Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-02-28
By CLARENCE BoUTELLE

two carriages, and came alone. Yor
would not have taken him for a mar
about to be married. AS solemn a sac
rament as marriage is, his gravity anc
seriousness-his deep and impenetrable
gloom, perhaps l ought to say-coulC
never have originated in the mere con-
temptation of his responsible present
and his possible future.
Nor would Gilbert Sem have been
picked out Us a criminal. His head was
erect. He looked steadily about him
II would have been hard to believe that
he would have Stunned the eyes Of any
one whom he might have met. He did
not look like man who had put him.
self in danger Of imprisonment and dis
grace. He did not seem a scoundreI
and an outcast. You can find in hall
days observation among your acquaint-
ances a dozen men and women Of pure
and blameless lives whose cheeks would
color quicker and whose eyes would
falter sooner under suspicion than
would those of Gilbert Sem.
The second carriage brought four
persons. Donald Barron descended
first. He was very pale. One could
not help thinking that he must almost
have his grave in sight, as he came
down the carriage steps so slowly and
languidly. He was an old man-in
years. He was an older MANN
thoughts and feelings. He had grown
very old and very feeble in the hours
which lay between this storm-cur
night and this days morning.
Donald Barron waited for his daugh-
ter. Her hand trembled as she laid it
upon his arm to support herself in leav-
ing the carriage. She looked as little
like a bride as one could imagine,
dressed in black from head to foot, and
with q thick vail of heavy Grape across
her face and about her shoulders. She
looked like a mourner; it was we'll she
did. Was she not about to bury her
love-her womanhood-her
future?
II wish" she began, wistfully, as
they stood where the light from the
open church door fell upon them. She
paused, then, hesitatingly.
"Well?" said her father.
81 wish 1 dared defy Mr.. Sem, when
I am his wife, and shut the door Of my
old girlhood's home in his face"
Il hof
the law makes you his. Where he goes,
he may command that you go also, and
you must obey. 1t is terrible fate,
Elsie. a terrible fate. Why marry him
at all? 1 have urged you not to sacri-
flee yourself thus for me. l had rather
die than that YOU should. Let us go
back"
Her hand trembled upon his arm.
But she looked back, with a silent
shiver, at the two who were following
them. She shook her head. Her old
time friend and companion had brave
ly approved, though only partly under
standing, her ideas Of duty should she
allow herself to fall below the merit of
the praise she had won? Detective
Prier had urged that she abstain from
the sacrifice of her young life: should
she give him the satisfaction Of victory,
after all? Never Never. She only
clasped her hand little tighter over
her fathers arm, and hurried little
now, as though her resolution was proof
against g-tears-sorroW-
heartbreak-everything, except time!
They entered the church.
Elsie Barron's lady companion had
objected to coming to the church; she
had, as I have already said, strength
ened Elsie's resolution by her strong
words of approval; but she shrank, so
she told her friend, from being wit
ness to the sacrifice: at the last mo-
ment. however, she had consented to
come She kept her vail down, never
raising il from the time she left her
room until she was safely in it again,
and Mr.. Prier. who took deep interest
in her Notwithstanding the fact that
Mr.. Barron and his daughter had both
neglected the fOrmality of an introduc-
ton, felt certain that she cried con-
stantly from the time she entered the
carriage until she entered it again,
when the ceremony was over to return
to Mr. BarronS house. 1t would have
been strange. could one have suddenly
ha, 70 n
tears-laughter. for instance.
While Mr. Barron and his daughter
exchanged the few sentences which
have been recorded, as they went up to
the church. Mr. Prier and Elsie Bar
ron's friend followed in silence. Mr.
Prier had politely offered his arm: the
lady had declined it with a gesture
After which the two walked well apart
Just at the church door the lady slip
ped. Prier sprang to her assistance,
and her thick veil just escaped his
fingers. She recovered her footing
without aid. however, and Mr.. Prier
pushed back into his pocket the casket
which had almost slipped out 1t came
very near going down under foot.
1t isn't eXpedient, just at present, to
explain how near these two inconsider-
ate characters of mine, with careless
footsteps and insecurely kept packages
came to spelling my story. Which,
with the heroine and-and another
prominent character-abOut to unite
their future in marriage, would have
been, from a historians point of view
utterly without excuse.
Elsie Barron and her father went for
ward 10 the altar, Gilbert Sem was al
ready waiting there. j. B. Prier took
seat in one of the front pews. The
lady took a seat across the aisle from
him. She seemed strangely hysterical
her frame shook with suppressed emo
tiOn during the whole time which she
sat there. Indeed, out Of all those pres
ent. Gilbert Sem and Elsie were the
two calmest and most self controlled
Rev. John Kane began the marriage
service, the beautiful service of the
Lr,,iScnpol cburch I homo for the sake