The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-10-14


marriage. Possibly ! may hay e Judged
by something in his tone, possibly by
an absence Of desire in his words. He
was too rational for lover. l won
dered If he were not bent on marriage
to escape loneliness or to help him to
bury a melancholy memory. l deter
mined to apply test.
you have been considering me vac
Hating" said. Now you seem to be
undecided yourself And l 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 a 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 to undo what she had
done. You would then look upon your
marriage with me as a chain of slav-
cry"
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 l 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
| 1 dared not. AS his bride had been
a girl. Now was approaching mid
die age. Another denouement to this
singular freak Of fate occurred to me.
I would go with him to the church.
then reveal myself.
"Well." l said. 1T is time that we
stop this backing and filling. 1 shall
show you that l have more steadiness
than you suppose. Come: turn about.
Let us go to the rectory."
Without 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. If
you have not perfect confidence in me
l 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 groom. 1 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 / 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.
"Gwen" 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 / had finished l turned to my
groom. wondering what expression
would find there. l 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 reconciliation? / replied
to the question asked by his eyes with
my lips. | gave him q smile. With q
clergyman and said:
Proceed"
The rector seemed puzzled. Evil
IDENTITY the situation f,ustered 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 l express dissent. He looked to
the groom for instructions and doubt
less received them. for without fur
Their 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 husbandT'
hesitated for moment, then said
firmly, II WILL
Both men gave a sigh Of relief.
And so it was that. while l was sep
arated for fifteen years from the man
1 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