The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-08-25
When the Petals Mingled
Copyright. 1910. BY Associated Literary Press
By Philip kean

her daughter start for the trysting
place. She knew how bitter the
thought of the marriage OF these two
would be to the man across the
way. And so the summer waned and
the fall came, and in October the two
were to marry-David with his
fathers consent, Elvira with her
mothers, and yet neither parent
knew of the willingness Of the other,
Revenge was the sword with which
| each hoped to pierce the heart OF MS
opponent.
On the morning of the wedding
day Elvira's mother helped the girl
to dress. There was no veil, no white
satin; but Elvira in her fllmy null.
with her fair hair in a golden coronet
around her head and with bunch OF
white roses from the garden, was
thing of beauty.
| The mother was in flutter of ex-
element over the supposed runaway.
"You go on and meet David" she
said, land I will come after you to
the church. It won't do to let Dav1d's
father suspect"
On the other side of the fence the
old man was giving similar advice.
"You go and meet your GIRL" he ad-
vised, "and I'll go down to the church
after you. It won't do to let her
mother know" Then he brought out
bunch of red roses. "She'd better
have a brides bouquet, even If it is
runaway match"
Into the dim country church an
hour later came the yourg couple.
The bride was fresh and sweet in her
snowy finery; and in her arms she
carried great punches Of foses-red
and white and fragrant. Che BRIDE
groom, with his head up, looked as
If he defied the world to take her
from him. The minister brought with
, him couple of servants to act as
witnesses and the footsteps OF the
five persons echoed through the still
ness. Then, as the young pair stood
before the man of God, tue silence
was broken by careful t12toelng IN
the aisle to the right and careful
tip-toeing in the aisle to the left. The
red famed into David's facs, but Ell
yira was white. The minister began
the service, and back of that happy
trio two old persons, caught in the
net of their own evil passions, glared
at each other across the empty peWs.
But as the service went on the
flashing chances softened-none could
hear the beautiful words that Joined
| youth and beauty with youth and
strength and remain hardened. Into
the eyes of Elvira's mother came
| tears. She leaned her heal on the
4 back of the pew in front of her and
wept
Davids father cleared his throat
"'What God hath joined together,
said the minister, "let not man put
! asunder.'"
The service over, Elvira almost rar
down the aisle. But 1t was the aisle
to the left, and it was to David:
father that she ran.
"Forgive us; oh, please forgive us,
she said
In the aisle to the right David helt
E. a. little weeping woman to her arms
little woman with the hatred al
'r gone out of her heart. And present.,
the couple III the IelC aisle WeHt u
ID meet the couple in the right aisle, AM
the old woman was saying: "My son,
j. while the old man muttered: I'M
IA daughter.
Then they all went out of tn
le church together, and as they wen
their way was marked by the fallin
petals of the roses-red and white
le and white and red intermingling no,
"a in perfect harmony.