Evening star., 1909-05-13

quietly. that constitutes marriage-if
you will have 1t so?" She looked at him
shyly and said. quietly:
IF you like to count 1t step on the
way-Hke joys first marriage. do So
dear! Then IL you like we can make 1t
real when Joy becomes wife-in the
church!'
Every one in the room was so interested
in this little episode that two of them
only noticed a queer note Of dissent or
expostulation. coming in the shape Of a
sort Of modified grunt from the two ma
irons of the party. Said Athlyne, still
mindful of his intent to protect JOY:
"All right, Judy. I'll remember my
seems that he'll be brittle before long!'
Judy flashed one keen happy glance at
him as she whispered In his ear:
Don't be ungenerous!" For reply he
whispered back:
''Forgive me-dear. I did not intend to
be nasty. I'm too happy for anything CT
that sort"
AS breakfast wore on and the familiar
ity Of domestic life followed constraint.
matters Of the future came on the tapis.
When Mrs. Ogilvie asked the young cou-
pie II they had yet settled when the mar
riage-the church marriage-was to come
off, Joy looked down demurely at the
tableclotE as her husband answered:
Il go up to town early In the morning
to get the license. It is all In hand and
there will be no hitch and no delay. I
had a wire this morning from my sollc-
itor about 1t: and also one from the arch
bishop congratulating me. l shall be
home by the 1910 train Thursday. and
we can have the wedding late that after
noon. If you will have the church and
the parson ready"
But. my dear boy. isn't that rather
sudden?''
mot sudden enough for me! But real
ly, so far as am concerned. shall wait
as long as Joy wishes. Now that we are
married already, / fancy it doesn't much
matter. Only that anything which could
possibly bind me closer to Joy will al
ways be a happiness to me, don't care
whether we have a third marriage at
ALL" Mrs. Ogilvie caught her daughters
eye and answered at once:
6. suppose there can be no objection as
to canonical hours?" The sheriff an
swered:
Il can tell you that. The license of the
archbishop goes through and beyond all
canonical hours and all places-in south
Britain, Of course. Armed with that in
strument you can celebrate the marriage
when and where you will" Joy and
Athlyne were by this time holding hands
"of course Joy will stay with us till
then-Athlyne." Mrs Ogilvie spoke the
last word with pause; 1t was the first
time she had used his name.
mot of course he answered. She
Is Ine n0aQ Oh neF UOuS0 HOW dlu AluoI
be free to do as she please. But I am
sure she will like to come to you" Joy
made a protesting 'moue" at him as she
said:
"Of course ia like to be with mother
and daddy, and Judy-if Lii am not
to be with you-Oh. darling! you're hurt
ing me- You're SO frightfully strong!'
Breakfast being over, the party broke
up and moved about the room. Joy was
sitting on the sofa with her mother when
~. cid fncy hu
wall When she got close beside she
curtsied and said:
Wont ye tell me now. me lady, II I'm
to be the wan to nurse yer childher?"
"Oh, dear! But Mrs. OBrien, said
only yesterday that I'd tell you that
some other time. You are previous!
Didn't you hear that am to be married
Thursday. Later on :"
mo time like the prisint. me lady. 1t
was yistherday ye shpoke; an today's to-
''Tell her, dear her mother had be-
gun, when Judy Joined the group.
whats all this about? Whose chill
dren are you talking OFF, began the
merry spinster. But her sister cut her
short:
Never you mind. Judy! You just go
and sit down and try and get accus-
toned to silence SO as to be ready to keep
your sheriff out of an asylum" Ath-
lyme, too, with ears preternaturally sharp
on Joys account. had heard something
of the conversation. Looking over at his
wife, he saw her face divinely rosy, and
with a troubled, hunted look In her eyes
He, too instantly waded into the fray.
II say, let her alone you all! hope
they're not teasing you, darling?" Joy,
fearing that something unpleasant might
he said, on one side or the other. made
haste to reassure him.
Then she closed his mouth In the very
best way that a young wife can do-the
way that seems to take his feet from
earth and to raise him to heaven.
CThe end)