Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-11-08
O l. | Y | n
81 1T WAS FOR HER SAKE
y CHARLES CARVkE
CHAPTER XIII.
y CHARLES CARVKE

The words and action of the woman
were unnoticed In the excitement, and
she slipped back behind the crowd
and was instantly swallowed up.
Mr.. BARLEY Bradstone's face could
not have looked whittier than IL had
done, and after the first start OF alarm
as the flowers struck him In the face,
and the womans hooking voice rang
in his ears, he collected himself suf-
fciently to force "a smile, which he be-
slowed upon the lines OF people.
AS the carriages dashed off to the
Grange the crowd OF spectators closed
up behind them and followed in the
same direction, for the squire had In
vited every man and woman and child
TO good old, Neutrality-suspicious. ban
quet, which was to be served In q
huge marquee on the lawn.
In whirl of excitement the guests
thronged into the drawing-room,
There is an od-fashioned custom
which ordains that the bride shall
hold kind of leveo In the interval be-
bWf'l Ni' 'fl'H'DbJ anu hbP bl'hN
fast, and Olivia took her place in the
drawing.room TO receive the usual
homage
She was still pale, and the absent,
preoccupied expression was just as
marked as IL had been in the church,
and her voice az she spoke to one and
another seemed like that of one who
was repeating some welllearned les.
son
The ordeal-~for II Is nm ordeal to
even the ordinary commonplace bride
with happiness to help her through II
passed, and the party went into the
dning.room.
Most wedding breakfasts or lunches
are alike, and there was the usual
amount OF chatter and laughter
amongst the young people, mingled
with the clatter OF knives and forks,
and tho popping OF champagne corks,
BARLEY Bradstone sat beside olivia,
making n pretence of eating, and try.
ing to talk and look Mt his ease; but
the bridegroom Is not much noticed
on these occasions-so utterly dlsrL.
garded, in fact, that It would seem al
most possible to give the play Of
Marriage" with the part of the
bridegroom left out. But all eyes
wandered to the bride, the loveliest
and most charming girl In the county,
and many young fellow who had,
perhaps for years. cherished some.
where In the bottom of his soul n
vague hope that he might win her
for himself felt his heart throb and
ache AZ he looked at her In her pure
lovolness and realized that she was
lost to him forever,
The servants did their splriting MIN
bly,, and before very long the bishop,
who had been carrying on u dual fllr,
tation Of u mild order with Annie and
Mary, laughed softly, looked round
with blandly benedictory air, and
rose TO propose the bride and bride.
groom.
No man could do this better than
his grace, and eyes grew moist aud the
lace handkerchiefs Huttored as, In
melting tones, he wished the dear and
well.bloyed child OF n beloved and hon
orod parent all happiness In this and
the next world
BARLEY BradstOno ndgetod with his
wine glass, which he had permitted
the butled to Il pretty frequently;
but Olivia sat white aud lmpassivo rs
statue.
Then, after the wel.bred cheering
had subsidized all eyes were turned
upon the bridegroom His face flush.
ed and Went pale by turns as he rose,
and for moment II seemed as If he
would sit down without saying word
but he seized his full glass and drank
off the wine II contained and started
nervously at first, but presently fell
into his usual bomhastic, ser-satished
tone and declared his intention of
making his wife happy II he spent
every shilling in the attempt,
People exchanged glanoes, the men
of cold, critical contempt, the women
plauded him as in duty bound and us
he sat down Lord Garfield rose to
propose the remaining toast-the
health Of the squire
In few, wellchosen words. which
in themselves and in the manner OF
their delivery presented striking
contrast to the last speaker, he spoke
of his deep regard and affection for
his old neighbour who was not only
the lord of their manor but of their
hearts, and declared that, speaking
for himself, he felt that he too, had
lost, like the squire, Il well-beloved
daughter,
And now for the first time as the
squire just rose and bowed too
moved to speak, his arlstocratic, high.
bred face working visibly In his at.
tempt to suppress his emotion-ror
the first time change came over