Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-29

out me, Tor L might get slth VI pay WIN
the fire or do something"
They laughed delightedly like two chill
dren-the years had fallen from them
like a garment. They were going home!
The people will be taking you folks
for the bridal party If you don't look
out" the station agent remarked as he
shoveled more coal into the dirty little
stove.
rs there wedding today" Mrs.
Moore asked.
Eyes ma am. the first real church we'd
ding in Mllbrook. Jim Brown has just
come back from Prince Albert to marry
the eldest Taylor girl It's going to be
over in the new church and everybody S
going l am going to close UP and go.
too, SO you had better all come along.
The train won't be here until dark"
Mildred looked up with sudden interest.
A wedding, That would be something
to tell Edith about. The bride will prob
ably be dressed in that dreadful hot pink
and have paper roses in her hair, and
say Eyes, SIR" to the minister.
There has been great times getting
ready for it," Mr.. Greene was saying.
My wife has been there nearly all day.
1t beats all how interested women are
in wedding,
Half an hour later Mildred found her
self in the little new church, with its
implanted walls and seats and its pleas
ant piny odor. 1t was nearly filled with
excited-looking women with here and
there an apologetic-looking man.
Evergreens were banked at the windows
and wreathed around the altar rail. and
in them punches of roseberries glittered
warm and red.
1T is pretty" Mildred murmured TO
herself II wonder who thought of the
color scheme. But the bride will prob
ably spoil it all
The women behind her were talking
Mary won't see a white woman until
the spring anyway, and they will only
get their mail once a month. But she'll
stand it all right, Mary will. She's good
stuff, like her mother. She may get lone
some, but nobody will know it,
Poor Mary. Mildred thought. This
isn't wedding-it's a tragedy"
Suddenly a silence FELL and some one
was going down the narrow aisle. some
one very small and young. and Mildred
saw that she was dressed in brown. and
then she saw no more, for her eyes were
blurred with sudden rush of tears.
Poor Mary. Poor Mary.
They were passing her seat now. Mil
bred looked, not At the bride, but at the
face of the young husband. 1t was an
honest face. strong, invincible. and now
it was shining with light ineffable-the
face of a man who could fight the world,
and bear its prosperity or it's defeat with
equal calmness because there would be
one at his side who believed in him,
trusted him, loved him. Mary. the stead
fast, the immovable Mary-his heart s
desire. The hail and the frost might
blight his crops, the storm might over
whelm his fiocks, poverty and distress
might overtake him. but Mary's love
would not fail.
I'm sickness or in health, for better or
for worse, till death US do part" the al:
was still resonant with the words that
carry in them SO much of life's meaning
Its unutterable pain and sorrow, its
richest joy and blessedness
A strang feeling stirred in Mildred )
heart. The glory in the young mans
face smote her with a sense Of loss, of
disappointment and defeat Toms face
had glowed like that on the morning, SO
long ago, when they had walked together
down the soft-carpeted aisle. She could
smell the chrysanthemums now, as she
heard again from the little organ loft
above her the wedding march. that had
seemed then TO breathe over them in bill
lows of exquisite sweetness. It's joyous
ness had intoxicated her; now its sweet
ness stabbed her heart.
The people around her were hastily pre-
pairing to follow the bridal party, but