Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-11-12
9 l. Il Y | a
60 IT WAS FOR HER SAKE
~ C&AAEdEs CARVkE
CHAPTER XIII.
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she Shipped DdCh D6uluQ tue CTOWu
and was instantly swallowed up.
Mr.. BARLEY Bradstone's face could
not have looked whittier than it had
done, and after the first start of alarm
as the flowers struck him in the face,
and the womans mocking voice rang
in his ears, he collected himself suf-
ficiently 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 a good, old, roast-beef-and-beer ban
quet, which was to be served in a
huge marquee on the lawn.
In whirl of excitement the guests
thronged into the drawing-room.
There is an old-fashioned custom
which ordains that the bride shall
hold a kind of levee in the interval be-
tween the ceremony and the break
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 it had been in the church,
and her voice as she spoke to one and
another seemed like that of one who
was repeating some well-learned les
son.
The ordeaI-for it is an ordeal to
even the ordinary commonplace bride,
with happiness to help her through it
passed, and the party went into the
dining-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 the popping of champagne corks.
BARLEY Bradstone sat beside Olivia,
making a pretence of eating, and try
ing to talk and look at his ease; but
the bridegroom is not much noticed
on these occasions-so utterly disre-
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 a young fellow who had,
perhaps for years, cherished some
where in the bottom of his soul a
vague hope that he might win her
for himself, felt his heart throb and
ache as he looked at her in her pure
loneliness and realized that she was
lost to him forever.
The servants did their spiriting nim-
bly,, and before very long the bishop,
who had been carrying on dual fir
tation of a mild order with Annie and
Mary, laughed softly, looked round
with a 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 and the
lace handkerchiefs 1uttered as, in
melting tones, he wished the dear and
weIl-bloved child of a beloved and hon
ored parent all happiness in this and
the next world
BARLEY Bradstone fidgeted with his
wine-glass, which he had permitted
the butled to fiji pretty frequently;
but Olivia sat white and impressive as
statue.
Then. after the well-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 a moment it seemed as if he
would sit down without saying word;
but he seized his full glass and drank
off the wine it contained, and started,
nervously at first, but presently fell
into his usual bombastic, self-satisfied
tone. and declared his intention of
making his wife happy if he spent
every shilling in the attempt.
People exchanged glances the men
of cold, critical contempt, the women
with little shudder; but they ap-
plauded him as in duty bound, and as
he sat down Lord Garfield rose to
propose the remaining toast-the
health of the squire.
In few, well-chosen words, which
in themselves and in the manner OF
their delivery presented a striking
contrast to the last speaker, he spoke
OF his deep regard and affection for
his old neighbor, 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, a well-beloved
daughter.
And now for the first time, as the
squire just rose and bowed too
moved to speak, his aristocratic, high
bred face working visibly in his at
tempt to suppress his emotion-for
the first time change came over
Onvia's white face. 1t seemed to
melt as did the Snow Maiden's, but not
into a smile. Her lips quivered and
trembIed. and as she raised her eyes