Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1910-09-22

fnar MS Deurt WAS not III TINS second
| marriage. Possibly ] may have judged
| by something in his tone. possibly by
| an absence of desire in his words. He
| was too rational for a lover won
| dered If he were not hent on marriage
| TO escape loneliness or 10 help him 10
| bury melancholy memory deter
mined to apply test.
you have been considering me vac
iImring." said Now YOU seem 10 be
| undecided Yourself And am not
| quite sure but you are right Suppose
after we are married you should meet
| your former bride. Suppose she should
| admit thar in II condition new to her.
a very young girl. she had tried your
| patience severely: that she had mis-
taken you: that she deplored the break
| between YOU and her and would give
| years Of her life 10 undo what she had
done. You would then look upon your
| marriage with me - a chain of slav.
| cry"
lie said nothing for some time
When be did his words thrilled me:
"Candor compels me to admit that
| | would "
leaned back on the cushion as
though much disappointed. | am not
sure but | practiced the deception OF
| a sigh His mood was indicated by
the speed he was driving the machine
| was tempted to tear off my veil and
throw my arms about his neck But
| | dared not As his bride had been
a girl Now ! was approaching mid
| die age. Another denoucment to this
| singular freak Of fate occurred to me.
| would 20 with him to the church,
then reveal myself
well" | said. lit IS time that we
stop this backing and filing. shall
| show you that | have more Steadiness
than you suppose Come: turn about
Let us 20 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
| liness 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. IL
| you have not perfect confidence in me
beg Of you to withdraw before it is
| too LATE
If there is vacilation now it is in
| you, not in me"
He got our of the auto, but not with
the springy step of a groom. knew
he was swayed by two opposite cur
! rents. Whatever were his feelings. he
would not rrcede from the position he
| had taken
We were received by the rector. who
had been expecting us for some time.
| He placed Us before II mautel took up
| his prayer book and waited for me to
take off my veil Slowly unwound it
| and when removing the last fold turn
ed and looked al the groom
| He had not seen me since ! was
eighteen Now was thirty three. but
he knew me nj once chat is he knew
| his establishment And the fact that
| his bride was the same as he had
| stood by years before rendered that as
constituent rather confusion Of ideas
than Il natural impression He stood
looking at me. dazed
Gwen" he exclaimed at last.
With the two men looking M me, the
aFaa mott f,,ry
meant, the other how | came to be
there in place of the woman he expect
ed. it 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 /
would find there. | saw AT once that
he was eager to know what would be
the outcome of this contretemps. Did
1t mean punishment, revenge or would
1t lead to a reconciliation? / replied
to the question asked by his eyes with
my lips. | gave him smile With a
profound sigh of relief he turned to the
clergyman and said:
"Proceedr
4Ae rector seemed puzzled. Evil
IDENTIFY the situation clustered him; but
being in holy orders. with a church
mans antagonism toward marrying
divorced people and 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 | express dissent. lie looked to
the groom for instructions and doubt
less received them. for without fur
ther delay he began the ceremony.
Neither man was quite sure what
would be the outcome until the ques-
ton was asked me. "Will you take
this man to be your welded husband?'
| hesltated for moment, then said
firmly, Il will"
Both men gave a sigh Of relief.
And so it was that, while | was sep
aroted for fifteen years from the man
| loved and who loved me. by a sense
less tiff, | was reunited to him by a
marvellous coincidence. Had not the
woman he was to have made his sec