Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-11-14
= At the y.
Eleventh Hour
BY BEATRICE STURCES


Everything in the room betokene6
confusion and busy preparation fol
some event OF considerable Importance
A pile Of notes Just finished lay on the
desk; two trunks, one already strapped
and the other standing open. indicated
journey; several frocks occupied the
bed, piles of lingerie filed the chairs,
various other feminine belongings were
scattered about and maid was hastily
transferring them to the open trunk
and the new hand bag which stood on
a table. Now and again she addressed
some question to the girl who still sat
at the desk and who answered in mono.
syllables and with n preoccupied air.
ooh, put in or leave out whatever
you like, Marie. 1t doesn't make bit
Of differencey' she exclaimed at last
impatlently.
Marie, wondering within. obeyed, but
presently she came forward with some.
thing which she begged mademolselle
to try on.
Truly, IL must be seen II II is what
you call all right" she protested, and
the girl rose and walked to the mirror.
She was wearing long. loose gown
of yellow silk, and her nut brown hair
was caught up loosely on her head.
Marie stepped In front OF her for a
moment, did a little adjusting and pat
ting this way and that, and then step
ped back with voluble expressions OF
admiration.
The girl looked into the glass as II
In dream, and then her heart throb-
bed painfully. She had put Off the full
do and lived In vague hope that some
thing would happen to stop 1t, but now
as she looked in the mirror and saw
herself at last enveloped In the white
mist OF wedding veil the bitter truth
came home. The bridal symbol, 50
sweet and lovely In itself. became sud
denly hateful to her, for in all its
frailty II brought to her the stern reali-
cation that the next day at noon in st.
Johns church she, Lucy Rutherford,
was to be married to n man she did
not love.
How different, oh, how different it
might have been.
She tore ofs the veil and threw her
self on the bed in a passion OF tears.
She never would do ii, she told her
self over and over; she never could do
it! What did she care If Marie did
see? The whole world might see. 1t
could see tomorrow. and they all could
have their presents back-she didn't
care. 1t didn't make any difference
threatened-she could marry him her
self. But, as for Lucy, she simply hat
ed Hugh Goring all at once, and she
never wanted TO see him again.
She sat up presently and pathed her
eyes In the water the discreet Marie
brought to her and felt better Then
as the maid turned again to her pack
Ing Lucy thought miserably OF Ger.
tain night six months ago when she
had quarreled so bitterly with Ralph
Anderson and he had left her pres
ence without one backward look and
a very vicious slam of the door. Oh.
how foolish and trivial lovers quar-
rel seems when six months have gone
by! Lucy knew that II she and Ralph
once looked into each others eyes
again IL must and would be all right
once more. But how was this to hap
pen? In the heat and suddenness OF
his wrath Ralph had rushed away To
the vague and indehnable wilds OF
Texas, and Lucy never knew whether
he received that little note she sent
him the morning after their quarrel.
she had said only: Dear Ralph-lr
you are sorry, ! am too. Lucy
Anyhow he never replied, and may
be by this time he was already in
love with some horse riding girl in
Texas, while she was supposed TO be
making heip.last joyfu! preparations
for marrying another man.
"Oh, WELL" she had said 10 herself.
"a girl has TO do something
She rose and went over TO the desk
again. where from secret hiding
place she drew Photograph snap
shot of an athletic young man i'm ten
mis- flannels. with racket I'm his hand
and bright smile on his face. Her
eyes filed with tears as she kissed Ii
and murmured, my sweetheart, I
shall always love you"