The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-09-27

divorced man we might be marie,
sensibly, as becomes our age"
Your first marriage having been
case Of elopement, l should suppose
considering that it resulted disastrous
ly, you would not care to try it again.
1.-THE elopement has nothing to d.
with either case. Two people elect t
unite. The method of their doing s.
is a mere matter Of sentiment"
There was silence for a time-a
least nothing but the chugging of tn
auto. We were both thinking, b.
probably of the fickleness Of woman
of how a trifie may turn the who'll
current Of two lives. For years l hat
considered that had married brute
True. had mourned that he had turn
ed out to be such, but / had not doubt
ed that my Interpretation of him wa
correct. And now found him accus
ing himself of a want of tact in hi
former treatment of me, his bride, ant
laying no blame on me whatever.
believe that feelings may be con
veyed without outward signs. l Eel
InaI MS nearu was not in this second
marriage. Possibly 1 may have judged
by something in his tone, possibly by
an absence Of desire in his words. He
was too rational for a lover l won
dered If he were not bent on marriage
to escape loneliness or to help him to
bury melancholy memory deter
mined to apply test.
1 AVnT1 houo
Hating" said. ''Now you seem to 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 that in condition new to her,
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 to undo what she had
done. You would then look upon your
marriage with me as a chain of slav-
ery."
He said nothing for some time.
When he did his words thrilled me:
"Candor compels me to admit that
l would"
leaned back on the cushion as
though much disappointed. l am not
sure, but / practiced the deception of
sigh. His mood was indicated by
the speed he was driving the machine.
l was tempted to tear off my veil and
throw my arms about his neck. But
l dared not. AS his bride 1 had been
girl. Now l was approaching mid
die age. Another denouement to this
singular freak of fate occurred to me.
] would go with him to the church,
then reveal myself
WELL" l said, ut is time that we
stop this backing and filing. 1 shall
show you that 1 have more steadiness
than you suppose. Come; turn about
Let us go 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. l 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 ahghting he said:
There is yet time to reconsider this
most important step in your life If
you have not perfect confidence in me
beg of you to withdraw before it is
too late"
IF there is vacillation now it is in
you, not in me-"
He got out of the auto, but not with
the springy step of a groom. l 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 mantel, 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 at the groom.
He had not seen me since l 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 confusion of ideas
than a natural impression He stood
looking at me, dazed
"Gwenw he exclaimed at last.
With the two men looking at me, the
one waiting to know what the scene
meant the other how l 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 l had finished / turned to my
groom, wondering what expression 1
would find there. | saw at once that
he was eager to know what would be
the outcome of this contretemps. Did
it mean punishment, revenge, or would
it lead to a reconciliation? l replied
to the question asked by his eyes with
my lips. gave him a smile. With
profound sigh Of relief he turned to the
clergyman and said:
"Proceedy'
The rector seemed puzzled. Evil
IDENTIFY the situation flustered him; but,
being in holy orders, with a church
mans antagonism toward marrying
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 He 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. Twill you take
this man to be your welded husband?"
l hesitated for a moment, then said
firmly, ~ 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 sense
less tiff, l was reunited to him by a
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 counter, had l not
taken it up by mistake, would not
have been In the nick Of time in a po-
sition to take what belonged to me and
appropriate it to myself. The reticule
raS harc. tho man uas mine