The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-08-22
CHAPTER XVI.

The situation of the party in Mr..
Wharton's dwelling was sufficiently awk-
ward during Caesars absence. The bride
and bridegroom are immemorially priv
LEGGED to be dull. and but few of their
friends seemed disposed TO dishonor their
example. The English colonel exhibited
a proper portion Of uneasiness at this I'M
expected interruption of his felicity and
he sat with a varying countenance by the
side of Sarah In the midst of this en-
barrassing silence, DR.. Sitgreaves ad-
dressed himself to Miss Peyton, by whose
side be had contrived TO procure a chair.
Marriage, madam, is pronounced to be
honorable in the sight of God and man;
and it may be said to be reduced. in
the present age, TO the laws Of nature
and reason The ancients. in sanctioning
polygamy, lost sight of the provisions of
nature, and condemned thousands to mis-
cry but with the increase of science
have grown the wise ordinances of So
ciety, which or5ain that man should be
the husband of but one woman"
WeIlmere glanced a fierce expression of
disgust at the surgeon, while Miss Pey-
ton, with a slight hesitation, as if fearful
of touching on forbidden subjects, re-
piled:
II had thought, sir. that we were in
debted to the Christian religion for our
morals on this subject"
',True. madam. it is somewhere proyid-
ed in the prescriptions of the apostles,
that the sexes should henceforth be on an
equality IN this particular. But in what
degree could polygamy affect holiness of
life? 1t was probably a wise arrange
ment of Paul, who was much of
scholar, and probably had frequent con-
ferences on this important subject with
Luke, whom we all know to have been
bred to the practice cf medicine"
There is no telling how far the discurs-
I've fancy of Sitgreaves might have led
him on this subject, had he not been in
terrupted. But Lawton. who had been
close though silent observer OF all that
passed. profited by the hint to ask, abb
ruptly:
Pray, Colonel WeTlmere. in what man.
ner is bigamy punished in EngIand?"
The bridegroom started, and his lip
blsnched. Reco yering himself. however.
IN the instant, he answered, with a suay-
ity that became so happy man:
Death las such an ofense merits
be said.
Death and dissection" continued the
operator; 1T is seldom that the law loses
sight of eventual utility in a malefactor
Bigamy, IL a man, is a heinous ofense.v
Wellmere, as if unable to listen with
any degree of patience to so ill-timed a
dialogue, sprang from his seat, and paced
the floor in disorder. Plying his situa-
ton. the reverend gentleman, who was
patiently awaiting the return of Cesar,
changed the discourse, and few minutes
brought the black himself The ring was
handed to DIR. Sitgreaves. A transient
look of melancholy clouded the brow of
the surgeon. as he stood a moment and
gazed silently on the bauble, while he
soliloquized as follows:
poor Anna gay as innocence and
youth could make thee was thy heart,
when this cincture was formed to grace
thy nuptials: but the hour had come,
God had taken thee to himself. Years
have passed, my sister. but never have
forgotten the companion of my infancy ="
He advanced to Sarah, and, unconscious
of observation, placing the ring on her
finger continued: "She for whom it was
iUltUucu Ids 4ohS DCtu III IcI grave, anu
the youth who bestowed the gift soon fol-
lowed b.er sainted spirit; take it, madam
and God grant that it may be an instru-
ment in making you as happy as you de-
servei'
Sarah felt chill at her heart as this
burst of feeling escaped the surgeon: but
weilmere Offering his hand, she was led
before the divine, and the ceremony be-
gan. The ring had been left, from mad
vertency and the agitation of the mo-
ment, on the finger where Sitgreaves had
placed it, and the clergyman was about
to proceed, when figure gliding into the
midst of the party, at once put stop to
the ceremony. 1t was the peddler- His
look was bitter and ironical, while fin
ger. raised toward the dicine. seemed to
forbid the ceremony TO go any further.
"Can CoiCael Wellmere waste the pre-
cious moments here. when his wife has
crossed the ocean to meet him? The
nights are long. and the moon bright--a
few hours will take him to the city,"
Aghast at the suddeDnsss of this ex-