The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-17


riedly to apologize.
Il beg a thousand pardons for my
presence in your house. l am an I'M
hidden guest at the wedding feast On
Saturday my husband received a tele-
phone message from Mrs. Spaulding
asking me to be her guest at an in
formal luncheon on Monday. and say
| ing that her carriage would meet me
at the 1890 train from New York. Al
! the station your coachman confused
the names, and thus the mistake oc-
Cured"
But there must be some further err
ror," said he, 'the Spaulding place is
| closed and they are in Europe"
Surely I must have looked ready to
join the gentlemen on the brink Of ap-
oplexy or something worse, ] wanted
to weep with vexation, and shrek with
iaughter-all in the same breath. Did
you ever find yourself in a position so
humiliating? I'm positive you never
did-and believe me, 1 mathematical
poor Tom for placing me in such an
awkward position.
I know 1 am expected somewhere, f"
! said TREMENDOUSLY. but as | have no
idea where, I will thank you for your
courtesy and slip quietly away
"Oh, Mademoisellep' he cried in
iAO4OAilS up OOll Hd4iQS DIS IL u
detain me as 1 rose. 81 am selfishly
glad this mistake has occurred. beg
Of you to consider my request. You
could not refuse my daughter this
pleasure in her extremity
Now | dare say, my dear. that
wouldn't have refused to sing in any
case, as Madame Guerrins non-appear-
ance seemed to them such an awful
calamity, and there was no real reason
why l shouldn't help them in their di-
lemma, but as the senator finished a
daring idea cFept into my brain-in fact
so daring that 1t made my heart pound
until 1 was sure he must hear it.
Then 1 almost laughed aloud in my
joy for thinking of anything so clev-
er This was my opportunity. 1 would
place him under such deep. deep Obli-
cation that it would be difficult-yes,
impossible to do other than pay my
price. You never dreamed 1 could be
such a Shylock, did you? And 1 am
sure the dear senator didn't dream how
dearly he was buying my songs.
As I saw the great beads of per-
sipration on his forehead and the look
of anxiety in his eyes, 1 thought swift
ly. I'm sure you cannot be hard and
unyielding if you love that daughter so
dearly. so tenderly and 80 devOutedly.
In a far shorter time, my dear Vera.
than it has taken me to write it all
this transpired, and I had graciously
90 consented to sing. The details were
quickly arranged.
I was to sing before the ceremony
after the bridal party entered-and
softly during the responses.
CHANGING hurriedly over the numbers
selected by the prospective duchess,
found Thny7a rIIita familiar faIf
strangely nervous, but Herr Muhler's
sublime faith and confidence and the
tremendous issue at stake spurred me
on to rise to the height of my oppor-
tunity.
All was ready and, hidden behind a
bower festoOned with roses, lilies and
smilax, I began the lovely dream song
from ''LOhengrin." AS the song pro-
ceeded the guests grouped themselves
on either side of the fiower-lined aisle
in hushed expectancy. The silence as
I finished was intense but suddenly the
orchestra burst forth with the glorious
measures of the wedding march, and
down the garlanded staircase came the
bridal party.
1t was like some splendid pageant
the soft lights, the flashing jewels, the
music and the f1OWers-all combining
to make it indescribably beautiful
There were twelve bridesmaids
perfect rainbow as they f1oated by in
their quaint fluffy gowns. The maid OF
honor, the Lady Isabel Hope-Kirby, a
sister of the Duke, came next, and last
" the little flower girls-dainty little
fairies-tossing out their blossoms be-
fore the bride, staT-eyed and stately, in
her shimmering bridal robes. A more
exquisite vision of loneliness have yet
to see, and 1 could well understand her
fathers alteration
AS the bride reached the altar and
stood by the side of her future husband
he took her hand and they knelt to-
gether.
The orchestra ceased and the organ,
harp, violin and voice (my voice. took
I'D the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria" II
was truly a moment of exaltation! AS
the last note died away they rose from
their knees and the archbishop began
in a low voice to repeat the marriage
service. When the time came tor the
responses
"I, Edward Arthur, take thee, Jo-
sephine, to my welded life"
Il, Josephine. take thee. Edward Ar
thur, to my welded husband
softly I chanted q Hymn of Love, -
arranged by Herr Muller, and finished
1t Just as the archbishop repeated:
Whom God hath join, d together let
no man put asunder."
The significance and sOlemnity of that
scene I shall not soon forget. 1t was
a representative union of the beauty
and wealth of America with a noble
house whose lineage was almost as an
Gent as Britain itself
1t as soon over and the guests
crowded forward with congratula tons.
For a few moments I was obliged to