The daily Alaskan. [volume] (Skagway, Alaska) 1904-1924, 1910-10-13
SAVED
By I. DEWITT BOWMAN
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association

Farmer lnsley was tossing about in
bed yainly trying to sleep. At last he
arose. went to the window aud looked
out The moon was at the full illumi-
Mating everything In sight-namely,
the undulatlng plain. scattered dwell
ings aud the meeting house more than
200 years old. Suddenly Insley opened
his eyes wider than they had been
opened during his sleeplessness. A
light passed across one OF the win
dows Of the church. He went TO the
door. opened IT and stood looking out.
All was still. Not house was lighted
save by the moon. Not a living crea-
ture was In sight
The light appeared again. This time
IL was stationary for few seconds.
then seemed 10 have been extinguished.
Insley hurried into his clothes ana
ran as fast as his legs would carry
him 70 the church AS he proceeded he
thought that he had better see than be
seen. lie knew the church we'll and
felt confident that he could enter by
basement window, A tall tree cast
shadow on his approach. Finding the
window, he crawled in stealthIly, and,
guided by sufficient light from without
10 enable him TO see his way be as
cended a staircase leading up into the
vestibule. Opening q door only so far
as would enable him to peep into the
body Of the church. he saw a strange
sight
Two men were standing by a win
dow, the moon shining full in their
faces. The one was young aud Of city
melu-that IS, so far as Insley could
see By moonlight alone. The other
was dressed In the garb OF clergy
man. The men were talking, but he
could not hear what they said. Now
and again the younger man would
take out his watch and look at the
time impatiently,
Then lnsley heard knock at the
church door. The men heard It too.
and the younger hurried to the front
OF the church. The watcher, that he
might not be seen, descended the
stairs, but not SO far that he could
not know what passed in the vests-
bule. The young man opened the
church door and admitted a woman.
There was no light for him to see by,
but he could hear.
Sweetheart" said the man, what
has kept your
u heard father tossing about In bed
and dared not venture"
well, come. 1t win soon be over,
and then you'll feel better. You are
all unstrung."
ooh. can't"
These were the last words Insley
heard, for the man drew the girl into
the body OF the church and toward the
other end. Insley entered and passed
In shadow part way down an aisle en-
terlng one OF the high pews. The two
men and the woman were in shadow,
but presently Insley saw one Of the
men and the woman standing In
food Of moonlight, with their backs
toward him. while the man IN clerical
garb faced him and them. The clergy
man held In his hand lamp or can
die covered so that its light could only
shine on the page Of book he held in
his hand
Insley knew that a marriage service
was about to be performed. Whether
Il was a case for interference or one
10 suffer to proceed he knew not. But
be had passed the romantic age when
one sympathizes with those who would
wed in opposition to their parents
wishes and was not minded to permit
the marriage without being informed
Of the circumstances attending It. One
thing made him suspicious. The pas
tor OF the church was q large man,
while this one was OF medium height
and slender Besides, the pastor was
not a person to wed couples In his
church at midnight and If he did would
not require light upon his book by
which to read the marriage service.
True enough. a marriage service was
begun. Insley could hear every word,
When the clergyman asked If any one
had aught to say why the two should
not be Joined together in wedlock ms
ley said solemnly:
81 forbid"
a. the same time he dropped down