Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-07-20

aUoaIu luo moving Tram, MdTSdFeC
suppressed an exclamation of dis
may.
Her face was flushed, there were
dark circles Asneath her eyes, and the
lids We're red and swollen. He must
not see that she had been crying. And
turned. her face toward the window.
At her seat he hesitated, as If he
would ask permission to occupy the
vacant place beside her, but after one
look at her motionless figure he sat
down without speaking.
Margaret fought down a desire to
scream aloud. 1t was hard enough to
have been married against her will,
but to have her husband force his So
ciety upon her, when it was impos-
sible to escape him without q scene,
was unbearable.
She had refused only two days ago.
Today he was her husband! She
closed her eyes and saw it all again.
kittie Guthrey's parlor, the dozen
young people assembled there, dressed
In the quaint, old-fashioned clothes
kittie had dragged from an attic
trunk; while from the doorway, the
round. jolly face of the justice, Kittie's
father, beamed upon them.
They had been playing charades and
Margaret, wearing Kttie's grand
mothers white satin wedding gown,
veil and wreath Of faded orange bios
SONS, had been the central figure in
tableau. Then, as one in dream, she
had found herself taking part in
marriage service. Mechanically she
had repeated her responses, vaguely
conscious of the girls giggling and the
boys broad grins. but with dim
sense of awe, as the justice repeated
the solemn words of the ceremony.
| Perhaps 1t had been only dream.
Perhaps there was no license, nor
Justice, nor ceremony; and she was
still free.
Opening her eyes suddenly her
glance fell upon the hand which lay
upon the window. sill. There was the
ring which Fred had placed on her
finger, a plain gold band, which he
had detached from his watch guard.
Once he had told her that it was his
mothers wedding ring.
She clenched her hands and stared at
the flying landscape. Her anger against
the man beside her rose In turbulent
waves, submerging all other feelings.
Why had he taken such mean ad-
vantage? She would not have believed
mi, hon hn
must feel. .1.
She stole glance at his face, and
was obliged to admit that he did not
look at all triumphant. On the con-
trary, he seemed depressed and gloomy.
His unseeing gaze rested upon the
shiny bald head of the man in front OF
him. He seemed oblivious of his sur
roundings. Margaret stitied a feeling
OF pity, and steeled her heart against
his troubled face.
Why did you do it?" she asked,
aloud, without turning her head. do
Iyou suppose that because you have
trapped me into marriage, you can
compel me to live with you? Perhaps
lyou thought of kidnapping me, and con.
filming me in a tower!"
Her low, well-modulated tones, vibra
ting with scorn, broke the intolerable
silence as sharp knife cuts a taut
cord.
"Is it possible that you believe am
responsible for what happened last
night?" Carleton's voice expressed
pained surprise. II knew you did not
love me. but thought l still retained
Iyour respect. If you had waited mo
ment longer. you would have known
that l mad no part in the plot which
turned our frivolous play into sober
reality. At first was too bewildered
to understand that the license was
genuine and the marriage legal. And
when l would have rushed after you
the boys held me while Morris ex
planned 1t was all wretched, prac
teal joke, which he and Williams haG
planned. Supposing that we were en-
gagged, they thought we would relist
the idea Of an impromptu marriage. al
much as they did"
The conductor was making hi!
rounds. Carleton handed him his owl
and Margaret's tickets, and frownet
. absently at him until he had passed
The energetic trainboy came and went
followed by the pompous negro porter
The sonorous snoring of the bald
headed man rose above the rumble O
/! the train and the subdued murmur O
9 voices.
Margaret's face was still averted, blu
6 q restless movement betrayed her i'm
s patience with the rest of Carleton
/ story.
They had no trouble in getting tn
j. license" he continued. Grant, tn,
{ county clerk, has known most of tn
|. boys in our crowd since we were littl
s shavers. When they said l was out 0
: town and had sent them for the Il
cense, he believed them.
"Of course, they told Kittie, so tina
she could manage you. But neithe
Squire Guthrey nor the others knew
that it was to be more than moe
marriage The squire says the cere
mony is binding, but we can easil