Smyrna times., 1906-12-05
- AT the sls
Eleventh Hour

BY BEATRICE STURGES

Everything IN the room DeLOkeneu |
confusion and busy preparation for
some event of considerable Importance |
A pileeof 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 filled 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 preoccupied air.
"Oh, put in or leave out whatever
you like. Marie. 1t doesn't make bit
Of differencer' she exclaimed at last
impatiently.
Marie, wondering within, obeyed, but
presently she came forward with some
thing which she begged mademoiselle
to try on.
"Truly. it must be seen if it is what
you call all right" she protested, and
the girl rose and walked to the mirror.
She was wearing a 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 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 if
in a dream, and then her heart throb-
bed painfully. She had put off the full
realization of what she was about to
do and lived in a vague hope that some
thing would happen to stop it. 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, so
sweet and lovely in itself, became sud-
denly hateful to her, for in all its
frailty it 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 a man she did
not love.
How different, oh, how different it
might have been!
She tore off the veil and threw her
self on the bed in a passion of tears.
She never would do it, 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
what her stepmother said or did or
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 bathed 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 a 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 anC
a very vicious slam of the door. oh
how foolish and trivial a lovers quar-
rel seems when six months have gone
by! Lucy knew that if she and Ralph
once looked into each others eyei
again it must and would be all RICH
once more. But how was this to hap
pen? In the heat and suddenness o
his wrath Ralph had rushed away t
the vague and indefnable wilds o
Texas. and Lucy never knew whethe
: he received that little note she sen
5 him the morning after their quarre
She had said only: Dear Ralph
you are sorry, am too. Lucy"
: Anyhow he never replied. and may
> be by this time he was already
> love with some horse riding girl i
$ Texas. while she was supposed to
making her last joyful preparation
i for marrying another man.
! "Oh. well.' she had said to hersel
"a girl has to do something"
e She rose and went over to the DIES
D again. where from a secret hidin
place she drew Photographic sna
shot of an athletic young man in te
mis- flannels. with a racket in his har
and a bright smile on his face. HI
eyes filled with tears as she kissed
and murmured. MY sweetheart,
shall always love you"
While her lips still pressed the pi
ture sharp ring startled her.
"You answer it. Marie It's probab
the caterer or somebody asking abo
tomorrow Tell them Mrs. Rutherfo
is out and to call up in the morning y
70 The surprised maid, knowing w
III that Mrs. Rutherford was in, stepp
out into the hall to answer the tie
phone. In a moment she returned.
1T was for you, mademoiselle-
10 gentleman who insisted--so l ha
/ turn re switch"
Lucy sat down again at the desk a
took up the receiver.
~ ''Yes, this is Miss Rutherford"
&c The voice at the other end of
wire was strangely familiar 1t ma
her cheeks burn, her heart throb a