him ut nothing at all Then, all at
once, he started, palcd and jumped to
his feet, every nerve quivCring. On the
soft turf exactly in front Of him We're
footprints-a woman's footprints! And
bit further on lay u tiny scrap Of
ace, vaguely eXhalant of Il subtle odOr
her favorite perfume.
Gordon stopped quickly and possess
ed himself Of the handkerchief. In enc
corner were the initials he already eX-
pectCd to see there He crushed it
against his lips with Il passionate rush
Of tenderness, and Il wonderful light
came into his eyes. Dearest of all wO-
men," he unused radiantly. Il shall so
to the ends of creation to find you if it
ldhCS lilC lllt Nlcl " NlO IL.
The girl held her hands tightly over
her heart, lest Gordon should hear its
turbulent throbbing. Her teeth, caught
unconsciously over her lip, left a clean
row of pink indentations for a long
time aftcrward.
AS he turned to come past her she
shrank back bit and her foot slipped
fatally. The next moment Gordon was
bending over her, and his breath, COM
ing in little quick jerks, lifted the fine
hair from her temples in tiny gold
| wisps.
Tim afraid it's going to lie serious,
| Dick. l don't believe l can walk bit"
Quite Unfortunately she had reverted to
the old familiar title.
The world seemed TO stop revolving
for a minute. Then Gordon slipped Il
| firm, strong arm about her and drew