Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-09

perhaps TO operate Poor child! IT will
be terrible thing for her II this last
hope fails her. too, especially now,
when she and Hugh are to make a
match of it."
Harry's face was turned away. or the
bishop would have seen it suddenly
startled. ITO make match Of it, To
hide the flush he felt staining his
cheek Harry bent to close the safe. A
something that had darkled In some
obscure depth Of his being whose exist
snce he had not guessed was throbbing
now to a painful resentment Jessica
was to marry Hughl
"a handsome fellow-Hugh" said
the bishop. He seems to have return.
ed with new heart-a brand plucked
from the burning. You had the same
alma mater. l think you told me. Your
influence has done the boy good. San.
derson!' He laid his hand kindly on
the others shoulder The fact that
you were in college together makes
him look up TO you-as the whole par
fish does" be added.
Harry was setting the combination
and did not answer. But through the
turmoil in his brain a satiric voice
kept repeating:
mo. they don't call me Satan
now!
in gala attire Flowers-great banks
Of bloom-were massed in the hail.
along the stairway and In the window
seats, and wreaths of delicate fern
trembled on the prim hung chandeliers
Over all breathed the sweet fragrance
IF Jasmine. Musicians sat behind
Icreen Of palms in corridor. and
long scarlet carpet strip ran down the
front steps to the driveway, up which
passed bravely dressed folk, arriving
N carriages and on foot, to witness
the completion Of much booted TO-
nance
For fortnight Anis afternoons
event had been the chat Of the town.
for David Stlres. who today retired
from active business. was its magnate.
the owner Of It's finest single estate
and of It's most important bank From
his scapegrace boyhood Hugh Stires
had made himself the subject Of un.
comfortable discussion. His sudden
Disappearance after the rumored quar-.
rel with his father and the advent Of
Jessica Ho!me had furnished the COM
munity sufficient material for gossip
The wedding had capped this gossip
with an appropriate climax. Tongues
had wagged over its pros and cons.
for Hugh's past had induced a whole
,ome skepticism Of his future.
There was an additional element Of
romance. too, in the situation, for Jes-
>ica, who had never vet seen her lover,
would see her husband. The great
)urgeon on whose proGnostication she
aad built so much had arrived and
had operated. ''he experiment had
been completely successful. and Jessi-
cas- hope Of vision had become sure
Ind certain promise.
Tho operation over, there had re-
NAMED many days before the bandages
could be renoved--before Jessica could
be gives her first glimpse of the world
for nearly three years. Hugh had
srged against delay. II he had strin.
F,nt reasons Of his own he was silent
concsrning them. Ard Jessica, steep
I'd in the delicious wonder Of new and
hchoate sensations. had yielded.
So It had come about that the wed
ding was to he ON this hot August aft
ernoon. although It would be yet some
time before the eye bandsges might
be laid aside save in dsrIened room
In her grish, passionate ideality Jes
sica had offered a sacrifice to her senti
nent She had promised herself thai
the 6rst fern her new sight should be
hold should be not her lover. but bel
husband. The Idea pleased her sense
OF romance.
1t was swe.teriLs afternoon. ant
IN the wide east parlor limp haudker
chiefs and energetic fans fought vain
" against the intolerable heat. There
,ss the clock struck g. a hundred pair
Of eyes galloped between two center
OF intsTest-tbe door ct which the brid,
would enter and tho raised platform q
the other end Of the room where
prayer book In hand. In bis wide robe
and flowing sleeves. Harry saadeysol