Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-01

WELL | said. 1t is time that we
stop this backing and filling. ! shall
show you that i have more steadiness
than you suppose. Come; turn about.
! Let usfgo to the rectory."
| without a word he turned his ma
chine, and we were soon speeding in
| the opposite direction. Neither spoke
| for some time ! wondered of what
| he was thinking. Perhaps that lone
illness which comes over a single man
after he has passed the heyday of
| youth would now be ended. Or was
| he thinking of his bride of fifteen
years before? When we drew up at
the rectory. before alighting he said:
There is yet time to reconsider this
most important step in your life. If
you have not perfect confidence in me
1 beg Of you to withdraw before it is
too late"
"If there is vaciIlation now it is in
you. not In me-"
He got out Of the auto, but not with
the springy step of groom. knew
he was swayed by two opposite cur
rents. Whatever were his feelings. he
would not recede from the position he
had taken.
We were received by the rector, who
had been expecting us for some time.
He placed US before a mantel, took up
his prayer book and waited for me to
take of my veil. Slowly j unwound it
and when removing the last fold turn
ed and looked at the groom.
He had not seen me since I was
eighteen. Now ! was thirty-three, but
he knew me at once-that is, he knew
me as soon as he could recover from
his establishment And the fact that
his bride was the same as he had
stood by years before rendered that as
constituent rather q confusion of ideas
than a natural impression. He stood
looking at me. dazed.
"GweDp he exclaimed at last.
With the two men looking at me, the
one waiting to know what the scene
| meant, the other how ! came to be
there in place OF the woman he expect
ed, II was incumbent on me to make
an explanation. did so to the rector
telling him briefly the circumstances.
When / had finished turned to my
groom. wondering what expression 1
|
he was eager TO know what would be
the outcome of this contretemps. Did
it mean punishment. revenge, or would
! it lead to q reconciliation? i replied
to the question asked by his eyes with
my lips. l gave him a smile. With
profound sigh of relief he turned to the
clergyman and said:
'Proceed"'
The rector seemed puzzled. Evil
IDENTIFY the situation f1ustered him; but,
being in holy orders, With a church
mans antagonism toward marrying
divorced people and g churchman's
pleasure in reuniting those who have
been separated. he was not long in re-
covering his equanimity. He looked
at me for my assent. But he looked
in vain. / gave no assent. Neither
did 1 express dissent He looked to
the groom for instructions and doubt
less received them, for without fur
Their delay he began the ceremony.
Neither man was quite sure what
| would be the outcome until the ques-
ton was asked me- "Wnl you take
this man to be your welded husbandT'
| | hesitated for a moment, then said
| firmly, Il will"
Both men gave a sigh Of relief.
And so it was that. while was sep
arated for fifteen years from the man
loved and who loved me. by a sense
less tiff 1 was reunited to him by
| marvellous coincidence. had not the
woman he was TO have made his sec
ond wife put his note in her reticule
and left it on a counter. had / not
| taken it up by mistake. would not
have been IN the nick of time in po-
sition to take what belonged to me and
| appropriate it to myself. The reticule
was hers; the man was mine.
i never asked my husband how he
explained matters to the woman with
whom he had intended to elope !
| considered it none Of my business.
Moreover. / was not interested in II.
But l did ask him if be did not sus-
pect that the woman beside him in the
! auto was not the one he expected to
meet He told me that. while he did
not suspect me. he felt that there was
| something In the situation foreign t.
what was intended. My voice. he said.
was the only real difficulty in the way
| of a perfect deception.
|